Dog’s Movie House: “Creed” Best Rocky Film Ever Made!

Howdy folks!  It’s The Kendog!

Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in “Creed”

I’m not the biggest fan of Rocky Balboa, but I will admit to the boxing saga’s influence on my life from a pop culture standpoint.  I grew up with the big lug from Philadelphia and these films definitely have been absorbed by the movie going public as one of the most enduring cinematic franchises of all time.  That said, I was hardly prepared for the emotional gut-punch that is “Creed,” the seventh and perhaps best film the Rocky mythology has every inspired.  This is one of the best films of the year, period. 

Creed tells the tale of Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), a young fighter who just so happens to be the illegitimate child of legendary boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).  Johnson tries his hand at other jobs, supported by his adoptive mother, Apollo’s widow Mary Anne Creed (a terrific Phylicia Rashad), but he is his father’s son and after being beat down in a sparring match he makes his way from L.A. to Philadelphia to get trained by the one man to beat Apollo in his prime: Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).  After initially resisting the idea of training Johnson, Balboa agrees and soon Johnson finds himself in a super fight with pound-for-pound light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlon (Tony Bellew), a talented pugilist with problems of his own.  Along the way, both Rocky and Adonis must battle their own demons to find peace both in and out of the ring.

Writer/director Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station) flat knocks this sucker right out of the park.  I can’t tell you just how unprepared I was for the emotional impact of this film.  Coogler is clearly a Rocky fan, but he also knows that the films were not without their faults.  It’s like watching a master sculptor finishing the work of a talented yet untrained amateur.   Coogler cuts all of the fat that existed in the previous films and instead provides with a lean, powerful and emotional narrative that focuses on the drama as much, if not more so, than the fighting.  There’s a gritty sense of realism that permeates the film, from Johnson’s interactions with Rocky to the process of getting a fight that has had only one official fight a shot at the title.  Everything here feels real and natural and the movie propels itself forward on sheer narrative momentum.

https://youtu.be/sRYufcp3ecw

The performances here are first rate.  Jordan is clearly the star of the film, having already worked wonders with Coogler before in “Fruitvale Station.”  Jordan is able to project Johnson’s anger without devolving into an unlikable character.  Johnson has a short fuse, but he knows it, and that knowledge haunts Johnson at key points in the film.  Jordan also has great chemistry with Tessa Thompson who plays Bianca, a musician who is slow becoming deaf.  In a lesser film, the hearing loss would be a plot contrivance, but here it’s simply a fact of life that makes Bianca a fuller character.  Their relationship is both well-written and well-acted and feels like a natural progression to the story.  Both Thompson and Jordan really shine in their scenes together.

But the MVP of this film is Sylvester Stallone.  This may be the greatest performance Sly has ever given, hands down.  Stallone plays Balboa as a man accepting of his lot in life, a man who understands that he is closer to the end than to his beginning.  Johnson’s entrance into his life causes old demons to surface concerning the death of his best friend (Apollo was killed in the ring by Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV,” in case you forgot) and feels responsible for Johnson not knowing his father.  Later, when Rocky has to face his own health challenges, he has to find the strength to fight his own battle as well as the one he’s waging with Adonis.  Stallone is absolutely terrific here, with great chemistry with Jordan.  Every statement, every expression, every nuance is filled with the emotional legacy of one of cinema’s greatest boxers, giving an incredible amount of weight to the story.  Stallone shows us Rocky’s insecurities, his fears, and his doubts, even as he’s rediscovering his fighting roots while training Adonis.  It is a powerhouse performance made all the more affecting by how understated it is.  If Sly doesn’t get an Oscar nod next year for Best Supporting Actor I will be personally disgusted.

One other plus, and it’s a big one, is that the fights actually look like boxing matches.  That’s right: “Creed” gets the boxing right in boxing movie!  It’s one of things that always drove me nuts in every single Rocky film.  The drama, story, and training are fine, but when they get to the actual fights it’s like watching a live action version of Rock’em Sock’em robots.   Every damn punch is a haymaker and every single punch connects.   I don’t care if you’re the greatest fighter of all time: you take just two of those shots and you’re on your ass.  In “Creed” Coogler and his scenarists understand the ebb and flow, the rhythm of a boxing match and, coupled with some inventive camera work involving extremely long takes, the fights are just as exciting as the rest of the film and just as realistic-looking.

I saw this film with a packed afternoon crowd and I’m not ashamed to say I had tears running down my cheeks at several moments during this film, and I’m not one who normally cries at movies.  There are three or four scenes of incredible emotional power that will have you cheering and crying at the same time and Bill Conti’s venerable theme to Rocky, while not present through much of the film, is used in a way that had the audience literally cheering in the aisles.  Do yourself a favor before you jump in line to wait for “Star Wars:” see “Creed” at the earliest opportunity.  It is one of the best films of the year, hands down.   5 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer!  So Sayeth The Kendog!

“Creed” is Rated PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality.