Creed. Corazón de campeón

If you have watched the original Rocky and think it is a near classic, then Creed is close. Maybe not a classic, because only time will tell. But it is close in terms of look and feel. There are scenes, tempo, performances, music, and of course the setting (Philadelphia) which harken back to the award winning 1976 film. This is not a comparison piece, but Creed is what the earlier release this year of Southpaw could have been; a gritty, modern day boxing film.

Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), plays the titular character (using the name Donnie Johnson) who yearns to exorcise his demons/ follow his dreams in the boxing ring. Without giving anything away, he's the son of the late, great Apollo Creed and he sets out to find any trainer willing to take him on. He can fight, but he's raw and needs refinement if he's going to be taken seriously.

His search lands him in his father's old Philly stomping ground, where he pester's one Rocky Balboa (Stallone) into training him. He pulls every angle to get Rocky to help him since his pop and Rocky were combatants and close friends before he died. Once Rocky begrudgingly gives in, things begin to coalesce. Stallone is excellent as the "Mickey"-esque Balboa. Although he didn't write the screenplay for Creed, he is one of the producers and his presence is felt. The dynamic between his character and Creed is perfect. The right combination of old school and new school. One scene is indicative when Creed takes a picture on his phone of Rocky's workout routine then tells him it's "in the cloud" to Rocky's bewilderment.

In Creed, director and writer Ryan Cogler is reunited with Jordan. As Creed, Jordan's performance is on part with Stallone's. He imbues his character with just the right amount of bravado, not cockiness, just confidence, hunger, and drive. He also trained and bulked up for the role. But he's not all fierce competitor, he has funny, sensitive sides as well. Cogler's team decided Creed should have a love interest. The relationship he forges with a local neo- soul artist played by Tessa Thompson (Dear White People) could have been syrupy, but thankfully it doesn't overshadow the main theme or feel forced. Frankly, some of the scenes with Thompson and Jordan are very good and so is their chemistry.

Creed is an excellent example of mixing newcomers with established names on both sides of the camera and having the end result come out perfect. The crew and cast turn in great work. Cogler had the fortune and skill to work with people who know what it takes to put together a film that would appeal to critics and audiences alike. There were a couple scenes that are "wow" moments, not just fight scenes, which are are amazing, but little scenes that are set up, shot (by Maryse Alberti) and acted that will have a lasting effect on the viewer. Maybe classic isn't a stretch.

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Creed is the 7th installment in the Rocky franchise but this time focuses on Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed's son. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps and is trained by Rocky Balboa himself. More than boxing, this movie really goes into the relationship between Creed and Rocky and how they both support each other when they most need it. Michael B. Jordan is fantastic as Creed. He is so energetic in the boxing scenes and he is even better when his character is being developed. Now we come to Sylvester Stallone as Rocky. In his signature role, he absolutely knocks it out of the park in what may have been his best performance in his career as an actor. He honestly deserves an Oscar for this part. He brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions and still has the same charm from the old Rocky movies.

Creed perfectly mixes elements from past Rocky movies, especially the first, with modern culture. The amazing Rocky score is complemented by modern styles. Creed's story is told just like Rocky's and it is so beautiful to watch. The cinematography is also visually pleasing. Coogler captured the look of Philadelphia extremely well. The boxing scenes are excellent. There is a fight that is done completely in one take and I have no idea how they did it. It was amazing. This movie is a drama that tugs at your heart a lot, but at times it still manages to be quite funny as well.

I love Creed as a film. Its characters are so well realized and acted, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the boxing is glorious. Creed is definitely one of the best films of 2015. Creed gets an A.

Although young Michael B. Jordan has the title role in Creed the film really belongs to Sylvester Stallone. Sly joins an exclusive club of players like Bing Crosby, Paul Newman, and Al Pacino who got two Oscar nominations for playing the same role. In the case of Sly and Newman both aged naturally into the parts of Rocky Balboa and Eddie Felson. It's hard to believe that it has been 39 years since Stallone debuted Rocky Balboa. It's also 39 years between the nominations that Stallone got for Best Actor for Rocky and Best Supporting Actor for Creed.

