Creed

This movie is so much better than it has any right to be. A ROCKY reboot about Apollo Creed’s son sounds like the kind of cheesy storytelling idea that birthed ROCKY IV. Instead, it’s a believable, heart-wrenching, spiritual followup to the original film. Though it lacks some of the charm, the performances and themes of the film elevate it above any other Rocky sequel.  While this is certainly Adonis Creed’s movie, Stallone gives one of his best performances to date and is an essential component in making us fall for Creed. Their relationship reveals a side of the character that otherwise seems buried beneath a mound of machismo. Tessa Thompson also does a lot to bring Creed out of his shell and their onscreen chemistry is electric. This is the film that propelled Thompson to one of my favorite working actresses. But again, it’s Michael B. Jordan’s Creed who’s the real heart of this story and as we’re shown his life flash before him, culminating in the image of his father, I wanted to jump up the way he did just to cheer him on.  If I had any criticism, it’s the same one that I had for ROCKY BALBOA. Modern boxing is filled with unlikable generic tough guys, so a realistic opponent is less of a character and more of an obstacle. Part of what makes Rocky movies so entertaining is that we get to know his opponents so that the fights have more stakes. Pretty Ricky Collins feels like an afterthought in this film. I know nothing about him other than that he’s kind of a dick. I wouldn’t remember his name if I hadn’t just watched the movie and I have no desire to see a rematch between the two in any eventual sequel. He’s just not interesting.  This matters very little though because the movie has so much else going for it. It isn’t about the fight, it’s about a man taking ownership of a legacy and proving that he’s not just a name. God, I love these movies.