Creed is the latest installment of the extremely successful Rocky series of films. While Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is back for this film, the focus is on Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of the late Apollo Creed.
Adonis never knew his father — Apollo died before he was born — but he has always had a fighter inside. Bouncing around in the system until his grandmother (Phylicia Rashad) took him in, Adonis caused trouble everywhere he went. Now a grown man, he knows fighting is in his blood.
Adonis has been a successful fighter in the Mexican underground boxing scene, but wants more. Leaving his job behind, Adonis decides to dedicate himself to a fighter’s life. When no one on the West Coast will train him, he heads east to Philadelphia and the home of Rocky Balboa.
From the moment he steps foot into Rocky’s restaurant, there is a connection. But Rocky is not ready to get back into the fight game and spurns the attempt Adonis makes to enlist him as his trainer. Adonis doesn’t give up and Rocky feels a personal responsibility to Apollo’s son.
Trying to make it as Adonis Johnson is difficult, but word soon leaks about his true pedigree — he is a Creed. Adonis struggles with the Creed name. He wants to be his own man, judged by his own talents and not his legendary father’s name. This is not an easy task and requires more than just strength in the ring.
Let me be perfectly clear: Although the Rocky franchise once felt tired and a little worn, with Rocky Balboa (2006) and this film, the franchise has risen like a fighter getting up from two knockdowns to knock out the opponent. The franchise is stronger than ever.
Round 1 is the ideal casting of Adonis Johnson — Michael B. Jordan. If he is not a star in the coming years, there is something wrong in Hollywood. He brings his dramatic chops to Creed — the same chops that made him sensational in 2013’s Fruitvale Station. Here he is able to channel the aggression, the loneliness, the internal demons and the life of a kid growing up in foster care into the man on a mission to do the thing he does so well: fight. I can’t imagine anyone better for the role.
Round 2 brings the legendary Sylvester Stallone back to the role that defined much of his career. This chance to become Rocky Balboa once again — not in a fighting role, but a mentoring role — has afforded Stallone the chance to deliver what is arguably his best performance ever onscreen. The interactions between Stallone and Jordan are heartwarming and real.
Round 3 delivers a spot-on story that lingers just enough to allow the boxing sequences to deliver haymakers. There is a love story, but it never overwhelms Creed’s driven nature as he struggles to survive.
And the knockout punch is the boxing action. Director Ryan Coogler delivers believable jabs and uppercuts, creating adrenaline that shoved me to the edge of my seat. I was cheering every punch that landed and feeling the wind knocked from my gut with every body blow Adonis felt.
Creed is a crowd-pleasing journey with great acting, a solid story and intense boxing action that will stand the test of time. It is a pound-for-pound contender with any film released in 2015. A knockout performance that deserves to be seen on the big screen, Creed will thrill boxing fans and film fans.
Creed
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Michael B. Jordan,
Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson
Director: Ryan Coogler
Grade: A