rocky VII

This is probably the biggest surprise of the year for me, mostly because I didn't even like the first Rocky when I saw it and that's the only one in the franchise I've seen. But this is a sensational movie and as good as mainstream crowdpleasers get - it puts the atrocious Southpaw to shame and delivers on almost every level. Ryan Coolger has done an amazing job writing and directing this one - it's infused with a ton of energy and heart, and is gorgeously filmed and structured. I loved the three main characters. Michael B. Jordan was sensational and delivers an incredibly charismatic and emotional performance - he's been a young actor to watch for a while now and this movie should easily catapult him into superstardom. Sylvester Stallone is also fantastic. I've again never been a big fan but he's so great here! He almost made me cry a few times and his performance is very subdued and sensitive. Tessa Thompson is also great in what could have been a stock love interest role. The fight sequences are incredibly well-staged and exciting (one takes place in a single take in a really awesome bit of technical wizardry) and the ending is incredibly sastisfying and poignant. This is going to be a massive word of mouth hit and justifiably so - it's one of the year's best films. A

It happened in 1977 and it will happen again: Stallone's getting an Oscar nom for acting (Best Supporting this time).

Never thought I'd say that.

****½ (A)

Creed is an artful, robust continuation of one of the most durable and iconic American film franchises. Michael B. Jordan, reuniting with Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler, plays the illegitimate son of deceased heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. He is at once driven and haunted by the outsize legacy of a man who died before his birth. An aspiring fighter who has won low-profile matches in Mexico using his mother's surname, he turns to his late father's foe-turned-close-friend Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) for guidance and training. Triumphant, traditional in the best sense, and smartly constructed, Creed revives the street-level long-shot magic of its forebears, turning clichés to its advantage and even upending a few. It perfectly fuses just-try-to-resist nostalgic flourishes—a well-known brass fanfare here, a stop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art there—with chic cinematic style (a central fight unfolds in a single shot, agile and curling) and resonant contemplation of aging and identity. Jordan is a charismatic lead exhibiting ferocious athleticism; it is never hard to believe he could hold his own in the ring. Tessa Thompson is a sexy and soulful love interest. And a committed Stallone completely capitalizes on the chance to again revisit and expand upon his signature role. It is wrenching to find Balboa ailing, grey, slow, and ready to depart having lost everyone he loves, including doting wife Adrian and argumentative best friend Paulie, and poignant to see him regain clarity and purpose in his new role as trainer.

A

A rock solid, occasionally triumphant resurgence for the Rocky series. Michael B. Jordan is excellent, but a soul-baring Sylvester Stallone gives Creed its heart. A confident and polished follow-up for Ryan Coogler after Fruitvale Station. B+

Fair or not, it's hard not to compare this to the original Rocky. Creed is more artfully shot (the fight sequences are amazing), and actually better acted than Rocky. However, while it has heart and is certainly engaging, it's beats were too similar to the original for me to be as engrossed with Creed as I was with Rocky. The training sequences don't hold quite the same charm and the love interest, while good, isn't Rocky/Adrian good. That said, I won't be complaining if it gets award nominations, particularly for Stallone, who is excellent here and truly deserves a nom for supporting actor. It's hard to believe Rocky Balboa came out in 2006. Stallone looks like he's aged 25 years since then.

A-

Such an awesome film. As someone who is still pretty new to the franchise I really enjoyed it and can say without slightest bit of hesitation that it is the best Rocky film since the original although Rocky 3 is actually my favorite. Both Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone give fantastic performances and the supporting cast is also solid including the guy who played 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan which kinda surprised me. I really liked how the boxing sequences were filmed aswell, especially that one single take during the first big fight. Ryan Coogler adds a lot of the gritty style that Fruitvale Station had and it works well here. Eventhough the film feels fresh and definitely more modern is still has the same amount of heart as the classics.

Yeah, this was a surprise. The biggest compliment I could give the film is (most of) the emotion feels raw and the relationship between Don and Rocky is heartfelt and well developed. Stallone's performance is actually quite dimensional, bravo.

It's good, though the random "Rocky has cancer" story would be horrible if Stallone didn't kill it with his reaction.

