Many people forget that Sylvester Stallone’s performance in the original Rocky was a brilliant work of subtlety and sensitivity amid the guts and grit. He was charming, funny, believable as a boxer, and demonstrated a level of wisdom that only someone without book smarts can have. With apologies to Peter Finch in Network, Stallone was the best actor of 1976. But the myriad of action films that followed, showcasing not much more than his freakish muscles and mumbled speech, have obscured Stallone’s brilliance as a true artist. In Creed, his latest reprisal of his beloved Rocky, Stallone reminds us just how talented he is.
But this time, Rocky is not the lead character. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of the revered heavyweight champ and adversary-turned-friend of Rocky, Apollo Creed, is the face of this generation’s installment of the series. Adonis grew up in foster care and juvenile facilities, unaware of his lineage. We learn that Apollo had an affair before dying in the ring (in Rocky IV), and Apollo’s wife (Phylicia Rashad) decides to take the boy in at age 14. As an adult, Adonis has a job in the finance industry and enjoys the wealth of his adopted mother, but drives to Mexico each weekend to pursue his passion as a boxer, fighting in dank gyms for a few dollars and a sense of pride. He eventually wants to fight full-time, but no one wants to train him, believing he doesn’t have the talent and toughness of his famous father. Adonis decides there is only one man who can offer him the guidance he needs. So he heads to Philadelphia.
It’s been nearly a decade since Rocky was last in the ring, and his hair is a bit grayer, his wrinkles a bit deeper. He still runs his restaurant, but everyone he has loved has passed away. He still visits Adrian’s grave, and now Paulie resides beside her. Rocky is hesitant to get involved with boxing again, but out of duty to his deceased friend, he accepts the opportunity to train Adonis. Adonis shows promise and eventually gets a shot at a top-ranked fighter, just like Rocky did in the original film. Along the way, Adonis finds love (Tessa Thompson), earns a name for himself, and helps Rocky face a dangerous opponent as well.
This film narrowly avoids the pitfalls that befell the subpar Southpaw earlier this year. That film was doomed in its premise of a fighter who was already successful and not all that likeable. Creed dances on that edge, but makes smart choices to help us root for Adonis. Jordan had a tough task in front of him, and he has handled it admirably. Adonis is handsome, confident, smart, and shredded. He is everything Rocky was not. The original Rocky is a masterwork because it challenges everything that a hero is supposed to be, and takes a regular pug from the streets and makes him worthy of our admiration. Adonis had a rough childhood, as both Apollo and Rocky did before him, but he takes on the goal of becoming a great boxer because he wants to, not because he has to. He has a good job, a mother that loves him, a life of stability that few others are able to experience. And that is hard to reconcile—after all, such attributes tend to diminish one’s underdog status. But his desire to become his own man is more worthy of our respect than to simply become a champion. And the final fight in the film has echoes of the original Rocky that effectively prove our investment in Adonis.
Though the boxing choreography is a tad robotic in places (probably only noticeable to those who’ve obsessed over the excellent fight sequences of the first four Rocky films), but the direction from young director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) is quite good. The fights are shot in extremely long takes, putting the audience in the ring, often right on the boxers’ shoulder, and adding urgency to the drama. The events feel real, and the use of ESPN and HBO footage throughout the film add legitimacy to their presentation. Coogler also shows a deft hand in the film’s more intimate moments as well, offering stylistic images, but not overshadowing his actors and their words. He certainly has bright future ahead of him.
Creed has much of what we would expect, from the training montages to pre-fight trash talking from the villainous opponent. It also has the obligatory pep talk from the love interest and hand-wringing from family watching on television. The best parts of the film, however, are the moments when Rocky is gently teaching the young fighter, both in the ring and out. Stallone is able to convey wisdom and emotion with simple looks and tender conversation like he never has before, and it is a joy to watch. When Rocky describes what it feels like to be the last one standing after everyone in his life has left him is heartbreaking and captures the essence of aging for all of us.
There a quite a few problems with the film, from its overly contrived plot to a few directorial decisions that border on the absurdly precious: Adonis literally fighting his father while watching YouTube footage; the burgeoning music star girlfriend who just happens to have a hearing disability; Adonis calling Rocky by the ridiculous moniker “Unc” after having known him for about five minutes. When Rocky pulls out a stopwatch and makes Adonis train at a hospital, I let out an audible and disappointed sigh. And the film could use another ten minutes of editing.
However, certain films can be forgiven if the emotional effect is not only convincing enough, but is well earned. Creed accomplishes this on a superior level. It resonates with those who adore the original Rocky films, and it will encourage many to embrace subsequent Creed projects. Jordan has demonstrated that he has the clout to carry other films, so it will be interesting to see if Creed has the legs to go the distance as its own series. This may be the last we see of Rocky, but it’s a well-executed retirement for the champ. (And it may very well earn Stallone an Oscar.) Watching him climb those art museum steps one last time with his new family may end up being the image we remember most from this year in film. Creed does not nearly have the excellence of the original Rocky, but then again, not much does. But it is definitely a contender.
