Sometimes, not often, a film comes along where everyone just
does their god damn job. The writing is
tight, the acting is on point, the score is excellent, the cinematography and
editing are engaging without being obtrusive, and the direction of all these
elements is executed with a seemingly effortless grace. This is the heart of effective moviemaking
that spawned classics of the 70’s and 80’s that are still remembered and
beloved today, and perhaps no film embodies that working spirit more than
Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, a studio
gamble on a then-unknown writer/actor/director that paid off in an Academy Award
winning hit that spawned one of the most iconic franchises of American
cinema. The franchise has seen its ups
and downs, particularly toward the end of its lifespan, but because we live in
the age of nostalgia, there is no way this series was going to stay
dormant. And, thankfully, Creed embodies the effort and spirit of
the original film, yet still retains an identity and integrity of its own.
Newcomers need not worry about studying up on previous Rocky films, as Creed functions entirely as its own narrative while still winking
acknowledgment to longtime fans of the series.
Our protagonist is Adonis Johnson, the extramarital child of legendary
boxer Apollo Creed, who died in the ring before Adonis was born. Adonis bounced around foster care after the
death of his mother, but was taken in by Apollo’s widow. Growing up with an expectation of a calm,
corporate career, Adonis finds that he cannot suppress his urge to enter the
ring, but wishes to earn a reputation distinct from that of his father. So he moves to Philadelphia, where he enlists
the help of Rocky Balboa to train him into being his successor. Adonis’s character arc, while entirely
functional in its own right, works as a fitting metaphor for the success of the
film as a continuation of the Rocky franchise
while still acting as a solid story on its own, and the story gains an extra
layer of meta-depth because of it.
However, what really sells the film is the combination of
those key elements of film-making that I mentioned back in that first
paragraph. The character performances
are fantastic, with Michael B. Jordan absolutely killing it as a troubled youth
who struggles with issues of identity and an angst that he has never learned to
cope with, and Stallone returning as an older, jaded Rocky that seems like a
very natural take on the aged character.
The dialogue is alternatingly witty and heart-wrenching, injecting the
film with comic relief at key moments while still telling a serious story that
tackles difficult emotional issues, both for Adonis and Rocky. The score is similarly fitting with
triumphantly nostalgic swells of the Rocky
theme and more somber tones as necessary.
The camerawork is fantastic, particularly in the boxing scenes, one of
which is an extended take with hidden cuts that creates the masterful illusion of
an uninterrupted match.
I could pick this film apart and tell you exactly why each
of its elements work, but that would be a disservice to the efforts of
director/co-writer Ryan Coogler to make those elements seem effortless to the
casual viewer. His direction is spot-on,
and it’s likely because his efforts that all the right people showed up to work
and did their god damn jobs. This will
probably go down as one of the best films of the year, and let me tell you,
that was not a sentence I was expecting to write before the lights dimmed in
the theater. This will be the film to go see this
Thanksgiving. Don’t miss it.
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