With Creed, Ryan Coogler has done was so many recent filmmakers have failed to achieve, making an almost seamless transition from small indie filmmaking to a major studio release. Creed is an impressive studio feature that is exciting, well-paced, and features characters that are emotionally complex, making it an impressive continuation of the Rocky film series as well as a film that stands on its own two feet. Centered around Adonis Johnson, the bastard son of former heavy weight champion Apollo Creed, this is a film very much about a character who wants to prove his own worth, breaking free of the shadow of his legendary father by forging his own path. The paternal exploration in Creed is one of its most interesting and well-executed attributes, capturing both the deep-seeded love but also underlying disdain which young Adonis has for a father which he ever knew. There is a borderline obsessive quality to Adonis desire to be a fighter like his father, and the film does a great job of using this determination to explore legacy, paternity, and individuality, with Adonis being a character who grows to realize he can honor his father's name and forge his own path simultaneously. While Adonis' natural talent in the boxing ring is undeniable, he has trouble finding anyone willing to help him to train, moving to Philadelphia to seek out his father's old friend Rocky Balboa. Rocky reluctantly decides to help train young Adonis, unable to deny the young man of his fierce competitiveness and determination. Without question something Ryan Coogler brings to the table with Creed is the naturalistic exploration of the boxing world, with Creed being a film that never shows judgement towards fighters but also acknowledges the world of boxing for what it is. Adonis comes from a family of privileged, something which is extremely rare in the world of boxing, where many individuals fight as a way to escape the harsh world around them. Creed has a lot more dimension than many major studio releases, and another interesting undercurrent is the film's suggestion that life is too short to not do what you love. From Adonis character taking up a violent sport despite having the resources to stay out of boxing, to his primary love interest pushing forward with her musician aspirations despite her progressive hearing loss, one of the Creed's finest attributes is how it subtlety reminds the viewer that life is far too short to live in fear and doing what you want is all the matters, regardless of how long or short your time is on this planet. Considering it's a boxing movie, I should probably mention the fight sequences. Well, I used to box a bit in my youth, and lets just say this film was very effective at making me miss the sport and want to take it back up. The boxing sequences are well shot, using a heavy dose of steady cam and long takes which add a visceral element to the fight, putting the viewer into the middle of the ring with very little time to breath. Featuring strong performances and characterizations all around, skilled direction, and a story that honors the original films legacy while still managing to forge its own path, Ryan Coogler's Creed is one of the best mainstream studio releases of the year.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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