Creed By Author’s Name [DVD]

Wow! What a terrific way to close out the Rocky franchise!!!! If there is going to be an additional expansion of the franchise, then this movie was a very brilliant start! Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Phylicia Rashad, and Tessa Thompson recaptured and delivered that victorious, heart warming feeling you got after watching the first, second, and fourth Rocky films. The film writers really put a lot of thought into this one. They modernized every facet of this version but retained the essence of everything that made the Rocky franchise so special. I loved how the portrayed Rocky as the old neighborhood hero/cornerstone of the community despite being almost broke. I love how they tied in the social media aspect with Michael B. Jordan’s (Adonis Johnson(Creed)). I loved how they reflected the change in Rocky’s old neighborhood. I loved how they tied in and modernized the soundtrack of the old with music of the new. If it was the writers’ intention to show the viewer (Rocky fans) how boxing has changed, they did a very good job conveying their message in this film.

About the actors:
Phylicia Rashad – It was very nice to see her again. Although her role was small, I really believe she would do something like what she did for Adonis Johnson in real life. Playing a mom seems to be something that comes naturally to her. I can’t see anyone else playing her role.

Sylvester Stallone – Brilliant performance. They managed to roll Rocky’s old trainer Micky with Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi to make Rocky a lovable, old seasoned dad, and fighter looking to keep the little things he has left still together. This series always brought out the best in Stallone. I was glad to see it still does.

Michael B. Jordan – I knew Michael had something very special in him. I knew it after watching Fruitvale Station. His portrayal of Oscar Grant and his death in the movie made me feel the injustice of being victimized by those who took an oath to serve and protect. I really felt the pain because I too have experienced it. I knew then that Michael was going to be a very good actor and accomplish great things. Coincidently, Creed was also directed by the same director of Fruitvale Station… Ryan Coogler.

Tessa Thompson – Plays the love interest and muse for Michael B. Jordan’s character. Although her part was minor, it was still significant. The combination of her character (Bianca) along with Sylvester Stallone’s (Rocky) provides Adonis Creed with an emotional balance he never really had. I also thought the chemistry between her and Jordan was very convincing. Tessa always stood out to me. I loved her in Dear White Peeple and I love her even more now.

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This was a smart movie made by the director Ryan Coogler Fruitvale Station. I saw that movie first and didn’t liked it becaue that movie was just for the ending. All the 2 hour moment was just meant to be there for the last kind of shocking ending. I spent my 2 hours for watching 2 minutes of the final shot and I thought that it was not fair. But one good thing about that movie was he seems to know really well about the dark side of ths street.
As seeing this movie, he recreated the junk street neighbor well again.
I cannot but to compare this movie with the ROCKY 5 since it’s about Rocky and his pupil story. And I have to say I felt how bad the ROCKY 5 was as watching CREED. ROCKY 5 had no heart. And most of all it had no fighting sequence on the ring. And the struggle between Rocky and his pupil doesn’t really interested the audience.

This movie is not like that. It’s about Apolo Creed’s son finding his own person just like once Rocky did. He dosen’t even met Apolo when he was alive. Now when he was in the prison and his mother came to tell him that he will take care of him from then, he stayed with her and live a decent life. He was like 12 back then. When he was fully grown up and got this great job, he quite all of a sudden to become a fighter.
Now he came to Rocky for help.

He struggle to get what he wanted just like all the other boxers. But he made it at the end.

There is another story with this beautiful lady he met who is living in the same apartment. She is a singer and I would say she is the second lady who is Afro American that I truelt love. The other one is SADE, the singer.
The romance part with her enriches the movie and I liked it much.
She is very pretty and knows how to shine the screen.
There are four kinds of music in this movie.
One is a Rap music- kind of old style but not like silly Rocky 5 style.
Two is orchestra music to imitate the original Rocky movie.
Three is the electric rock music that Creed’s girlfriend sings which is great.
Four some of the oldies which is very hillarious to hear.

It is good not to see Creed sustaining the champin by using montage like other Rocky series. Most of the boxing movies use that technique. This one was not. Actually the director does not use any of the cliche kind of technique at all.

The last championship happening in the Uk was quite exciting because There is no wide shot for fighting sequence. Most of the fighting scene, there are more then one wide shot plus reversal shot of the audience’s reaction. There is none in this movie.
There are a lot of blood in the fighting sequence which is totally real. This is maybe for R rated movie.
When there is a moment when Creed is almost about to knock out there is a bunch of quick flash backs, that moment is beaufifully edited. Right after that he was recovered. That is the moment he got the turning point.
Just like Rocky’s first fight back in 1979, for Creed, wiining and loosing deosn’t mean anything for him. He just wanted to feel that he won from the bottom of his heart. And he did won. The score doesn’t matter.
We all does. In life, if we feel that we won, all the other thing doesn’t matter some time. because in deep inside, you are a true winner.

If you enjoy boxing movies, this might be a 5 star, otherwise this is easily a 4 star. Tons of star power but it feels like they earn it. Jordan does a fantastic job, however, while he has moments of depth to his character there isn’t much of an arc to speak of, which is disappointing since this movie has PLENTY of run time to make it happen. Stallone *somehow* has a better arc with Old Rocky, which is nice. The movie does the proper thing with the ‘big fight’. Sometimes the movie feels every minute of 2hrs long, but there are spots where the pacing is spot on, the final fight is the best example. Great movie, but not perfect IMO.

A good film.