“Creed” (2015)

Creed

Grade: B+

Sequels are tough, and reboots are even tougher, but Creed does a nice job breathing new life into the Rocky franchise and, perhaps more surprisingly, Rocky Balboa the character. A few more notes on Creed:

Directing:

Creed is much more realistic than Rocky, foregoing the uplifting populism of the original films for a gritty tone punctuated by shaky camerawork and an emphasis on close-ups. Particularly noteworthy are the boxing scenes themselves, which are — no lie — the most lifelike in cinematic history. The first fight is a mesmerizing sequence captured in one unbroken tracking shot, and the final 12-round bout could be mistaken for a WBO sanctioned event. My only complaints when it comes to Ryan Coogler’s directing are the cutaways to ESPN and HBO newscasts, which feel forced when compared to the rest of the realism.

Acting:

Michael B. Jordan plays Adonis Creed, a hungry and humble young fighter desperate to escape his father’s legacy. Jordan is best when it comes to physical acting, and he excels during the boxing/training montages. He’s at his worst when it comes to dialogue, which is everything else outside the ring. Luckily, Sylvester Stallone delivers a powerhouse performance as the iconic Rocky Balboa, who is now an old man dying of cancer. It’s perhaps the best work of Stallone’s career — filled with humor, pathos and inspiration.

Writing:

Coogler reinvents and reinterprets the Rocky franchise for a modern audience, successfully pulling off the tricky balancing act of paying respect and adhering to the original films while also making Creed work as an original standalone movie. All boxing movies are formulaic (i.e., underdog defies the odds), but Coogler smartly lowers the stakes for this understated drama: Adonis isn’t out to conquer the world; he just wants to make a name for himself. That’s why the film only features two fights. However, I’d rather have more fight scenes than the cheesy romance subplot between Adonis and Bianca.

Music:

Composer Ludwig Göransson interpolates the famous original theme several times throughout the film to triumphant effect. Unfortunately, the made-for-the-movie songs by Future, Meek Mill and Tory Lanez don’t have much staying power: they’re as tacky and forced as the SportsCenter cutaways.

Ending (SPOILERS):

Adonis loses the climactic fight to “Pretty” Ricky Conlan by split decision, and I’m glad we didn’t get a hokey ending in which Creed became heavyweight champion of the world. The film’s journey is measured in emotion rather than statistics, and the final shot of Adonis and Rocky (who is slowly winning the battle against leukemia) climbing the famous 72 steps is a bigger victory than anything inside of the ring would’ve been.

“I’m gonna go home and I’m gonna fight this thing, but if I fight I want you to fight too.” – Rocky Balboa

Why Creed gets a B+:

Rocky fans will enjoy Stallone’s greatest performance in decades, while film buffs will enjoy some of the rawest and realistic boxing footage in cinematic history. Creed is a little too long but is still a successful continuation of the franchise.

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