Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Written by: Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew
Released: November 25th, 2015
Let’s get something out of the way right now: while I’m sure I’ve seen them, I don’t recall the Rocky films. When I was younger—before I really became interested in films—the only movies I ever watched were anime and animated films, and martial art flicks. I grew up watching Pokemon films. I grew up watching Disney films. I grew up watching Bruce Lee films. Apart from that, I had no real interest in cinema. (Until a little later, that is.) During the time of my adolescence, I got inspired to learn martial arts. (Thanks, Bruce Lee.) Now, some years later—and after quitting Tae Kwon Do because of my teen angst—I know about a dozen different martial art disciplines. Somewhere in the nebulous timeframe of me as a child and me now are the Rocky films—I think. While I can’t remember them, I do know the iconic moments and shots. And maybe because I didn’t have that sincere connection to Robert “Rocky” Balboa and Apollo Creed, I didn’t enjoy Creed as much as everyone else.
Director and screenwriter Ryan Coogler blew moviegoers and film critics away with the emotionally impactful Fruitvale Station (2013), a film chronicling the last moments of Oscar Grant III’s life before he was fatally killed by police in the Bay Area. If you enjoyed his directing then, you’ll enjoy it here. Creed is an absolutely beautiful film. Not “beautiful” in the sense of its location—Creed takes place in Philadelphia—but “beautiful” in the sense of its interpretation. Coogler nails the look, feel, and believability of Philadelphia. As someone who has never been to—but, apparently, has family in—the city, Coogler manages to make you feel like you are walking around the glacial streets of Downtown Philly, grabbing a cheesesteak with Jordan and Thompson. The shots Coogler sets up exude the city’s atmosphere, nuance, and breadth; every aspect of the world created here is real and tangible, not just because Philadelphia is a real city you can visit, but also because Coogler creates a character out of Philadelphia. The first priority of a film is to transport you to the world, to make you feel as if you are standing right next to the characters on screen; when a film accomplishes this, this sense of world building, then the film succeeds at its first priority. Here, Coogler succeeds, with flying colors.
Creed follows Adonis “Donnie” Creed-turned-Johnson, Apollo’s son of another lover, on his path to “make it on his own.” (One of the most contrived movie plots in all of Hollywood.) The film starts with young Donnie serving time in juvenile hall in Los Angeles, when Mary Anne, Apollo’s wife, offers to take him in. After approximately a fifteen year time skip, Donnie is working at a firm with a new promotion; whilst doing this, Donnie is participating in underground fights, holding an undefeated record. Donnie quits the firm, Mary Anne disapproves, Donnie leaves to Philadelphia to start his boxing career. From there, a series of serendipitous events occur—meeting The Italian Stallion, stumbling into love, etc.—haphazardly thrusting Donnie into a life he wasn’t exactly prepared for, but ready to take on.
Michael B. Jordan, playing Adonis “Donnie” Creed, is excellent in this film. As a fighter, he is believable, exuding charism and masculinity to the nines. Almost always arms out and flexed and glistening with sweat, there is a palpability to Jordan as a boxer. (Hell, perhaps he should just be a boxer.) As a person, he is believable, emitting a fiery determination and rawness and emotion—Jordan punches through the screen with his performance. Sylvester Stallone reprises his role of Robert “Rocky” Balboa; however, instead of being inside the ring, Stallone is outside the ring. Stallone delivers one of the most moving and effective performances of his career, compounded with a certain grittiness and melancholy. The relationship between Jordan and Stallone is brilliant: hilarious at one moment and poignant at another, but always tinged with tension and authenticity. Though the teacher-student relationship is expected, it is the moments outside that package that are the most effective: when Jordan and Stallone are in Adrian’s (a restaurant named after Rocky’s deceased wife), when Jordan and Stallone are at the dinner table, when Jordan and Stallone are walking down the street. These moments offer character exposition, motivation, and emotions that are tangible; you feel connected to the characters during these pensive instances. As good as Jordan and Stallone are, it is the impressive Tessa Thompson that is the star; Thompson, playing Bianca, really manages to captivate with her performance. Always emotionally charged and visceral, she commands the film with a kind of brilliance that is expected of a singer-songwriter. Unfortunately, many of the other characters are either not as good as these three, or do not have enough screen time to truly judge their performance (e.g. Andre Wad as Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler, or Gabriel Rosado as Leo “The Lion” Sporino).
