If you’re considering seeing a movie over the break (and, like me, you’d prefer not to get emotionally scarred by Krampus), director Ryan Coogler’s Creed is an excellent choice. Contrary to classical holiday movies of the past, Creed does not give off the typical warm sweater and hot chocolate vibe. You won’t leave the theater singing “Joy to the World.” Creed and its gritty Philadelphia setting will knock your Pumpkin Spice latte right out of your hand.
Creed, a new property of the age-old Rocky franchise, tells the story of up-and-coming Los Angeles boxer Adonis Johnson (played by Michael B. Jordan). Adonis, the unknowing son of boxing legend Apollo Creed (who was killed in the ring before Adonis’ birth), tumbled his way through foster homes and juvenile prison before being enlightened and rescued by Apollo’s wife, Mary Anne Creed. After winning numerous small-time fights in Mexico, Adonis decides to quit his day job and train full-time. After having some small success on his own, Adonis moves to Philadelphia to solicit the help of boxing legend and family friend Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Balboa, after some grumbling, reluctantly agrees to train Adonis.
Adonis and Balboa work well together, and Adonis triumphs Leo “The Lion” Sporino in his first major official fight. Because of his victory (and his real namesake, which was revealed to the public because of the Sporino fight), Adonis is thrust into the national spotlight and offered a fight with top ranked pound-for-pound boxer “Pretty” Ricky Conlan. It is around this time that Balboa is diagnosed with cancer.
Adonis and Balboa fight together: Adonis wrestles with his training, and Balboa battles against his cancer as the big fight approaches. The fight is truly an emotional masterpiece (and you’ll just have to go watch it to see the outcome).
A caveat of the Sporino fight is that Sporino’s camp mandates that Adonis change his last name from Johnson to Creed. Entertainment networks use the Creed name to generate massive amounts of hype around the fight. This change gave Adonis pause though, because for all of his fighting career he had been trying to make a name for himself. In the end, Adonis gives in and takes up the Creed name, wearing an altered pair of his father’s iconic American flag shorts with both Johnson and Creed printed on them.
Like the movie itself, Adonis was only strengthened by harkening back to the past of the Rocky franchise. Though Creed, like Adonis, can stand on its own as a respectable film (or in Adonis’ case—fighter) it is made all the more remarkable by the Rocky nostalgia it pumps out to the audience. Similarly, Adonis meteorically outperforms expectations when he takes up his father’s mantle. Coogler hit a homerun by subtly sprinkling in iconic Rocky memories from ages past.
Additionally, the film gains credibility through its use of real fighters and ESPN sportscasters in its cast. Tony Bellew, who plays Sporino, is actually the former WBC International Light Heavyweight Champion.
In conclusion, Creed is a brilliantly shot and acted fighting movie which entails a lot more than fighting. You’ll leave the theater whistling the Rocky theme song and shadowboxing.
