Review of Creed (2015) by Quincytheodore — 15 Feb 2016

Blood and heart of a legacy, so passionately willed to the new era, it's breathtaking and beautifully heartfelt.

Rocky is an ageless underdog story told in simple yet approachable way, the best thing about it is it's also true story about Stallone. Creed taps into the legacy of the franchise while also presenting new blood, a sort of passing of the torch by Sylvester Stallone. This is drama in its purest form and with the inclusion of spine tingling nostalgia, there's no way audience wouldn't get emotionally pumped when the young Creed trades blow while familiar soundtrack roars in the background.

This is the story of the son of Apollo Creed, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) who is trained by Rocky (Sylvester Stallone). It's one the best mentor-student relationships on silver screen, which feels amazingly genuine and perhaps the best acting Stallone has given in a while. It will resonate to audience, old and young, infectiously inspiring in every sense.

Fighting is the most elementary form of drama, you have the protagonist and antagonist as they square off with their fists. Nothing can be simpler, yet the presentation of Creed takes advantage of the depth of Rocky's franchise then adds a crafty visual to display the struggle of the characters, both in ring and real life.

Cinematography is pleasantly brilliant, there are moments when the fights are done so viscerally gorgeous or in one prolonged shot that it's nearly impossible not to be invested in them. The view of Philly, so familiar with fans is shown with care, it is a homage to the enduring tale as well as an authentic effort to pass it to new generation.

It's been a long time, perhaps since Hugo, that a movie is delivered with such love. Creed is a presentation of utmost care for the namesake, respect for its sport origin and visual of brutal elegance.