Directed by : Ryan Coogler
Written by : Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington
Starring : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson
Release Date : November 25, 2015
"Creed" plays off like a love letter to the sport of boxing, the city of Philadelphia, and of course the whole Rocky franchise of movies. I really appreciated the little touches and moments that are given to those elements, from having some of the real people from the boxing world make cameo appearances, to some highlights on the people and locations of Philadelphia. Above all else though, this movie felt like a Rocky movie, and it's absolutely fantastic.
The story about an underdog who continues to fight against all expectations, is just "classic Rocky." I suppose if there is one primary thing to critique, it's that the movie uses that very familiar story trope a little too well, and honestly made it all rather predictable with no real surprises. From the montage training sequences, to the theme about facing the hard obstacles of life, to all the sport cliches you expect to see here, it's all there. That's okay though, because the whole thing is done really well, and made with so much heart and love, that despite the familiarity, it still felt very engaging to watch.
Besides the direction and writing, there are two other important reasons this movie works, and that's Michael B Jordan as Apollo Creed's illegitimate son Adonis Johnson, and Sylvester Stallone reprising his famous role as Rocky Balboa. Both actors are fantastic here, and the relationship that is developed between the two is the true strength of this story. There's a lot of personal and simple scenes of the two; like the heart to heart conversations they have, that it's easy to be drawn into the characters. If the movie had one huge obstacle to conquer, it's that it had to convince us why we should care about Adonis Johnson, and it succeeds in that regard because of Michael B Jordan. Although having Stallone in his corner does help too.
There's a lot to love about "Creed," from the characters, the story, and of course the great boxing matches, that this is most definitely a must see crowdpleasing movie. Oh, and I'd like to give kudos to one particular fight that is done in one continuous shot, which was just amazing to watch.
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