But between that there have been several Rocky films over the years as Sly has developed more facets to the fighting Mr. Balboa of Philadelphia than I'm sure he even thought of when he debuted Rocky. It all really comes together with Creed.

But as for the story it seems that back when Apollo Creed was killed in that fight with that Russian steroid machine Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV he had a dalliance that resulted in a post mortem birth of an illegitimate son who grew up to be Michael B. Jordan, character name of Adonis Johnson. Apollo's widow Phyllis Rashad took him out of foster care as his natural mother had died and raised him.

Jordan has an interesting dichotomy to deal with. He's his father's son and wants to make it in the fight game, but on his own as Adonis Johnson. He seeks his father's old friend and rival Rocky Balboa as a mentor and Rocky trains him for a title shot at the light heavyweight championship.

Rocky Balboa is not the most articulate movie hero ever developed, but he sure imparts a lot of wisdom to Jordan. Those scenes with Jordan are what got Sly Stallone that second Oscar nomination. Also Rocky has some personal crises of his own to deal with. These guys are of incalculable help to each other.

I really loved this film and how Stallone developed Rocky to this point. Like fine wine, Rocky gets better with age.

It's not about winning, it's about hard work, daily dedication and never giving up because new opportunities will come. This is the biggest lesson I take from the Rocky movies, a lesson that is valid for our lives, the person who can absorb this mentality will probably have a lot of success in life.

About the film, the performances are good, the plot is not that deep (and it doesn't need to), sets, soundtrack, action scenes and very accurate fighting.

That's it, a simple film (but not generic) that fulfills its role very well, a good sequel to a saga of legendary films.

Ryan Coogler's Creed delivers on everything that a great boxing film should, and represents a full return to form for Rocky. Directed by superstar in the making Ryan Coogler, and starring powerful performances from Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone the film is amazing. Creed is exhilarating, beautifully acted, while honoring the previous Rocky films lovingly. The film may be a little too familiar at times, but at least approaches it's overused plot lines with a different take.

From the opening scene the film captures your attention, showing us a glimpse into who this character is "a fighter." The film remains an exhilarating journey with this character, who is easy to connect with. As the film progresses, Coogler mixes old techniques like the famous Rocky slow motion sequences, with newer (less used) techniques like very intimate fight sequences, where the camera helps the viewer feel like they're standing in the ring. The film will draw you in from the moment it starts, to the moment it ends.

One reason the film is so exhilarating is the terrific acting of Michael B. Jordan, who leads this journey. Once again teaming up with director Ryan Coogler Jordan anchors the film, and in the process creates a relatable, and human main character. On this note, after seeing "Creed" and "Fruitvale Station" I would be willing to make the bold statement that I think Ryan Coogler is on his way to becoming the next Scorsese. All of this being said what may be even more satisfying is seeing Sylvester Stallone return to form as Rocky Balboa.

Some may criticize the movie for not bringing a lot of original plot lines to the movie, they would be right. However, while not very original the film handles these plot lines from a different perspective. No longer are we watching the nobody rising up against the odds, now we see a man trying to get out of the larger than life shadows of a man he never knew. Those who love the Rocky films recognize the slow motion moments in almost every film, and the iconic way the boxing matches were choreographed. Creed departs from the overuse of slow motion and more adapts the fight choreography of Raging Bull, while still mixing the essence of the Rocky fight scenes.

The way Coogler mixes old with new in many different ways helps make the whole film feel like the story it's telling. Coogler captures the tone of the older Rocky films, while also making a film distinctly different. Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone deliver, and Creed ends up being exactly what fans hoped it would be. In the end if you have the time go see Creed, it's a terrific 2 hours to spend.