In the world of sports, there is no other film as iconic and as inspirational as Rocky. As far back as his first Oscar-winning feature from 1976, the boxing champion portrayed by Sylvester Stallone has been a staple of film history books for just how important it is (with the first film being conserved by the National Film Registry in 2006) and despite the evident decline with its later sequels – Rocky V being considered a bomb in financial and critical terms to the point where a sixth instalment was released 16 years later fix the mess the franchise ended on – it remains a beloved series. So with this seventh instalment, taken as a spin-off surrounding the son of former competitor and ally Apollo Creed, has much going for it as a rejuvenation of the franchise but also as a test for relative newbie director Ryan Coogler following his indie hit Fruitvale Station (which starred Creed lead Micheal B. Jordan, who's much in need of a hit following Fantastic Four). But can Creed come out on top?
While it's known by many that Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) was killed in the ring by one Ivan Drago in the fourth instalment of the series, it wasn't known that he was being unfaithful to his wife Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) with a woman who would end up being the mother of his later-born child Adonis (Jordan). Whilst he never found about his legacy until his father's widow takes him in from a youth facility, he soon learns and understands his fighting instinct, and when he become an adult takes to boxing full-time much to his adopted mother's chagrin. Moving to Philadelphia after being rejected from being trained at his local academy, he hopes to gain the attention of his father's former friend and fellow champion Rocky (Stallone) for potential training for a boxing career that doesn't rely on the Creed name. And while Rocky is initially reluctant to take on the challenge, he ends up agreeing despite his weary body to take on the challenge of training possibly the closest thing to a family he has around. What follows is a series of trials and tribulations for the pair, with relationships, illness and matches leading to a massive battle between the son of Creed and the world's light heavyweight champion of the world.
While most stories based around the child(ren) of a former main character taking up the mantle don't tend to be well-received nor structured particularly well (see The Force Awakens for a recent example of that sort of thing), Creed manages to do an impossible thing and actually get it right despite some of its reliance to the original films. It not only brought back a classic character and added something new to him – including a storyline of his own accords which, while has no actually conclusion doesn't really need one considering what it is – while setting up a whole new era of the series viewers young and old. As someone who was never appealed by the franchise nor the sporting genre (see Foxcatcher for insight), it's impressive to be quite as immersed in the story as Creed. It does little new, but its execution is solid right down to the occasionally witty dialogue and the mandatory twists and turns which leads to its highly-satisfying finale; the inevitable boxing match which is as gripping as it is exciting...while still being a boxing match (a well-choreographed one, I might add).
Ryan Coogler has proved just how good he is outside of indie fare (and indeed shown what he can do under the reigns of Black Panther) as one of the finest rising talents currently in the industry, with some great visual direction given and some ballsy decisions, including revamps of the classic training montage (elevated by a great score from Ludwig Goransson) and an early match that consists almost entirely in one take. It makes the comments about the Oscars snubbing him make all the more sense now, as we have a real talent in our hands here.
Michael B. Jordan had a hard battle fighting off both naysayers about him taking over the franchise and rebounding from 2015's big box office flop Fantastic Four (he has no other projects currently in development save for a possible Creed 2), but he's done a superb job at bouncing back against the critics, as he's mesmerising as the titular sports star. Watching him grow in quality as a boxer and as a person is a pleasurable viewing experience, and Jordan ensures he's not only likable but is also his own character – not just a rehash of Rocky nor Apollo Creed. Stallone gives off one of his best performances in years and may very well be deserving of all the accolades he's receiving off this role, with his role as mentor being a little generic in terms of story and usage but remaining delightful through and through; Tessa Thompson as Adonis' girlfriend is serviceable and indeed likable in the role of growing musician but does feel like se deserves a storyline of her own which has a larger effect on things; Rashad is quickly disposed of but her recurring appearances are delightful as the surrogate mother; Tony Bellew as Donnie's main opponent Conlan is incredibly threatening and intentionally hateable to the point where the audience will want to take him out themselves (if not for the fact that he's a world champ and a projection on the wall); whilst the large ensemble cast of allies and potential competitors lend to plenty to like or dislike accordingly.
Creed is a surprisingly strong entry to the once-considered dead Rocky franchise – rebooting the series for new blood and with a tested formula which works incredibly well. It reminds audiences just what made the original Rocky such a landmark production, and with a stellar cast of characters in front and behind the character, you have yet enough nostalgic property of the 20th century returning to the silver screen in open arms. It could be a little shorter and take a little less time to set everything up, and likewise expand the roles and appearances of the women in Adonis' life, but it's still a recommended viewing. 8/10.
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