Friday, December 11, 2015

Review of CREED: Resurrecting Rocky

December 10, 2015




Back in 1976, a little film about a poor boxer overcoming the odds to become a champ became one of that year's highest-grossing films. "Rocky" even ended up winning the Oscar for Best Picture and Director (for John G. Avildsen). Since then, the character of Rocky Balboa has figured in six more films, and this present one is the seventh. But here in this new one, Rocky is not the lead character anymore as star Sylvester Stallone concedes to his age and turns over his gloves to a new hero.

The "Creed" in the title refers to Adonis "Donnie" Creed, illegitimate son of boxing legend and Rocky's nemesis-turned-best friend Apollo Creed. Against the wishes of his adoptive mother and Apollo Creed's wife, Mary Anne , Donnie seeks out Rocky Balboa in Philadelphia to train him to be a prizefighter. Right before a critical fight against the current champion "Pretty" Ricky Conlan (played by real life pro boxer Tony Bellew), Donnie finds out about Rocky own fight against a threat of another kind. The two would help each other face their respective fights.

Michael B. Jordan (NOT the basketball icon) proves that he is really one of the most promising actors of this generation as he embodies the rebellious and cocky Donnie Creed. After several years on TV, he first gained critical attention in a 2013 indie film about racial violence "Fruitvale Station", also directed by his director in this film Ryan Coogler. Since then, he had been in a raunchy comedy "That Awkward Moment" (with other up and comers Zac Efron and Miles Teller) and a (disastrous) Marvel superhero flick "Fantastic Four". But here as the titular "Creed" we really see the genre he is really good at -- drama. 

Sylvester Stallone was very likable here as the aging Rocky. He has gone full circle from the first Rocky film. Rocky Balboa was was his big Hollywood breakthrough role and it got him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor to boot. Since then, Stallone would become a huge action superstar in various roles which did not really require him to show any form of heartfelt dramatic acting. As of now, this role in "Creed" had already won Stallone a Best Supporting Actor citation from the National Board of Review, as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Can his first Oscar finally be within reach?

A promising new beauty and talent, Tessa Thompson played Bianca, Donnie's spunky musician neighbor and love interest. She registers strongly on screen, effortlessly natural and had very good chemistry with Jordan. Phylicia Rashad played Mary Anne Creed much like she played Claire Huxtable years ago.

Being a sports film, it treads very familiar themes -- the desire, the intense training, conflicts, the final climactic match and its aftermath. However, director Ryan Coogler ups the ante from previous Rocky films by giving us spectacular cinematography from inside the boxing ring and around the City of Brotherly Love, as well as excitingly-edited and brutally-choreographed fight scenes. The epilogue filmed on the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made iconic in the first Rocky film, was lovingly executed, promising the fortuitous birth of a whole new franchise. 8/10.


17 comments:

  1. Micheal Jordan & Sylvester Stallone is a perfect combo. Any movie gets really enjoyable when very popular actors don a senior role with a less popular hero!!!

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  2. This should be interesting. We all grew up watching Rocky and it was such a huge hit. And, I like movies with a sports theme - there's always a great lesson to learn and I end up super inspired after watching one.

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  3. Sports film is fun to watch because there's lot of action and I love choreographed fight scenes rather than visual effects of superhero movies. This can be an award-winning movie.

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  4. It sounds amazing. I like both actors and I wouldn't mind watching this. Thanks for the detailed review!

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  5. I've followed the Rocky series and it's about time that Rocky finally retire. The last few editions were not that good because they were forcing it too much on an aging Rocky.

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  6. I've followed the whole Rocky series. It's about time that Rocky finally retire and focus on Adonis Creed, which is a tribute too to his greatest rival turned friend Apollo. The last few Rocky movies didn't turn out ok because it was forcing the aging Rocky at that time.

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  7. I've always wondered how Michael Jordan would fare as an actor because I have not seen him in any movies... I think your review is stellar and makes me want to watch this particular one ;)

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    1. This is not Michael Jordan the basketball player! If you want to see that Michael Jordan in action, watch Space Jam.

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  8. ohh, i think i've seen the trailer but i didn't recognise that that's Michael Jordan! but this is not the kind of movie i'll want to watch, though.

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    1. The lead actor of Creed is Michael B. Jordan. This is not Michael Jordan of the the Chicago Bulls basketball team.

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  9. Ive aeen the movie trailer and this makes me curious on watching this

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  10. this looks good. i should watch this sometime. i think ill enjoy it

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  11. Never seen a Rocky movie even once which is very sad on my part. But my dad and hubby would probably love to watch this one. :)

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  12. I would definitely see this movie too. I have watched Rocky's films and it would be very interesting to see a new plot emerge.

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  13. I never got into the Rocky series so I'm not too excited about this. 8 out of 10 is not a bad rating at all though!

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  14. I've caught Creed too but was too busy with Youtube production that I didn't have time to blog! This is definitely no good!

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  15. I am in awe watching Sylvester Stallone in this flick, as Rocky. I remember my parents who never failed to watched the Rocky movies. And yes, Stallone is still good here and he deserved winning the GG award.

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