Creed (2015)

[baumer]

Discuss

[Gopher]

This is pretty good! Coogler clearly understands why we like movies and characters like Rocky, and the last third rings as emotional as it wants to ring. Nice to see him move from indie to studio without missing a step--this is as refreshingly simple, gripping and heartfelt as Fruitvale.

[4815162342]

36 minutes ago, Gopher said:

This is pretty good! 

 

Oh god, it's going to happen again.

[baumer]

Naaa, it's not going to happen again.  Gopher thinks it's pretty good.  I think it's phenomenal.  Stallone and Jordan are pitch perfect and both are deserving of nominations.  The story is beautifully written and Coogler really understands the Rocky characters.  He gets who he is and why he does what he does.  He gives Stallone plenty of material to work with and Stallone does the rest.  Easily one of the best of year.

 

9.5/10

[BourneFan #1]

Just as great as I was hoping. Stallone loves this franchise and it shows. When Stallone gives the speech about the fact that everyone he loves is gone and he is ready to die, I was overcome with large amounts of sadness thinking, “Is this really it for Rocky?" This film gives off so many different emotions which shows by the way I would feel tears coming on one minute and chills of joy the next. When Adonis is in jail and yells at Rocky to get his “sick ass" out, you understand what he is feeling and the huge burden of wanting to live up to his dad while also creating a name for himself along with helping his trainer stay alive. I could go on and on praising this film, (the long shot of the middle fight, the chemistry between all the leads)but you could have gone out to the movie theater in the time it took you to read this. Seriously. Go! I DON'T CARE IF TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING! I SAID GO! You won't regret it. 9.5/10

[Rorschach]

Near perfect reviews from what I've been reading so far. Definitely on my watchlist now.

[JohnnyGossamer]

Which moments hit you hardest, Baumer? The exchange between Creed and Balboa when Rocky comes to bail him out just ruined me. Incredible acting from both.

[baumer]

The two that got to me the most was when he finds out he has cancer from his doctor....his first reaction to it is something you can't teach in acting school, that comes from experience of losing someone.  I'm sure Stallone took a lot of the pain from losing Sage and channeled it in this film.  The other part that really got to me was when Adonis saw the picture of Rocky and his son on the punching bag and then Rocky tells him that he moved to a place called Vancouver with his girlfriend.  There was so much pain in his voice.  It was also something that I bet was not in the script, that is Stallone understanding how Rocky would talk and it added some humour to the scene.

[AniNate]

Yeah, this is terrific. Great acting, great boxing action, great romance. The movie feels like a total experience. Ryan Coogler revives the Rocky franchise with total confidence. Definitely one of the young directors to watch

[Chewy]

Extremely emotional, especially if you have any attachment to the original movies. Jordan is awesome and I know all the dinguses who trashed him for a year over Fant4stic probably won't see this but I hope they do. Stallone Oscah nom needs to happen

 

Hopefully Coogler keeps working his way up the ladder naturally and doesn't fall into the big budget bomb trap following this cuz man, he's going places

[Dark 33Legend of the Sith]

Wow. What a movie. When this was announced I would have never dreamed it would be this great.

 

It captures the soul of the original Rocky while being it's own original film.

 

Moments that I loved:

-Adonis fighting in the you tube Apollo vs. Rocky fight.

-The training scene! Where they helped each other fight through the montage. Especially the end of training, was waiting for him to run up the stairs, but he finishes outside of Rockys place and shares the excitement with Rocky. Chills.

-The end of the fight and the interview. Pitch Perfect.

-Cooglers direction and Jordan's performance are Oscar worthy.

-STALLONE. Wow. I might say that's the best performance of his career and he would not only deserve an Oscar nom, but it's deserving of a win. Not only did the greatness of the character Rocky Balboa stay preserved.But one of the greatest characters in movie history saw his legend grow greater in this film.

 

A

-

[AniNate]

I think Tessa Thompson deserves mention too. Made a very believable and sympathetic love interest

[Webslinger]

I'll admit that I was just a tad skeptical when I heard that this sort-of Rocky sequel would mark the next collaboration between Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan. However, the final product is terrific. It's not quite at Fruitvale's level, but it's an extremely intriguing sequel that plays quite lovingly on Rocky's tropes without feeling too derivative - no small fear given the enormous impact that Rocky has had over sports films in general. Coogler responds to the significant increase in budget with a more dynamic directorial approach; his passion is visible throughout most of the film, and he succeeds in giving the film its own identity despite its close ties to the Rocky franchise. Jordan is also terrific as Creed's son. After bottling his charisma for the misbegotten Fantastic Four, he delivers an eminently likable performance as the title character. As I'm sure Coogler and Jordan were aiming for, he echoes the blue collar charm that Stallone first brought to the franchise nearly forty years ago. And speaking of Stallone, he delivers what may well be his best and most soulful work since his star-making breakout. Behind Stallone's soul-searching work, the film truly feels like a sincere changing of the guard between stars. On paper, Creed may not have sounded like the surest of propositions; in reality, however, it's exactly the kind of rousing, eminently crowd-pleasing film that this long-running franchise deserves.

 

A-

[AdamKendall]

Great film, great acting, great direction, great score.  Teared up twice during the film.  The boxing scenes were tremendous and you really felt you were right there in the ring with the fighters.  Just felt so emotionally engaged in the film that by the time got to the big finale with Rocky & Adonis I didn't want to leave the story.

 

A

Edited November 30, 2015 by AdamKendall

[lilmac]

Excellent! Ryan Coogler has done it again!  

 

One of the most outstanding films of 2015. See it.

[The Panda]

Ryan Coogler really proves that Fruivale Station wasn't a fluke and that he is a fantastic director.  Creed is an excellent movie and a very refreshing franchise movie that has depth and heart to the story.  

