'Creed' Movie Review
'Creed' was a movie that I had wanted to see in the theatre when it first came out, but didn't get the chance to. I finally sat down to check it out today, and after just having finished it, found that I really enjoyed it.
Billed as a spinoff to the 'Rocky' franchise, 'Creed' succeeded in making its own way while maintaining the great things that 'Rocky' was able to do over 6 films (ok, 5...Rocky 5 sucks).
Our story follows Adonis Johnson, a troubled youth, growing up in and out of the foster care system, until he is taken in by a woman claiming to be the wife of his deceased father. Adonis never knew his father growing up, as he died before he was born, according to the woman. Adonis turns out to be the son of Apollo Creed, former adversary-turned-friend of Rocky Balboa. As you may know, if you're a fan of the franchise, Apollo was killed during a match against Ivan Drago in Rocky 4. Adonis is the result of an affair Apollo had with another woman while he was married.
The woman who takes Adonis in as a child, Mary Anne Creed was Apollo's wife. She still takes Adonis in even though she wasn't his real mother.
Fast forwarding to the present, Adonis is an amateur fighter, fighting in Mexico and living in Los Angeles with Mary Anne and leading a privileged life with Apollo's fortune. Adonis looks to make his own way in life, trying to step out of the shadow of his father. He quits his job and moves to Philadelphia to train with Rocky Balboa. Reluctant at first, Rocky eventually agrees to train him and Adonis winds up scoring a title fight with current champion, 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan. Adonis, now fighting under the surname Creed, takes Conlan to the limit, losing in the final round by split decision but gaining the respect of the boxing world.
This movie was pleasantly surprising, as I am a big fan of the 'Rocky' franchise. I was unsure how this spinoff would fare. It wasn't a 'Rocky' movie but still had many elements of the films to come before it. Rocky's dialogue and mannerisms were on par, though his age and health status made for a different dynamic. His growing relationship with Adonis throughout the film was heartwarming. As Rocky's health fails and he is diagnosed with cancer, I really felt the weight of it pushing down on Adonis, as he'd began looking at Rocky as a father figure.
Adonis' relationship with love interest Bianca also was nice. She served as another emotional crutch and a source of motivation along with Rocky.
The training scenes were a lot of fun and reminiscent of the 'Rocky' franchise, even the music brought back that nostalgic feeling, but was also subtle and masterfully used.
Overall a solid film that I quite enjoyed. There were a few cheesy and unbelievable moments, but that's to be expected for the type of film it is.
My rating: 8 out of 10