While the performances are mostly exceptional, the film’s biggest downfall is its over reliance on nostalgia. The first few major shots are blatant heartstring-tuggers: the name of Rocky’s restaurant, the sign of a gym, scenes from older films, the name of a trainer. This reliance on nostalgia becomes overbearing; Creed attempts to set itself up as a spin-off of the Rocky films, but instead ends up feeling like a superfluous sequel in the Rocky series. And because of this over reliance on nostalgia, if you haven’t seen the Rocky films or have no recollection of the Rocky films (such as myself), you wind up feeling lost and apathetic. For the first hour you’ll ask yourself questions like: “Okay? Why was that shot dragged out so long?” “Was that still shot really necessary?” “Why am I looking at this?” “What does this have to do with the narrative of the film?” Due to its incredibly slow start and dependence on nostalgia, it feels like a trudge to get through the first hour of the film. Of course, there is still intrigue for those who aren’t Rocky faithfuls, but it is clear who this film was designed for. After the first hour, however, things start moving at a much quicker pace. Sadly, right around that same time is a forced event that seems like an exploit to get the audience to feel sympathetic. This event comes out of left field, which is good for shock vale and surprise and interest, but it doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the film’s narrative; it’s a tearjerker, definitely, but a cheap one.
Oh, yeah, this is a boxing film. So, you can absolutely expect boxing matches. However, do not go in with the expectation of seeing boxing match after boxing match; this is not a pay-per-view bout. There are a few matches that take place during the film, and a few matches that are only seen for a glimpse before they are over. Nevertheless, the choreography of the fights are spectacular: there is a sense of realness and an energy that electrifies each ring, and each fight has its own tone, playing out like its own cinematic film. Michael B. Jordan is the underdog, and that is palpable, not only because the crowd screams for the other combatant, but also because the cinematography (in a way) highlights the other combatant more. Each fighter also has their statistics displayed in a “tale of the tape” way as they are introduced, showcasing how they stack up against Jordan. These numbers (complete with fighter nickname, win-loss ratio, height, weight, etc.) provide tension: each fight could end in Jordan’s loos, and this discernible possibility adds incentive to back Jordan’s character—you just want to see him win.
And the film does win; Creed‘s saving grace is its second half—especially the final act, when the climax crescendos. Though the first half has a sluggish start, the second half is relentless, offering action and emotion nonstop. There’s always something happening, always something at every turn, but it never feels like it’s developing too fast. Because the pacing in the second half is quicker, the adage “at the edge of your seat” is pervasive. The writing is natural and organic; each character has their own dialect, highlighting their personal backgrounds and giving them a prevalent uniqueness. The plot itself, however, is contrived: a typical story of a kid trying to make it in the world, of trying not to live in the shadow of his parents, of trying to make a name for himself. There seems to be a contradiction though: Creed doesn’t want to live in his father’s shadow, but he gets into boxing. Logically, I would think escaping from the boxing career would be to break away from the shadow, but he plunges headfirst into the shadow, as if to perennially be trapped in it. This contradiction creates a confusion that the film solves by the end: Creed doesn’t want to just break from his father’s shadow, he wants to be better than his father. Fair enough. It would have been better had the film clarified that from the beginning; however, it is understood that Creed is simply doing what he loves. Thus, the narrative is impactful, eliciting support for Creed on his quest to create a name for himself in an unknown city. If the Rocky films were about the “Every Man” of the 70s, Creed is about the “Every Millenial” of the 90s and 00s: wanting to prove they are better than and won’t make the same mistakes as their parents.
And that’s the thing: Creed is aspiring the capture a new generation of Rocky fans. Millennials may not have seen or remember the Rocky films. Although Creed is really looking to be a spin-off, it feels more like a sequel, and that’s okay: it gets people curious why The Italian Stallion (and Sylvester Stallone) is so beloved. It has modern sensibilities and lingo, allowing for a younger audience to understand the vernacular; however, it does get bogged down by its dependence on nostalgia. Even still, Creed is a film that is enjoy by both newcomers and veterans to the Rocky series. “When you get to the top you think you can fly,” and Coogler wants us all to fly with Creed and Rocky.
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