Creed

I stand by my opinion that this series should have definitely ended ten years ago with the nostalgic "six", which managed to build on the formal and, above all, emotional tuning of the first four films with the help of old and familiar characters. Creed, unfortunately, doesn’t manage that. The story is not bad, on the contrary, it nicely brings together two boxing generations in the world of its famous plot marker and delights with its existential layers, which put the ring and the fight in the shadow of personal life and the excellently sketched relationship between Creed Jr. and the (now definitely) ageing Italian stallion. Yet, I see it as nothing more than a superfluous variation on a disgustingly stale story scheme that doesn't surprise with anything, and isn't saved either by the through-and-through mediocre directorial touch or the lovingly beating heart of Rocky Balboa, which makes us love and respect the whole franchise so much. As a motivational song about the willpower of an underdog, the first one was far more effective and moving; as a riveting, straightforward drama about a quest for satisfaction against a seemingly invincible foe, the fourth one was more emotional and physically more palpable. Creed probably wants to be both, but it succeeds on a completely different, more subtle front – behind closed doors, during the interactions between two characters that are really the only thing that has the power to save this film from the dust of oblivion. And thanks for that at least... (30/12/2015)

It’s been eleven years since the last installment of this unforgettable series, which has deeply embedded itself into all our hearts and ranks among the top films dealing with sports themes. It was unusual to see that in the new installment, Rocky is no longer the main character, but instead Adonis Creed, the son of the famous Apollo Creed. Michael B. Jordan was an uncast actor just a few years ago, but in recent years, he’s been proving that he’s slowly but surely carving out a permanent place in Hollywood. This guy has a bright future ahead! Creed is a great product of today’s times, where I no longer expect such perfect sports films, but lo and behold, I’m surprised. Stallone walked away with a Golden Globe for his role, and it must be said that he deserved it every bit. He’s no longer playing Rocky at his full strength but a normal aging man who has to fight a serious illness and the challenges of daily life (and he does it convincingly). Most importantly, though, he delivers one witty remark after another, which this film desperately needed. Adonis’s training had something to it—it was clear how many hours Jordan had to grind in the gym for his role to make everything seem believable. Maybe I would’ve delved a bit more into his opponents’ characters, but in the end, that didn’t bother me much. The final match was quite emotional. Admit it! Who else got goosebumps like I did when the famous Rocky theme song played? Such small details bring joy, but not every film can boast them. Compared to Southpaw, I liked Creed more. I give it 88% (19/07/2017)

The essence of the best of the old films: the precisely dosed drops of nostalgia and at the same time a fully adaptable product of our time, that is, to the parameters we want and expect from a film today, that's exactly what Creed is. This is what I expected from Star Wars and didn't get. I expected nothing from Creed and got basically everything. Peaking emotions and sympathy for the main characters, especially Stallone, who has changed. He has become a sensitive actor, full of charisma and life experience, who can impress not only with a machine gun in his hand, but surprisingly agile and brilliant even in intimate scenes, where he uses in the most distinctive way those wise words that we all know, but not everyone wants to hear. For hardcore fans of the original series and for movie nostalgics, it will be great, because it has that cold winter street feel (the iconic last scene) of the original episodes and fortunately it's not as modern as the last Rocky. It's a must-see experience, just like the first one. (01/01/2016)

With the arrival of Creed, Rocky Balboa bid us farewell in quite dignified way. The movie did not come with anything new, so the only thing left is the endless moralizing of Sylvester Stallone, which I more or less enjoy, or the acting of Michael B. Jordan, which is something you have to get used to. He, as the child of the street, did not at first arouse too many emotions in me. Only Stallone’s upbringing made him somehow pleasant. However, simply by describing it, the pathos makes me sick. The story could not get more typical. Big fans will be probably satisfied with Creed and will nostalgically shed a tear. Rocky Balboa is enough for me, as it was able to make an original movie out of nostalgia, and I did not have to call it what I call this movie. Unlike the previous one, this movie is a completely routine job. (02/01/2016)

Ryan Coogler is a gifted child. One hardly wants to be angry at his crackling naivety when he sees how much skill (especially) the cameraman has, but the fact is that Creed is more of an unintentional infantile comedy than a boxing drama. He raises the greatest hope for emancipation when he pulls out an incredibly dense one take fight in the middle, but instead of finding his own legacy, he ends up a labor-intensive retro in his father’s place. Sly is the only anchor, otherwise it all breaks down for Coogler into laboriously constructed storytelling and a doll-like main character who has to shout to "make a drama". Maybe next time, yo. (06/01/2016)