“Creed” is the kind of sports movie that can enchant a non-sports fan. The 2015 follow up to the iconic “Rocky” film series centers on aspiring boxer Adonis “Donnie” Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the illegitimate son of Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone, marking his seventh turn as Rocky) old friend/rival, Apollo Creed. Donnie decides to give up corporate life and travel to Philadelphia to track down Rocky, in hopes that the legend will assist with his boxing training. Rock reluctantly agrees. Cue “Gonna Fly Now.”
Director Ryan Coogler approaches this movie as an ode to the original “Rocky” films, as opposed to your run-of-the-mill cash cow of a stale reboot peppered with cheap nostalgia. “Creed” has a wholly original feel in a world where Creed and Balboa happen to be real-life legends. The film moves with the fervor of two boxers going at it in the ring — fast, energetic and slowing enough to throw in a little drama.
Although “Creed” pushes past the two-hour mark, the story is tight, only meandering occasionally on the stray B plotline. Coogler keeps his attention focused on the right details. Sure, this movie centers around the sport of boxing. But it is ultimately the story of one man coming into his own while another finds peace. “Creed” honors masculinity while still portraying these boxers as two people that still feel love and fear.
Coogler pulls off this graceful balance with the help of a stellar cast. Jordan is a standout in the role that arguably elevated him to leading man status. He finds a captivating middle ground between grit and vulnerability as Donnie — his presence commands the screen. After “Creed,” it should be no surprise that Coogler and Jordan were able to recreate the magic in 2018’s “Black Panther.”
As someone who admittedly has never seen a “Rocky” film, I was more than pleasantly surprised by Stallone. It takes a special kind of actor who can believablely breathe fresh air into a character nearly forty years after originating the role. We can’t forget our leading lady Tessa Thompson, who soulfully portrays Donnie’s girlfriend Bianca. Thompson’s earthy warmth is the ying to Jordan and Stallone’s yang. Bianca brings a grounded sense of realism to Donnie’s world. It’s a refreshing change of pace to see the stereotypical role of the “athlete’s girlfriend,” evolve into a fully realized character.
Waiting four years to watch “Creed” was a mistake on my part. You better believe I won’t be waiting that long to watch “Creed II.”
