CREED (PG-13)
Released by Warner Brothers Pictures
Reviewed by Adam Mast
Disclaimer; This article has nothing to do with the 90’s rock band of the same name, but it should be noted that audiences would be well advised to welcome the rousing ROCKY spinoff, CREED, with arms wide open, because it’s a total knockout! Actually, it feels inaccurate to refer to CREED as a spinoff because, while the focal point of this picture is certainly Adonis “Donnie” Creed–son of Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers)–this is still a ROCKY movie through and through.
CREED traces the life of Donnie Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the illegitimate son of Balboa’s fierce, charismatic opponent in the in first two films of the iconic series. Life hasn’t been easy for Donnie. He’s grown up with a chip on his shoulder stemming from the fact that he had a fatherless childhood; Apollo died at the hands of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) just before he was born.
Still, Donnie is a fighter. It’s in his blood. So, following a series of victorious bouts in Mexico, he quits his reputable day job and heads to Philadelphia in search of the perfect trainer. And he does so to the dismay of motherly figure Mary Anne Creed (played by a terrific Phylicia Rashad-filling in for a departing Sylvia Meals), the woman who took him in as a teen even though he was born out of Apollo’s infidelity. Talk about a class act.
Enter an aging Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) who, at this point, is the same age Mickey (Burgess Meredith) was when the cantankerous trainer helped him get his own shot at the title 40 years earlier. When Donnie shows up on Balboa’s doorstep, a lonely but still fittingly earnest Rocky is reluctant to aid the up and coming boxer in his quest for a shot at the title, but after some soul searching he ultimately agrees to help. Shortly thereafter, a sort of father/son bond is forged.
Donnie’s opponent is “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew), a brute of a champion who hails from Liverpool, and he and his manager will only give Donnie a shot at the title if he agrees to let them promote the bout by exploiting the Creed name; A proposition that doesn’t sit well with Donnie because he wants to make his own way. Meanwhile, Balboa is about to engage in a fight of his own and his opponent is far deadlier than Conlan or any of the fighters he’s battled in the ring.
Jordan is sensational in this picture, and it goes far beyond the physicality of his performance. Jordan digs deep emotionally as well. It should be noted that Donnie is cut from a different cloth than Rocky. While both characters certainly have the same drive, Donny doesn’t necessarily fight because he has to. He fights because he needs to. While likable in his own way, Donnie has anger issues and he isn’t so much an earnest underdog in the ring as he is a ball of confident energy with something to prove. Furthermore, it’s clear upon watching Donnie in this picture, that Jordan studied Weathers extensively and the end result is one hell of a performance.
Speaking of amazing performances, Sylvester Stallone delivers one of the best of his career here. This is his strongest work as an actor since his underappreciated turn in James Mangold’s corrupt cop drama COP LAND from 1997, and that’s saying a lot because his performance in 2006’s ROCKY BALBOA was pretty damn great too.
Sylvester Stallone is so comfortable in Rocky’s skin at this point that it’s difficult to differentiate the actor from the character he’s playing. And that is meant as the best kind of compliment. Stallone’s depiction of Balboa in CREED is a beautifully poignant extension of the character we fell in love with in the first picture. An extension that continued in 2006. Stallone is quietly effective bringing earnestness, lovability, and vulnerability in equal measure. In fact, it is his vulnerability in this picture that resonates most. He has a couple of moments with Jordan that simply break the heart. This is a moving, award caliber turn, and a reminder of how effective Stallone can be when given the proper material to work with.
Interestingly enough, Stallone didn’t spearhead this project. CREED is actually the brainchild of writer/director Ryan Coogler (FRUITVALE STATION) and it is his enthusiasm and fan-infused perspective that revitalizes this series in a new and exciting way. Coogler certainly honors ROCKY’s legacy but by telling the story from Donnie’s point of view, he’s managed to fashion an incredibly effective drama that is both familiar and fresh at the same time.
Furthermore, the fighting in this picture is secondary. This is really a movie about the human condition. In the world of ROCKY, boxing is a metaphor for life; “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.”
Having said that, this isn’t to say that the fights in this picture aren’t exciting! They certainly are! Coogler gives the boxing sequences a dynamic flare to be sure but it’s clear that the fights truly deliver because we care about the man in the ring and, just as importantly, we care about the man in the fighter’s corner.
Does CREED have its imperfections? Sure. Portions of the plot feel slightly accelerated, and there’s a moment in which Donnie’s blooming romance with potential girlfriend Bianca (wonderfully played by Tessa Thompson of the underrated DEAR WHITE PEOPLE) is threatened by what she perceives to be a lie when in fact, this seems like a petty plot contrivance. There are also a few scenes here that are a bit over the top including a moment featuring Rocky’s pet turtle (which, admittedly, I thought was pretty hilarious) and Donnie’s triumphant run alongside a handful of bikers through the streets of Philly. Quite frankly though, if these are considered the cheesier aspects of the movie, they’re the best kind of cheese. More troublesome is the fashion in which Rocky’s son is written out of the movie, but clearly, that was done in the name of moving the plot along and keeping the focus on the bond between Rocky and Donnie.
Some movies simply affect viewers in all the right ways, and CREED is certainly one of those films for me. There are a few flaws here and there, but quite honestly, I don’t care. In short, CREED is one of my favorite movie experiences of the year. It takes the ROCKY franchise in a new direction, but it’s also the purest of reminders of why I fell in love with this series and its central character in the first place. “Gonna fly now,” indeed.
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