He may never have met his late father but Adonis Johnson Creed (Michael B. Jordan) fits the ‘Like Father, Like Son’ term like a glove. The film is about the orphan boy who goes onto become one of the most loved boxers of his time and follows the footsteps of his father Apollo (Carl Weathers) and trainer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). And that is the knockout punch – the return of Rocky, this time as a mentor-cum-trainer. Let’s look into the 40-year old franchise and compare the latest addition to the classics that made Rocky a household name.
A surprise knock-out
Not much was expected from the seventh film in the Rocky franchise but like the boxer, the film reveled in being an underdog. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone in his most famous role) agrees albeit reluctantly to train the illegitimate son of his former rival-cum-trainer Apollo Creed and thus shapes the newbie’s future just as Mickey (Burgess Meredith) did in the first 3 Rocky films. Just like the two former heavyweight boxers – his father and mentor – Creed (Michael B. Jordan) goes through the rigorous training to impress all, even his rivals, one of whom challenges him. Thus begins the journey to self-discovery for Creed.
Rocky trains, Creed drains
For a Rocky fan, the scenes seemed familiar but they weren’t boring at all. The ‘chase-the-chicken’ training method was something Rocky went through before his first bout and Creed had to do the same. Similarly, the visibly old Rocky didn’t train with his protégé but made him follow every practice in the Rocky training book imaginable; the scene where he practices against his mirror image is something Mr. T had done in the third film of the franchise; the rigorous exercises remind one of ‘Eye of The Tiger’ and the Rocky theme which are still fresh in the minds of many.
One-Take Fight Sequence
There may be many boxing movies out there but just the best get you so much engrossed in the action sequences that you forget everything around you. Creed has a few boxing sequences like that but the one that stands out is where the newbie wins his first bout – the whole sequence has been shot in one-take and the director Ryan Googler must be commended for his decision to go for a perfect take.
Stellar acting by Stallone & Jordan
If you ask me, the story of Creed isn’t something new; it’s the same old ritual of a guy who wants to make a name for himself and finds the perfect mentor and shines at world-level but what makes it different is the chemistry between the master and the protégé. When Creed says that it’s up in the cloud (referring to iCloud), Rocky’s response of ‘What Cloud?’ defines their relationship perfectly. He doesn’t stop the young man from going into a relationship (unlike what Rocky’s own mentor did) but he uses the love of the girl to his protégé’s advantage. And then there was the appearance of the Rocky steps where Rocky climbs again but with the help of Creed – perfect end to a perfect story!
Everything fits the glove
Both the actors give powerful performances – Stallone and Jordan must be nominated for Oscars for their astounding acting. For once the former acts his age and what would be a better end to his innings as Rocky Balboa than winning an award for the role that made him a star. As for the flick, Creed is the platform which shows Rocky passing on the torch to his protégé; one must not be surprised if in the next installment Creed II, Rocky dies and Creed takes revenge of his ‘Unc’ or Rocky helps Creed take on a bigger challenger, someone like the son of the Russian boxer who killed Creed’s father in the ring. Whatever story the next film in the series follows, one thing is certain – the Eye of the Tiger lives on!
Writer: Omair Alavi
Courtesy: InStep Today (The News)
