The seventh instalment in the Rocky franchise, Creed is a triumphant story of pride, loyalty and determination. Jess Layt offers her take on the film.
For 40 years, the story of Rocky Balboa – the ultimate underdog whose heart and unrelenting spirit inspired the masses – has been the benchmark of sports movies.
Sylvester Stallone’s franchise has had both worthy and unworthy entries over the years, themselves victims of the comparison to their originator.
But somehow, Creed has managed to make the clichés feel fresh and created fist-pump-worthy, inspirational moments.
This is the first film in the legendary franchise that wasn’t penned by Stallone, but by new director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), and is also the first not to bear Balboa’s name.
Creed follows Adonis Johnson (exceptional up-and-comer Michael B Jordan, of Chronicle), illegitimate son of Rocky’s greatest rival and friend Apollo Creed, who died in the ring during Rocky IV.
Adonis pulls the reverse Fresh Prince and leaves his wealthy caregiver’s home in Los Angeles to move to Philadelphia to fight.
Where his film bears the weight of its history, so does Adonis, who doesn’t know if he either wants, or deserves the name of his famous father.
The self-trained boxer seeks out the long-retired Rocky at Adrian’s, the restaurant named after his late wife, and asks him to be his trainer.
As expected, training montages and moments of deep self-reflection follow, but Coogler directs them with such authenticity and earnestness that they never feel stale.
Nothing feels gratuitous or contrived; Creed acknowledges its history while never bowing down to it, never letting the burden of expectation squash the creativity and moving story.
Like his father was, Adonis is a man of great mental and physical fortitude, and he comes along at a time when Rocky needs him most, teaching him a whole new fight.
Adonis’ three literal fights throughout the film, though, could not feel more different: the second fight in particular is filmed in seemingly one unbroken shot, following the boxers around the ring, never backing down.
But like Rocky and Rocky II, Creed is about so much more than the fights, and the emotional beats are strong enough, and have enough history behind them from the series’ many years, that grown men could be brought to tears.
The greatest achievement a sports movie can make is to move its audience to a fist pump, and when that fantastically familiar Rocky theme swells, there will be no shortage of pumped fists.
When the end credits roll, you’ll feel so inspired you could run up those famous Philadelphia steps in a heartbeat.
Creed is in cinemas now and is rated M.
