Warning: This review contains spoilers
In Creed, Sylvester Stallone (Rambo) reprises his role as the renowned Rocky Balboa to train Adnois ‘Donnie’ Creed (Michael B. Jordan). It is a deep, lump-in-the-throat-evoking movie, and a great spin-off to the Rocky series. After a lifetime of being a professional boxer, double world heavyweight champion, Rocky Balboa, is now retired and living in Philly as a quiet restaurant owner. Life throws him a chance to help someone, but he’s set in his ways and his help is acquired only after a big push. He helps Adonis Johnson Creed, the son of his adversary turned friend, the late Apollo Creed. Donnie is a very emotionally troubled young man, living in his father’s shadow and being the offspring of a relationship that should never have happened. He believes himself to be a mistake, but despite all this he wants to become a boxer like his father.
His father died in the ring fighting Russian boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985). Regardless of everything that has happened to him, he wants to fight as his father did. The Italian Stallion agrees to become his trainer after much persistence from Donnie, as he takes on an opponent that is more vicious and ruthless than anyone he ever faced. Michael B Jordan reprises his partnership with Ryan Coogler, who imprints his own dark and sinister mark on this latest installment of the Rocky franchise. For added realism, real-life British pro boxer and former three-time ABA Heavyweight champion, Tony Bellew, plays Creed’s ruthless opponent, ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan.
Michael B Jordan embodies a common trend of today’s black youths, but not due to a fault of his own. His father died in the ring and he was raised by a single mom. Amongst young people today, young black men who have been in and out of ‘juvy’ have commonly lacked the male role model, thus the father figure being absent. Adonis thinks he’s mad at the world, but in reality he’s mad at a dead man. He’s emotionally conflicted and living in his father’s shadow. The name Creed is legendary in the world since everyone knows the name, Apollo Creed. He was world champion, fought against the equally acclaimed Rocky Balboa, and died in the ring against Ivan Drago.
Adonis is afraid of taking up the Creed name and losing; he doesn’t want to tarnish the boxing legacy of his father. Who can really blame him? Taking on the name seems more hassle than it’s worth but furthermore, he wants to make it into the industry on his own without the help of his father’s name and accomplishments. He wants to make it without being constantly compared to his father. In short, Donnie doesn’t belive he is worthy. Jordan gives a stellar performance, and it is one of many in what I hope to be a very long and fruitful career. It’s a shame that the Academy didn’t think as highly as I do; I think he was certainly snubbed of an Oscar nomination, as were many in this Oscar race.
Stallone is a great talent as well, giving a better performance than he did when he won the Oscar for Rocky (1976). It was heartwarming, punchy, emotional, and powerful with times of humor yet seriousness. Amusingly, I can understand his manner of speech in this movie than in all the previous Rocky movies. Rocky tries to be the father that Apollo didn’t have the chance to be. He mentors, fathers, and befriends Adonis Creed. He truly motivates this rookie boxer into someone who could truly be a match for his father’s name, someone as great as Apollo was–or even better.
The standout element of this movie is the cinematography from Maryse Alberti (The Wrestler), and the superb direction from Ryan Coogler, as well. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the movie, especially with the Creed Vs Pretty fight at the end. The way the camera circulates around the pair in the ring is truly something to witness in its infinite glory. The fight was adrenaline fueled and blood was in abundance on both sides, with great uses of time lapses. The fight between Creed and Pretty ends in the same way as Rocky’s first bout with Apollo. It ended with Rocky earning Apollo’s respect and friendship, and the same occurs with Donnie. A sequel is in the works for 2017, and I can only hope that Creed wants a rematch with the Scouse champion.