Favorite Films of 2015: Creed

Creed (2015)
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson
Directed by: Ryan Coogler


We're nearly midway through with the year 2016 in movies and....it's been really underwhelming. The box office is tanking right now and the only real home runs I've seen is Captain America: Civil War and Deadpool. There's hopes Oscar Season will deliver and there's a few more entries in Summer Blockbuster Season that I'm looking forward to, but 2016 in movies can be summarized with a resounding "meh." I'm taking an opportunity with the lackluster summer movie schedule to go back to something I did last year: a recap session of my favorite movies from the previous year. Now that 6 months have settled, it's time to reassess which ones hold up with repeat viewings and stand out as our modern cinematic classics. For 2015, there was no film that stuck out to me more than Creed. I'm not even the world's biggest Rocky fan, but something about this grittier, updated version of the classic underdog story had me enthralled.

The core of this film's success is the chemistry between Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. Being the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, Adonis is a new character to this universe that gave Jordan the opportunity to take the reigns on this franchise in a way I was not expecting. He has many of Apollo Creed's traits, but he's not out there doing an impersonation of Carl Weathers. He's out there doing his own thing, while still carrying the weight of the last name Creed. That's a metaphor that works in both Jordan's performance and the actual motivations of the character of Adonis. Love when stuff like that works out. Jordan's been impressive in many of his roles, but this one left me hoping he continues to have performances like this, because this film showed we have a star on the horizon. As for Stallone, I'll go on record to say he was ROBBED at the Oscars this year. That man put everything he had in this performance and really woke up a lot of skeptics that have enjoyed ragging on his acting ability over the last few decades. Not since the first Rocky movie has he put on such an amazing acting performance and he had me in tears during many of his scenes. You see how much pain he is in, both physically and emotionally. He's lost everyone around him and is left fighting a different kind of battle that many of his fans might not be prepared to see. Stallone absolutely shines in this film and shows that after all these years, he still knows more about Rocky Balboa than anyone else and can bring new layers and depth to the character.

One thing that I think could get overlooked, but definitely deserves an ample amount of praise, was all the filmmaking techniques that go into making a film like Creed. There's so many scenes that you can just look at and listen to that make you go "wow, I would have never thought of constructing a scene that way." From shots of the gym, to the streets of Philadelphia, it's realistic, yet picturesque. Tying that in with a score that feels urban, inspirational, and original (only recycling iconic Rocky music during the final fight in a very creative and remixed fashion). There's one scene in particular that I must mention, showing the entirety of a boxing match without ever cutting and it's absolutely mesmerizing. I sat there in the theater and thought "that was genius," once I realized they hadn't cut. It's these last few years of movie reviewing that have really allowed me take a step back and deconstruct the film element by element, focusing in on what makes it stand out from the millions of films that previously existed. Some elements hold up stronger than others, but for Creed, the technical aspects play as important role to me as the cast, the story, and the directing.

Which brings me to director Ryan Coogler. He really knew how to pay his proper respects to a boxing movie that many moviegoers grew up with as fans of (including himself), while also delivering a story that can be told on its own. He samples stuff from the Rocky universe like character types and story arcs, but makes it feel his own. There are themes that exist in Creed that don't exist in Rocky. Adonis must prove his worth not just for himself, but for his family's namesake. The romance between Adonis and Bianca doesn't carbon copy Rocky and Adrian, but is still told in an approach that should feel charming and familiar. It's a clever approach to reboots and remakes that I'm not sure many franchises would be able to pull off. Utilizing the previous events and characters to pass the torch to a new story and characters that will continue the legacy of that franchise's universe. If Creed is any indicator, the future of the Rocky franchise is in very good hands and I can't wait for a sequel.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Final Verdict: The strength of a movie can't just be measured on Academy Award nominations. Whether or not it's the best movie of 2015 is certainly up for debate, as there are other films that won more awards or made more money, but I don't care. For me, Creed had a story that spoke to me, the performances of the main two actors were incredible, the boxing scenes are exhilarating, and the underdog boxing story feels like it not only pays respects to Rocky but is able to evolve with a modern tone.

Creed and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros. Pictures