Plot: Adonis Creed (Jordan) is the youngest son of Apollo Creed, the result of an affair, who was born after Apollo died. Apollo's wife (Rashad) takes Adonis is after years of bouncing around foster homes and raises him in a life of privilege. Adonis is determined to be a boxer though. He moves to Philadelphia and convinces Rocky Balboa to train him. Way too early in his career, Adonis' name gets him a chance to fight the current boxing world champion. The movie builds to this fight.
Thoughts:
I had no expectation that this movie would be this good. While I trust in Michael B. Jordan to deliver, the Rocky franchise hasn't been one to take seriously for a long time. As much as I enjoyed Fruitvale Station, that alone was not enough to convince me that director and co-screenwriter Ryan Coogler could deliver in a very different kind of movie.
It turns out this concern was unfounded. This is good in every way I wanted it to be. Creed honors the things people love about the Rocky series and manages to be something all its own. Jordan is a star and if this doesn't make him a household name, then I worry about what's wrong with households. He absolutely sells the physical and the emotional requirements of the role with a sincerity and likability that not many actors have. Stallone is a limited actor, but he isn't a bad one. This is perfectly in his wheelhouse and he keeps the whole movie grounded. Best of all, Jordan and Stallone's relationship is executed exactly right.
When I first heard the story synopsis, I was concerned about the many ways it could go wrong, and the movie didn't opt for any of them. It actually reminded me a lot of Whiplash, starring Jordan's Fantastic Four co-star Miles Teller. This is a movie about working to be something. Adonis has an easy life (They play up his delinquent years before Apollo's widow takes him in, but they don't lean on it too hard). That's not enough for him. He wants out of his father's shadow and he's willing to work for it. He doesn't reject his good fortune, but he certainly wants to make something of it. There's never a moment when he gives up because it's too hard or pretends his situation is anything other than what it is. I seriously loved this screenplay.
And I haven't even gotten to the fighting. Coogler has a real skill at shooting that. He loves to do long takes that don't let the actors off the hook. Jordan has to look like he knows what he's doing. And Coogler knows how to get a moment. My theater applauded during the climactic moment, which I don't run into very often. It does the Rocky series proud.
Elephant in the Room: It's still a Rocky movie though. That's true. Boxing movies in general, thanks to the success of Rocky don't have a lot of tricks left. The boxer wins the big fight or he doesn't. After seeing Southpaw earlier this year, I wondered if the boxing movie has anywhere left to go. It turns out it doesn't matter. There's always room something if it's done well. This is done very well.
To Sum Things Up:
If a movie has ever made you jump out of your seat and cheer, you should see Creed. Michael B. Jordan is sensational, and, like his character, he's now a big step closer to getting out of the shadow of his own famous name.
Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend
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