Creed (2015)
It's not because the Rocky franchise is one of my favorites in cinema history, as I feel that a couple movies really tainted the entire series. It's not because I like any of the specific actors or crew members involved, as I'm not very familiar with any of them.
No, it's because this is a movie that I would gladly spend my money on time and time again. I left the theater pumped up and wanting another installment in a way that almost no other movie has done.
Looking back at my viewing of Creed, the reasons why surprise me. Usually when I like a film this much, there has to be some kind of great story to get me hooked. With Creed, however, this isn't the case. Not to say that the story is bad, but it definitely is not the film's best quality. It loosely follows the storyline of the original Rocky at times and deviates from it to become a more standard melodramatic sports drama at others. It felt a little off-the-shelf at times; however, there were still some great moments throughout its entirety. Most of these were due to the way the characters themselves develop in the story and not a result of a quality plot. One of the other things that I found unique about the story was even though some plot devices felt really standard, the way the characters were shaped as a result of these events were always top-notch and helped the film a lot.
This effect was compounded by the acting in Creed. This is the first time I've seen Michael B. Jordan in a lead role (besides that awful Fantastic Four film that came out this year), and he really impressed me. The way that he was able to show both the "tough guy" and "needing love" sides of Udonis was spectacular. I could also see that he put a lot of physicality into his role and dedicated himself to actually looking like a real boxer. However, he is often overshadowed by Sylvester Stallone. Returning to the role that made him an icon, Stallone kills it. Most of this is due to one particular plot development that I won't spoil for you here (even though the trailer already did). What I will tell you is that Rocky is forced to transform radically and quickly. This makes Stallone show a lot more acting chops than I think I've ever seen from him. I'm considering him a lock at this point for an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Ryan Coogler's direction is also a standout point for Creed. Coming of Fruitvale Station (which conveniently also starred Michael B. Jordan), it's clear that Coogler knows how to portray the streets of any big city's rougher sections. While in the original Rocky films we got this almost romanticized view of North Philly at times, Coogler strives to maintain a very realistic view of the city, making a very gritty film in the process. While he still shows a love for the city of Philadelphia throughout Creed, Coogler wanted to make an accurate portrayal before anything else, which I greatly appreciate. Another thing that I noticed with Coogler's direction was the cinematography and editing. Two of the boxing matches we see use these elements to perfection. The first of these two in the film has no camera cuts at all during the fight, making for a very interesting experience. The second fight focuses more on the editing side of things, however, and keeps you on the edge of your seat in such an incredible way. At the end of that fight, every single person I was watching Creed with was so excited and into the film to the point that I think we all forgot we were watching a movie and not an actual boxing match. That, to me, is the hallmark of a well-directed film.
Creed is one of the most surprising films of the year for me. I thought it looked good, but I never dreamed it would turn out this well. It has some of the best-directed sports sequences we've seen in film recently, as well as showcasing some fantastic character development that the actor's performances really capitalize on. This is by far the best seventh film in a franchise made to date, and I look forward to seeing an eighth.
My recommendation: Go see it in a theater.
Grade: 94
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