With Creed Ryan Coogler has perhaps put himself on the cusp of greatness with just his second feature length film. That's something rare for any director, but for a Black director it's unheard of. I think only Spike Lee and Matty Rich garnered such buzz after their first two films. People were curious to see what their third projects were going to be, and other than myself I am sure there are quite a few people waiting with baited breath to see what Coogler will do next. (As of this post he is rumored to direct Marvel's Black Panther.) Creed should do what the disappointing Southpaw didn't, resurrect the boxing film. Make no mistake, where Southpaw fell short Creed excelled. Both movies were gripping, and like Southpaw, Creed had a scintillating leading man. Where Creed separates itself is with all the wonderful nuances like HBO's 24/7 segment or the touches of boxing realism. The biggest advantage though is the name of the movie. It's grandfathered in so to speak and every fan of the Rocky movies knows the name Creed. That added to the gravitas and the true beauty of this movie is that you don't have to be a fan of the Rocky franchise to enjoy Creed. You don't even have to be a fan of boxing to appreciate Creed because the characters are so rich.
Michael B. Jordan who plays Adonis Creed is definitely on his way to being a household name. His portrayal of the forgotten son of Apollo Creed was transcendent. Jordan has been a phenomenal actor since his days on The Wire as Wallace, but his physical transformation is reminiscent of DeNiro's Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. He carries this movie like he carried Fruitvale Station and seems to have a symbiotic relationship with Coogler. Adonis is a hot head when we meet him as a pre-teen in juvenile detention and headed nowhere fast until Mary Anne Creed comes to his rescue. She's not his mother, and yet takes him in as her son since he is Apollo's son from an affair. His father died before Adonis was born, but fighting is what Adonis knows best. He compelled to follow in his father's footsteps, but wants to make his own name so he uses his mother's last name instead. He's an angry Black man with a warped sense of manhood and looking for direction. He moves from L.A. to Philadelphia and seeks out Rocky in the hopes that Rocky will train the son of his one time nemesis and best friend. What follows is movie gold.
Creed is beautiful to watch. There is one fight that is one continuous shot, no cuts, no breaks, and it's amazing. You feel like you are in the middle of the fight ducking punches and moving from side to side. There are incredibly intimate moments between Adonis and his lady, Bianca, played by the beautiful Tessa Thompson that are shot with minimal camera movement putting you bedside or in the booth with them as they eat and share. It's excellent work by cinematographer Maryse Alberti who by the way also shot Mickey Rourke in his Oscar nominated performance in The Wrestler. The score by Ludwig Goransson was magnificent. He embellished on Bill Conti's magic while at the same time crafting a theme for Creed that stands alone. Only time will tell however if it will become iconic. Coogler has the perfect set up for Creed 2 should he want to turn this into a franchise. After the cheering I did and the goosebumps I got, I hope he does because Creed is absolutely worth the price of admission. See it and I'll see you at the theater.
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