MOVIE OF THE WEEK #1 (11/25/15) CREED
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| "Now slide to the right! Jab two times!" Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) gets some advice on surviving and thriving in the ring from his late father's friend, the "Italian Stallion" Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in a scene from director Ryan Coogler's CREED. Credit: Barry Wetcher © 2015 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Inc. and Warner Bros. All rights reserved. |
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris and Anthony Bellew
WRITER(S): Aaron Covington and Ryan Coogler
DIRECTOR(S): Ryan Coogler
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): The product of an extramarital affair, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his father until he was taken in by his widow Mary (Phylicia Rashad). And, despite Mary's wishes, once Adonis learns of his late father's legacy, Adonis dedicates himself to one goal: Becoming a championship caliber boxer in his own right, but using his last name instead of trying to live off the family name.
Unfortunately for Adonis – who has a great job in corporate America – he can't find anyone in his native Los Angeles willing to train him; the son of his dad's trainer (Wood Harris) plans to make certain of that. This prompts Adonis to move to the blue collar streets of Philadelphia to seek out the one man he thinks can make him fulfill his potential: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Rocky, however, is reluctant to take the young man on as now that he is running the restaurant named after his late wife, he simply wants to let the past be the past. Local musician Bianca (Tessa Thompson), however, seems quite content with Adonis chasing his dream since she is out chasing hers.
But despite Bianca's and Rocky's eventual support, Adonis' his internal demons and the harsh realities of the sport seem to always rear their heads at the worst possible times. That's not going to stop him, however, because he's not just another boxer. He's a Creed ... Hit the music!
Unfortunately for Adonis – who has a great job in corporate America – he can't find anyone in his native Los Angeles willing to train him; the son of his dad's trainer (Wood Harris) plans to make certain of that. This prompts Adonis to move to the blue collar streets of Philadelphia to seek out the one man he thinks can make him fulfill his potential: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Rocky, however, is reluctant to take the young man on as now that he is running the restaurant named after his late wife, he simply wants to let the past be the past. Local musician Bianca (Tessa Thompson), however, seems quite content with Adonis chasing his dream since she is out chasing hers.
But despite Bianca's and Rocky's eventual support, Adonis' his internal demons and the harsh realities of the sport seem to always rear their heads at the worst possible times. That's not going to stop him, however, because he's not just another boxer. He's a Creed ... Hit the music!
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? Sylvester Stallone fans; Michael B. Jordan fans; Philadelphia enthusiasts; Rocky fans who will appreciate the evolution of Stallone's character and homages to the past; young kids unfamiliar with the Rocky franchise
WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Boxing purists who hate the haymakers thrown in boxing movies; Rocky fans who find the evolution of Stallone's character and homages to the past depressing; anyone who has a pre-conceived notion of what Stallone is as an actor and/or just want that franchise to stay finished.
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? A film that mixes the old with the new fairly well to create a new chapter in a saga that didn't seem likely for – or in of – one, Creed is a solid underdog story that honors the legacy of its characters to create an enjoyable movie experience.
Boxing movies as a whole are built on two things: relationships, be they the turbulent ones featured in Raging Bull or the down-and-out ones of more recent fair like Southpaw and rivalries (take your pick). While co-writer/director Ryan Coogler sets the scenes up well via a camera that uses Philadelphia as a living, breathing character complete with a pulsating soundtrack to emphasis key moments, Stallone and Jordan knock out (pun intended) each moment they have together exceptionally well without ever having it feel hokey, forces or unnatural to make theirs work in grand fashion. Jordan likewise shares great chemistry with Thompson as Bianca, a character who feels like a modern woman instead of the stereotypical wet blanket female love interest found in far too many movies of this ilk. She is a fully developed character with bearing on the story and merit, a fact which enhances the story instead of becoming a distraction to it that gives this franchise offshoot its own Rocky and Adrian Balboa for modern audiences to root for and identify with.
While many people have – and arguably rightly so in the past – pointed out to the insanity of the boxing in the Rocky movies as one of its key staples, the relationships between the characters has always been the thing that have be the film franchise's true benchmark. (Well, that and the time Rocky single-handedly ended the Cold War ...) Creed keeps this tradition going as the interplay between Jordan and Stallone as teacher and student/past confronting the present and how it will affect their respective futures works in such a terrific fashion you completely forget how that trope has been done to death. Instead, you get nice – and more importantly, what feels authentic and plausible (when's the last time THAT word was used in a Rocky movie review?!) – introspection into where each character is in their life and why.
Boxing movies as a whole are built on two things: relationships, be they the turbulent ones featured in Raging Bull or the down-and-out ones of more recent fair like Southpaw and rivalries (take your pick). While co-writer/director Ryan Coogler sets the scenes up well via a camera that uses Philadelphia as a living, breathing character complete with a pulsating soundtrack to emphasis key moments, Stallone and Jordan knock out (pun intended) each moment they have together exceptionally well without ever having it feel hokey, forces or unnatural to make theirs work in grand fashion. Jordan likewise shares great chemistry with Thompson as Bianca, a character who feels like a modern woman instead of the stereotypical wet blanket female love interest found in far too many movies of this ilk. She is a fully developed character with bearing on the story and merit, a fact which enhances the story instead of becoming a distraction to it that gives this franchise offshoot its own Rocky and Adrian Balboa for modern audiences to root for and identify with.
While many people have – and arguably rightly so in the past – pointed out to the insanity of the boxing in the Rocky movies as one of its key staples, the relationships between the characters has always been the thing that have be the film franchise's true benchmark. (Well, that and the time Rocky single-handedly ended the Cold War ...) Creed keeps this tradition going as the interplay between Jordan and Stallone as teacher and student/past confronting the present and how it will affect their respective futures works in such a terrific fashion you completely forget how that trope has been done to death. Instead, you get nice – and more importantly, what feels authentic and plausible (when's the last time THAT word was used in a Rocky movie review?!) – introspection into where each character is in their life and why.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Rocky movie – yes, I know Creed is its own film, but let's be realistic –without some humorous moments and plenty of over-the-top boxing/training. The film doesn't disappoint in either regard, delivering a satisfying mix of both that works given Coogler's presentation of the story. This is not to suggest the film is anything classic (in either a true achievement or cult sense), but simply to say it does what it does well to the point any concerns or doubts.
Side note: For all the training featured in Rocky movies, not ONCE does it seem that they ever practice defense. NOT. ONCE! Rant over.
In short, for a film that would seemingly appear to be an unnecessary offshoot at first glance, Creed proves itself a contender with a mix of ethos and pathos that will defy the logos of its doubters. And given how much the Rocky series has done to make its characters appear like Greek gods – name another fictional character with a statue outside a respected art institution in the city where it is based?! – that is a fitting end to a film that is all about legacy.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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