Creed (2015) Spoiler-Free Review

Last weekend I went to see the latest installment in the Rocky movie franchise; and this marks the first extension of the Rocky Cinematic Universe. Yes, it seems like everyone is going that nowadays. Everyone’s always a bit worried when a franchise gets too many sequels, but it works for some (Fast and Furious), and not so much for others (Pirates of the Caribbean).

So does Creed do the trick? In my humble opinion, hell yes! Here’s why…

Technically Well Made

From the camera angles to the sound design, it’s clear when you watch this film that a lot of work went into it behind the scenes. This is brilliant because the film’s narrative is also amazing, making it such a home run at the box office this year, even for a film with such a late release.

One thing that stood out for me with Creed was one fight scene that’s done in a single take. The scene just goes on and on for a long time, and they move a lot, even taking breaks and shifting direction over time. Apparently the scene took 13 takes to get right, of which the 11th take was used for the final version of the film.

Watch the video below where the film’s Director, Ryan Coogler breaks down the one-take fight scene in Creed:

 

Coogler also talks about the sound design in this scene, which is very apparent, especially if you see this in a large cinema with 7.1 surround sound. To add to the stunning technical elements of the film are amazing performances by Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, and of course Sylvester Stallone who seems to be getting much better over time. Stallong and Jordan also have amazing on-screen chemistry and their relationship plays out very endearingly on screen.

Gets You Going

Creed is really a movie about fighting battles and overcoming the odds. The main character Adonis (Jordan) is not the only one fighting a personal battle, even though the movie centers around him for the most part.

At the end of the day, the message is very similar to the one in the original Rocky film: that if you work hard, persevere and have a positive attitude, no matter the odds, you can achieve something great.

There’s a really tear-jerking moment when we get to the core of why Michael B. Jordan’s character is doing what he’s doing, and this drives both the character’s development and the story, which is one and the same thing. And that’s the most substantial thing about Creed: the character’s story and the overarching narrative are so closely knit and you can feel that everything that happens in the film is there for a reason as it all fits together so beautifully.

A Modern Story

Emphasis on the word modern here. Our protagonist is a young Black man who has experienced privilege and poverty. His love interest is an independent woman who has complete agency (unlike many love interests in many films these days), and an older version of Rocky Balboa who’s pretty famous in his home town in Philadelphia.

Creed taks an existing universe, and uses those credentials in a smart and innovative way by really making this story stand in a way that’s exciting and- most importantly – original.

Check out the trailer for Creed below:

Rating: 9/10

Favourite Part: The one-take fight scene.

See it/ Don’t see it?: Definitely go and check this out on the big screen. The visuals and sound design will envelope you in a rush of adrenaline and awesomeness.

BONUS: Here’s the Rocky theme song to get you in the mood for a beyond-epic fighting movie:

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