Grade: B+
But this time, Rocky is not the lead character. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of the revered heavyweight champ and adversary-turned-friend of Rocky, Apollo Creed, is the face of this generation’s installment of the series. Adonis grew up in foster care and juvenile facilities, unaware of his lineage. We learn that Apollo had an affair before dying in the ring (in Rocky IV), and Apollo’s wife (Phylicia Rashad) decides to take the boy in at age 14. As an adult, Adonis has a job in the finance industry and enjoys the wealth of his adopted mother, but drives to Mexico each weekend to pursue his passion as a boxer, fighting in dank gyms for a few dollars and a sense of pride. He eventually wants to fight full-time, but no one wants to train him, believing he doesn’t have the talent and toughness of his famous father. Adonis decides there is only one man who can offer him the guidance he needs. So he heads to Philadelphia.
It’s been nearly a decade since Rocky was last in the ring, and his hair is a bit grayer, his wrinkles a bit deeper. He still runs his restaurant, but everyone he has loved has passed away. He still visits Adrian’s grave, and now Paulie resides beside her. Rocky is hesitant to get involved with boxing again, but out of duty to his deceased friend, he accepts the opportunity to train Adonis. Adonis shows promise and eventually gets a shot at a top-ranked fighter, just like Rocky did in the original film. Along the way, Adonis finds love (Tessa Thompson), earns a name for himself, and helps Rocky face a dangerous opponent as well.
This film narrowly avoids the pitfalls that befell the subpar Southpaw earlier this year. That film was doomed in its premise of a fighter who was already successful and not all that likeable. Creed dances on that edge, but makes smart choices to help us root for Adonis. Jordan had a tough task in front of him, and he has handled it admirably. Adonis is handsome, confident, smart, and shredded. He is everything Rocky was not. The original Rocky is a masterwork because it challenges everything that a hero is supposed to be, and takes a regular pug from the streets and makes him worthy of our admiration. Adonis had a rough childhood, as both Apollo and Rocky did before him, but he takes on the goal of becoming a great boxer because he wants to, not because he has to. He has a good job, a mother that loves him, a life of stability that few others are able to experience. And that is hard to reconcile—after all, such attributes tend to diminish one’s underdog status. But his desire to become his own man is more worthy of our respect than to simply become a champion. And the final fight in the film has echoes of the original Rocky that effectively prove our investment in Adonis.
Though the boxing choreography is a tad robotic in places (probably only noticeable to those who’ve obsessed over the excellent fight sequences of the first four Rocky films), but the direction from young director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) is quite good. The fights are shot in extremely long takes, putting the audience in the ring, often right on the boxers’ shoulder, and adding urgency to the drama. The events feel real, and the use of ESPN and HBO footage throughout the film add legitimacy to their presentation. Coogler also shows a deft hand in the film’s more intimate moments as well, offering stylistic images, but not overshadowing his actors and their words. He certainly has bright future ahead of him.
Creed has much of what we would expect, from the training montages to pre-fight trash talking from the villainous opponent. It also has the obligatory pep talk from the love interest and hand-wringing from family watching on television. The best parts of the film, however, are the moments when Rocky is gently teaching the young fighter, both in the ring and out. Stallone is able to convey wisdom and emotion with simple looks and tender conversation like he never has before, and it is a joy to watch. When Rocky describes what it feels like to be the last one standing after everyone in his life has left him is heartbreaking and captures the essence of aging for all of us.
There a quite a few problems with the film, from its overly contrived plot to a few directorial decisions that border on the absurdly precious: Adonis literally fighting his father while watching YouTube footage; the burgeoning music star girlfriend who just happens to have a hearing disability; Adonis calling Rocky by the ridiculous moniker “Unc” after having known him for about five minutes. When Rocky pulls out a stopwatch and makes Adonis train at a hospital, I let out an audible and disappointed sigh. And the film could use another ten minutes of editing.
However, certain films can be forgiven if the emotional effect is not only convincing enough, but is well earned. Creed accomplishes this on a superior level. It resonates with those who adore the original Rocky films, and it will encourage many to embrace subsequent Creed projects. Jordan has demonstrated that he has the clout to carry other films, so it will be interesting to see if Creed has the legs to go the distance as its own series. This may be the last we see of Rocky, but it’s a well-executed retirement for the champ. (And it may very well earn Stallone an Oscar.) Watching him climb those art museum steps one last time with his new family may end up being the image we remember most from this year in film. Creed does not nearly have the excellence of the original Rocky, but then again, not much does. But it is definitely a contender.
Grade: B+