"Creed" Review

Title: Creed

Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Screenplay by: Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington

Year: 2015


The Rocky franchise is, well, a rocky one. Some films are great, some good, others not so much. These are my brief thoughts on all of them: the first is fantastic, the second is very good, the third and fourth are enjoyable (the latter being a bit underrated), the fifth pretty bad, and the sixth a nice little gem. Creed is the seventh installment in this famous franchise. Seeking to reboot it for a whole new generation, is this picture a real knockout?

Adonis "Donnie" Johnson is the son of the late, former heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed. Having a natural knack for fighting like his father before him, Donnie seeks someone to train him. He decides to visit his father's former friend, Rocky Balboa, hoping to be trained by him.

I think this premise is a fantastic idea, as it reintroduces the Rocky franchise while keeping the titular character in the movie without throwing him back in the ring. Michael B. Jordan stars as Donnie and he is a revelation as the young Creed. Not only does he look like Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in the past, but he also acts like the son of Apollo would. He is instantly likable, with a fiery passion for fighting and an insatiable hunger to prove himself. But while Jordan is stunning, Sylvester Stallone is shocking. Stallone brings so much heart to Rocky that you cannot help but feel for him and all he has been through. This is an aged but wiser Rocky who has lost so much but still has a positive outlook on life. Stallone's performance is Oscar caliber and will even make grown men cry. He created this character and proves that he is at his best when portraying him.

Tessa Thompson plays Bianca, Donnie's neighbor and love interest. Her character is very interesting and backed by a strong performance by Thompson. Phylicia Rashad is Mary Anne Creed and though she does not have the most screen time, she nails the scenes she is in. Though she is not Donnie's mother, she treats him as her son. Rashad is solid and it would be nice to see more of her in a potential sequel.

As mentioned earlier, I think the premise behind this movie is a smart move. The story is instantly engaging as we follow Donnie's journey towards greatness. Handled poorly, this film could have easily devolved into the audience always waiting to see more of Rocky. But Donnie is very fleshed out and not a hollow mimic of Rocky. He is his own person with completely different motivations. And having Rocky as a mentor is a nice way to pass the torch. This is not Rocky's story, and that is made very clear. This film is perfectly paced, never slowing down too much but giving the characters time to breathe at the same time.

Ryan Coogler's direction is exactly what this movie needed. It captures the essence of the franchise while also scraping it of any goofiness from some past entries. Were it not for Coogler, this picture never would have been made, as it was completely his idea. The camerawork is marvelous, with the standout being Donnie's first real fight. The entire fight is done in what appears to be one long take. And it is not just one round. The fighters return to their corners, their injuries are apparent, it is an incredible technical feat. The cinematography in general is wonderful. You feel as if you are walking down the streets of Philadelphia and for the fight scenes, the camera gets up close and personal when necessary, and pulls back for wide shots to give the audience a breather.

And I have to mention the music. Ludwig Goransson delivers a powerful and beautiful musical score. "Gonna Fly Now" gets a tremendous orchestral update and other familiar fanfares are accompanied by hard hitting compositions. For me, "You're a Creed," ""If I Fight, You Fight," and "End Credits" are exceptional standouts. Though not my cup of tea, I did find the inclusion of a few rap songs very fitting and adrenaline pumping.

The fight scenes never outweigh the drama, but damn are they good. They come across as pretty brutal this time around. Every punch feels real and the adrenaline and emotion that is felt during the best of the classic fights is present and stronger than ever. I had to resist the urge to jump out of my seat and cheer and motivate Donnie. The Rocky movies always had that magic of making the final fight so freaking engaging, and Creed is no exception.

The editing should not go unnoticed either. The training montage for this movie is well cut together, the film's pace never breaks, and scenes flow perfectly into each other. In addition, the screenplay is amazingly well written. The dialogue feels real, the interactions feel real, everything is believable. Once again, we have a good villain in the form of "Pretty" Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew), currently the undefeated light heavyweight champion. He channels several past Rocky villains but by the end, his character actually does something that changes our perspective of him. It is done in one line but it goes a long way.

Creed is a well crafted movie and I am relieved to say that. The trailers promised something incredible and the film delivered. Filled with great performances, especially from Stallone, effective camerawork, a solid script, and successful direction, Creed more than succeeds at bringing this franchise back. It reinvigorates it and provides what is, for me, the most emotional experience of 2015 thus far. You become so attached to these characters that you will want to see them again and again. Creed delivers more than just a few punches by giving us what might be the best entry in the franchise.

Grade: A+