 

Michael B Jordan excels in his role and Stallone gives his best performance since the first Rocky movie.  The ensemble is real and organic, it is very grounded, has humor that flows naturally, and it knows when to be quiet and when to be loud and exciting.  

 

Your eyes are on the screen from the beginning to the end, and even though you can predict how the match will end up going, it does a great job getting you there and making it emotional.

 

Coogler somehow manages to take themes that most directors would turn into an eyerolling cheese fest, and make it one of the most human films of the year.

 

The film is shot beautifully, the training scenes absorb you, and the boxing scenes are surreal.  It looks great, and has a fantastic stylistic sense to it.  It definitely feels like a nice hybrid of organic meets a big budget.

 

The editing also keeps the film flowing rather nicely, especially with how the score is used.  There was one spot where the score was rather sporadic in starting, but besides that, the film had an organic and urban rhythm to it that kept you engaged.

 

My only complaints are despite Coogler's excellent direction and the excellent ensemble, the film still can feel a bit hokey at times.  The structure of the film is a very basic premise, and you've seen it many times before.  Nothing in the film will take you by surprise.  But it does a great job of covering that up with its humanity.

 

It also never pushes any boundaries, but now I'm just getting nitpicky.

 

Creed isn't just the best Rocky film since the first one, it just might be the best Rocky film period.

 

A

Edited December 3, 2015 by The Panda

[Blankments]

We've seen a lot of attempts at franchise revivals recently, in this new nostalgia craze. Creed does it better than them all by modernizing it to such a point that the only true nostalgia comes naturally from a major character, the Italian Stallion himself. The theme of legacy permeates this film, whether it's Apollo's, Rocky's, or Adonis Creed's own legacy. Jordan becomes a star with his role, perfectly portraying the ego of Creed with sympathy. Thompson is a modern-day Adrian, and I mean that in the best way. Stallone... what can I say about Stallone that other people haven't? It's the best he's acted in decades and he deserves the Oscar for his supporting turn as the aged legend. He makes the audience laugh and cry multiple times in this film. Coogler directs in a fantastic way, finding sheer joy in minor moments. The use of sound, both in the remixed score using the Rocky theme in multiple ways, and the sound design, which feels like you're in the ring with Creed, is incredible. Montages are also on point, with one giving me my second biggest smile at the cinema this year. And the fights... I'm convinced they might be the best in the Rocky franchise yet. Creed is an astounding film with incredible performances and powerful direction. There's nothing to hate about it, and by the end, you'll be cheering Creed's name as loud as the crowd in the film itself. A

[MovieGuyKyle17]

Creed: Now, going into this movie, I was expecting it to be good but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. Creed is an excellent movie that will be talked about for Oscars. Director Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan who previously worked together on Fruitvale Station, work great together again. Sylvester Stallone should definitely be talks for a Best Supporting nomination as he nails the role as the mentor. This film may be a little predictable but the film is so good. Its surprisingly one of my favorites of the year. Hoping to get to see this again.
 

Grade: A

Edited December 6, 2015 by MovieGuyKyle17

[RobinHood26]

Woah this movie made me have more feels and moments of nostalgia for Rocky then I thought I had. 

 

That one take i s absolutely breathtakingly jaw dropping. LIKE HOW THE FUCK

 

When the Rocky Going the Distance music kicked in during the final round, I lost my SHIT. OMG that is why I love movies haha Plus when he says to prove he wasn't a mistake, the whole movie tied up so nicely. I probably teared up 3 times in this film.

 

Some moments here and there felt to fast and the movie felt 10 minutes too bloated. The doctor was a terrible actress and took me out the movie for a second and there was a handful of shots I didn't like but overall you watch this and go damn Coogler is a beast. The dude is a true director with a true vision. I could talk and talk about this movie or all movies for that matter but its all been said so there is no reason. 

 

A- (90)

 

 

Although I've sat down to watch a movie 588 times this year, I'm broke so I've only seen 35 2015 releases so far and out of those this is my first A- or A.

[FilmBuff]

A+

 

I'll get this right off the bat, and say this is my favorite movie of the year. My Gawd, This movie made me tear up in two scenes. I was so-so captivated by this movie, especially from the point when Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa had that confrontation when Donny finds out about Rocky's cancer in Mickey's gym. From that point on, I was on the edge of my seat going through many different emotions. From Excitement, to Sadness, to fear, and even stress. It takes a truly remarkable film and a great directing effort by Ryan Coogler to pull this off. The Martian and Inside Out had great themes, and they are truly great films. Creed is better. The first two acts were definitely at an A level, but the final act is what elevated it for me to my favorite movie of the year. The training scene with Adonis training to fight Conlan, meanwhile Rocky having to fight his cancer, to the press conference scene, to the great fight between Conlan and Adonis Creed. There was so much emotion in the final fight. I was on the edge of my seat until the final buzzer sounded. I loved all the nods to the previous Rocky films as well, but this movie also had a great and original story of its own. Coogler should get nominated for best director, and this movie overall should get nominated for best picture. Do I need to even mention how amazing Sylvester Stallone is good in this? But, he didn't steal the movie, b/c Michael B Jordan was great in his right too. He didn't let Sly walk away with the film. I totally bought Adonis relationship with Tessa Thompson's character too. That was a nice touch. Didn't feel forced.

 

This is a great movie, and absolutely did justice to the Rocky film franchise. With many great nods to the previous Rocky films while adding something fresh to the franchise. I really liked Rocky Balboa. I thought there was no where else they could take this franchise after Rocky Balboa, I was completely fine with the ending they gave Rocky. Now, I'm hoping they make another film. This is an absolute masterpiece. I couldn't be more happy with it. All aboard the Oscar campaign for Sly Stallone. #TeamStalloscar.