The Rocky franchise inherits a new name in Creed, The iconic boxing legend Rocky Balboa finds himself training Adonis Johnson, the son the great Apollo Creed. Sylvester Stallone reprises his role as the legendary Rocky Balboa and Michael B. Jordan gives an inspired performance as Donnie Creed.
Creed's boxing scenes are dripping with authenticity. The fights were gritty and full of real exchanges between fighters contrasting the usual hollywood-haymaker boxing matches we have grown accustomed to. These bouts were not saturated with over-dramatics and still able to tell a compelling narrative. The film captured the full ring-side experience from chilling first-person entrances to montages of corner men erasing red splatter off white canvas. Even details like using HBO personnel and staple boxing documentary program 24/7 to drive the plot added another layer of authenticity. Additionally, the setting of modern day Philadelphia was evident throughout the movie from Meek Mill scoring to glimpses of Philly bike culture.
Creed is a movie that transcends boxing, but embodies fighting at the same time. The boxing was second in significance to young Creed finding identity and purpose. He grew up in the system as an orphan who picked fights to cope with feeling abandoned. Fighting was his identity and unmistakably in his DNA. There was a particular scene that showed that even as an adult--so distant from the short-tempered boy he once was--the instant he felt lost, he subconsciously reverted back to that young boy who fought anyone and everyone to feel a sense of identity.
There are several parallels between Creed and the first film of the Rocky series that garnered so much fame. From charged-up training montages to a budding romance with a ride-or-die woman in the passenger seat for the lowest of lows and euphoric highs. There are a lot of takeaways from Creed. The essential never stop fighting, never fold and never give up. Also it's about finding your calling--no matter what you're doing, do what makes you happy and kick some ass doing it.
I'm out like Adonis Creed's 20-20 vision...
