The “Rocky” universe continues with “Creed” as the iconic boxer trains his once rival son. Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa with “Fruitvale Station” star Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed. Our JP has his review.
CREED
Warner Bros. Pictures
Opening Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality
Run Time: 133 minutes
Studio Synopsis:
From Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema comes award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s “Creed.” The film reunites Coogler with his “Fruitvale Station” star Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed, and explores a new chapter in the “Rocky” story, starring Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone in his iconic role.
Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa. Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring. With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title … but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?
“Creed” also stars Tessa Thompson (“Selma,” “Dear White People”), Phylicia Rashad (Lifetime’s “Steel Magnolias”) and English pro boxer and former three-time ABA Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bellew. Coogler directed from a screenplay he wrote with Aaron Covington, based on characters from the Rocky series written by Sylvester Stallone. The film is produced by Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin King-Templeton and Sylvester Stallone, with Nicolas Stern executive producing. The music is by composer Ludwig Goransson.
J.P.’s Take:
Oakland filmmaker Ryan Coogler hit the scene with his debut feature “Fruitvale Station,” a stirring biopic depicting the events leading up to the death of Oakland native Oscar Grant. The heartbreaking account of 22-year-old Grant’s run in with BART police starred Michael B. Jordan giving a gut wrenching performance as Oscar Grant. Coogler and Jordan team up again for the uplifting studio break out “Creed.”
The latest film serves as a bridge-gap to the original “Rocky” films and newly emerging viewers just discovering the classic. “Creed” is an immersive and emotionally charged drama where the audience can invest in the lives of the characters. It builds slowly, relying on heartfelt performances that unfold naturally, while boxing scenes are filmed with an invigorating spirit. The film’s effectiveness is due in part to the chemistry Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan have on screen.
Jordan’s fiery interpretation of Adonis “Donnie” Johnson-Creed pitted against Stallone’s wise and weathered Rocky Balboa make for dynamic performances between them. Adonis, being the product of a broken home bouncing around from group homes and detentions centers, makes for a young man afflicted with a chaotic childhood. As a constantly embattled youth, Adonis has had to fight his way literally and figuratively through years of tribulations. Adding to Adonis’ anguish, he never knew his father, the great boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers shown in flashback moments), who died before he was born. Adonis idolizes his father, however finds himself living in his shadow (Jordan accentuates his character with drive and spunk). Showing the will to carve a niche for himself in the sport, Adonis tracks down Rocky Balboa (Stallone), who at first refuses to train him. His stick-to-itiviness comes into play when he meets the former champ. Yet Stallone, who revises Rocky, now in his 60s, as the old man who sees things from a different point of view. Knowing the hell Adonis’ father has been through in and out of the ring, he whole-heartedly discourages him from following in his father’s footsteps.
Feeling rejected and once again abandoned by Rocky, we — as viewers — take the punch to the gut just as a Adonis has. The mental and emotional frustrations he has endured, draws him back to his troubled youth all over again. Rocky, as the reluctant father figure, eventually takes young Creed under his wing. However, he doesn’t just train him as he would a regular fighter, he gives Adonis life long lessons in the process. Interestingly enough, the very definition of the word/name Creed is the idea or set of beliefs that guides the actions of a person or group. That’s everything Adonis has been craving in life – a sense of purpose. The dynamics shifts however, when Adonis finds out in a round about way that Rocky is seriously ill. Now the tables turn as Adonis feels slighted by Rocky’s omittance of his illness. Adonis then rejects him and refuses to continue training with Rocky unless he receives treatment. Fortunately, sprigs of sly comedy help to break up the heavily dispatched conflicts.
Kudos to Phylicia Rashad and Tessa Thompson, the leading female roles, who become Adonis’s saving grace. In a motherly role, Mary Ann Creed (Rashad) visit Adonis Johnson (young Adonis played by Alex Henderson) at a detention center in the beginning of the movie. She reveals to him that he is the illegitimate child of herself and Apollo Creed. Mary Ann adopts him and raises him just as she should have all along. Later on, this moment develops into a subplot where Adonis has to decide whether to fight under his own name Johnson, or earn his father’s name Creed. Although Rashad isn’t given many scenes, her presence as a mother figure is felt. Thompson as Bianca also has some trials of her own. As a musician, she enjoys life to the fullest, yet realizes that her hearing is quickly fading. After a late night encounter in the apartment building where she and Adonis both live, the two quickly strike up a bona fide romance. Something Adonis has not experienced in his life: true love.
“Creed” also pays homage to the “Rocky“ films in many ways: from the way it’s filmed in various locals around Philadelphia to the immersion in the city’s urban culture, music scene, food and night life. There’s an especially touching scene where Adonis rounds up the neighborhood youth, who flank him on ATVs and dirt bikes, and practically puts on a parade for the ailing Balboa. The final act comes to a rousing showdown between the films antagonist “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Anthony Bellew) and Adonis. Bellew is an actual boxer in real life just so you know. Although he gets off to a shaky start, things get heated as we watch Adonis land crushing blow after crushing blow. “Pretty” follows up trading those same bone-crunching blows. The only difference is each time Adonis connects, you’re witnessing him releasing all his pain, all the anger and pent up fear into each of those hits. You’ll even hear shades of “Rocky’s” theme music playing in the last scenes.
Judging by the roaring applause at the end, surely “Creed” is primed to be one of the best sports dramas of today. I thoroughly enjoyed it.