Last week I saw the movie Creed at Cornell Cinema, which told the story of Adonis Creed, son of the fictional legendary boxer Apollo Creed. Usually I don’t enjoy sports movies, but I really liked Creed and I was impressed by the visual artistry in the movie. The two images that stuck out to me the most was when he was running through the streets of Philadelphia with the neighborhood boys riding their motorcycles behind him. There was a real sense of community there that Adonis had never previously felt and it was a heartwarming scene. The other image was during his fight with “Pretty” Ricky where they repeatedly showed every hit, cut and bruise of the fight. Seeing the blood and spit spurt out of their mouths on a loop was difficult to stomach. While it was a gruesome scene, I was impressed by how they made it so the audience was part of that very intimate environment and how they made it so that the audience could gain no pleasure from the fight. The more the scene dragged on, the more I wanted the fight to be over. I think the visual impact was a huge part of the movie and I appreciated the artistry behind it. However, there were some aspects of the story that were not dealt with which made the ending a bit lacking. The story begins with a young Adonis fighting with another child in a juvenile detention center. Throughout the story, he is described as always itching for a fight and it seems that this is just a hereditary trait, a part of his father that lived within him. However, his anger issues come up outside of the ring as well. When in emotional distress after he learns that Rocky has cancer, Adonis gets into an unnecessary fight at his girlfriend’s show and attacks one of her opening artists. While this violent outburst is attributed to said emotional distress and that was the end of that arc in the story. I felt that there were still issues of hypermasculinity and anger that could have been further unpacked and I would have liked to see that depth in Adonis’s character. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to others but there were some missed opportunities in the characterization of Adonis.

I haven’t seen any of the Rocky films. There. I said it. So that may have influenced my relatively negative take on the movie. I am, however, familiar enough with the story line to understand the references that were packed into this newest addition to the series. In the end, I think that Adonis was hard for me to see as a protagonist for one reason in particular.

The movie started off really well,  I thought. I liked the idea of Adonis becoming a fighting prodigy not only because of his father but because of his upbringing in juvenile detention facilities as well. I thought it showed the struggle involved in his decision to become a fighter. He left his mother and a comfortable lifestyle in pursuit of something dangerous yet necessary. I liked that. But then he met Bianca. After that, my opinion of Donnie went downhill. I think it’s because of the amount of times he had to go back to her apologizing for a number of things he did. Then their resulting interactions made it even worse. It kind of made him seem immature to me, which created a huge disconnect with his upbringing that would’ve lent itself to a much more hardened character. I think that for that reason I also saw the romantic side of the movie as kind of a detour. I was much much more interested and invested in the training and nuanced relationship to Rocky.

After typing this all out, I feel like I sound somewhat heartless or inconsiderate… But I really do think that the acting on Stallone’s part (which I absolutely loved) as well as Adonis’ background made the immature romantic relationship seem out of place to me. In the end, maybe I would have preferred to see this movie as a drama. But then that wouldn’t exactly fit in with the Rocky series.

So ultimately I guess I should sit down and dedicate a solid 24 hours to watching the entire Rocky series with occasional breaks and then write another post afterward. Stay tuned.

I’m a huge fan of the Rocky films, silly villains aside, the story of a simple guy trying to take all the hits that life gives and still get up just speaks to me. So, when I first heard about Creed I had my doubts, after all Apollo Creed was kind of a jerk. However, after hearing that writer/director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan would be teaming up again I became extremely excited. Their first collaboration, Fruitvale Station, was a beautiful film that stuck with me for quite a while. After finally seeing Creed, I can honestly say that it is right up there with the first Rocky film and is probably tied with Rocky Balboa (the sixth film in the series) for second place.

Creed is the story of a man named Adonis who is a gifted fighter, not just because his daddy Apollo Creed was one of the greatest boxers in history, but because he worked his butt off.  The film itself hits all the right notes that the original did, there is plenty of focus on life, hardships, relationships, and self-realization. A standout performance for me is Tessa Thompson, who is not only very hot, but also keeps proving she is leading actress material (check out Dear White People if you don’t believe me). Sylvester Stallone had me tearing up at times, he shows that the hardest battles are always outside the ring. Thinking about how he lost his own son and still managed to get back up on his feet is a testament to the kind of strength I wish I had.  On the more technical side of things, Coogler continues to use his signature visceral directing style especially during the fight scenes.

I can’t wait to see Coogler and Jordan’s next film, Wrong Answer, as these two seem to make magic. I consider Creed the feel good film of 2015, which is saying something because 2015 was filled with feel good films. As a side note, Coogler got the city of Philly down packed, from the moment Adonis enters the city accompanied by a song from the greatest hip-hop group of all time The Legendary Roots, I could tell that this film was special.  All in all, I can’t think of a single person I wouldn’t recommend this film to and it more than deserves all the accolades it has received.

My Rating: Full Price

“You see that guy staring back at you? That’s your toughest opponent. I believe that’s true in the ring and I think that’s true in life.” – Rocky Balboa in Creed

For most of my life, I took quotes like this to heart. They were apart of the grit I believed to be necessary for my success. So much of my attention was on being the best that I could that I never thought to think of the flip side. Yes, the quote is originally intentioned for one to understand that once they move every internal doubt, they can conquer anything! However, the flip side is that one could slip into the longest fight of her life, by fighting solely with herself. No one tells you that drive like this can lead you off the rails.

Why not? Well, I suppose it’s because there are only a small percentage of individuals who become their toughest opponents in a detrimental way. Or maybe it’s because no one talks about the stories that do not succeed.

Regardless, Creed was an amazing film. It truly captured this quote with the ending. He didn’t win the battle against his opponent, but he definitely began to win the battle within himself. The battle that was tied to his insecurities, fear of being in his father’s shadow, as well as taking the risk to step out on a limb and pursue his dream.

This movie reminded me that most people will be their toughest opponents, through the perspective of Adonis Creed. However, this movie also reminded me that I do not have to be my toughest opponent forever and that there will come a time for me to help someone overcome their battle within, through the perspective of Rocky Balboa. The quote above was a man who had faced his toughest opponent, and willing to help someone else through a similar battle.

“Another Rocky movie? Why?” That was my original reaction when I heard about Creed. I wasn’t necessarily excited by the prospect of watching Rocky take on another big challenge. Sure, I love a training montage as much as the next girl. But isn’t the concept a little played out?

Then I started to hear some of the reactions. People loved this movie. They were raving. For some reason, the excitement of the earlier films had been recaptured. I knew then that I eventually had to see it.

Just as I expected, watching a couple hours of Sylvester Stallone was a little underwhelming. What I did not expect was his costars.

Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson brought this movie to life. They each gave incredible, heartfelt performances. Watching Donny and Bianca fall in love was the highlight of the film. I was routing for their love more than I was routing for Adonis Creed as a boxer.

So it turns out I was right and wrong. Yes, Rocky is a little over done. I didn’t care about the boxing story. Its time to let poor Sylvester Stallone retire in quiet dignity.

But the movie was still worth watching. Michael B. Jordan breathed fresh life into the tired story line. And Tessa Thompson made me care about the movie even when I didn’t care about the boxing. Overall, I’m glad I saw the movie.