So over the past few days I've been trying to think of a single thing wrong about this film. I just can't do it. It hits everything that I love about movies. I didn't wanna watch Fruitvale Station, becauase it looks really depressing, but anything by this team has become a must see. MBJ and Sly both kill it, giving a performance at least comparable to the best in their careers. I expected though. Rocky has always brought good acting and heavy emotion (really heavy in this case). I did not expect it to be a technical masterpiece though. The second fight of the film, done in one shot, is just glorious. I knew it had the same DP as The Wrestler, and those brilliant over the shoulder tracking shots prove it, but that fight is shot as good as any other sequence this year. I can't even imagine how many times they needed to rehearse that. Creed deserves to be seen on imax. Screw you Hunger Games!

Fruitvale Station is terrific. Watch it!

Wow. What a film. I had high expectations, and it totally lived up to it. It's amazing from start to finish. I did have to get into Coogler's style for the first 10min, first film I'm seeing of him, but after that I was locked in for the rest of the way through. Great performances from everyone, B. Jordan totally caries the film by himself, but he gets wonderfully supported by Stallone and Thompson as well. Thompson, first time I see her on screen I think, and she's now an instant favorite of mine, simply beautiful. Of course have to highlight Stallone, unbelievable how he keeps the Rocky story interesting from the background. It's a chilling performance that without a doubt puts him in the running for best supporting actor. I'd give nominations to Jordan and Thompson too btw.

The film is very nostalgic on the one hand, and very modern on the other. It's great blend to bring the Rocky franchise into the future. From the ultra realistic fights, and character development, it's a powerful and emotional tale that only very, very few films have ever achieved. The score of the film finally puts it all together for consideration of best sports film ever. Especially as a fan of the series, it's the perfect film that transitions from Rocky the boxer to Rocky the coach.

A+

That's the tidbit that stuck with me a bit as well. But it doesn't diminish the emotional impact the film carries.

The 2 F's in the poll make zero sense.

I know people have their own opinions, but those Fs are almost definitely there to troll Algren.

Yeah, this is really good and Stallone totally deserves his Oscar nom and maybe the win.

Creed

It was so nice to be dropped back into this world and see Rocky Balboa again, and the continuation of his story. Sly did a great job putting all of what makes the character so special back on display for a seventh time. Though if I am completely honest his performance isn’t any better than his performances in Rocky Balboa, Cop Land, or First Blood.

Creed doesn’t feel like a Rocky film, and that’s fine because it isn’t really one either, and while Michael B. Jordan is very good as Adonis Johnson, it didn’t feel like Creed’s film either. It was a duo piece. But overall, I think the film was rather patchy and uneven in terms of creating momentum. Often good uses of music (side note: his girlfriend’s music was awesome) and moments of build-up were cut short, and training scenes felt rushed (as well as Rocky’s motivation to train Adonis – it felt like he did a complete U-turn over the span of a few mintues). The comedy was nice, not too strong, but things such as needing a shit right before a fight felt forced and out of place. Adonis Johnson’s first fight after arriving in Philly also felt so short (he knocked him down in the 2nd!), though I did appreciate the camera work.

The final fight was terrific, and it was a pleasure to watch whenever Sly was on screen, but it saddens me to say that the film was formulaic and limited in terms of inspiration (i.e. not once did I get pumped up like all the good Rocky movies do). Though there were some emotional moments which were handled well and just worked. However, I wasn’t a fan of all the urban stuff (WTF was with that scene of Adonis and the bike gang? It felt awkwardly long and pointless) and it felt difficult for me to care for Adonis (I was semi-rooting for Conlan in the end). Rocky is a great character in part because he doesn’t force the sympathy. He doesn’t constantly go on about what he’s been through and where he’s come from. Adonis, on the other hand, never shuts up about it (and with a scowl/frown on his face while he’s saying it), and that’s not someone I can easily root for.

So the editing (and I guess the story/order of events) kind of ruined Creed for me. I mean, Rocky’s illness wasn’t handled all that well, and it also felt rushed over. I thought that should have had much importance put on it. The film will take time to grow on me. The cast were all great, though, and if I’m comparing it to other films it was BRILLIANT, but comparing it to other Rocky films then I have issues (it currently sits just above Rocky V). I feel Creed was let down by a fairly inexperienced director who displays a raw structure as a substitute for tried-and-tested storytelling.

Final Verdict: A delight to watch. Great movie. Just not a great Rocky movie. The cast, in particular Sly, were awesome.

B+

Watched this again last week, I just felt like it and have been wanting to for a long time, and not long before Creed II opens seemed right as well. And, it's still fantastic, the story of Apollo's son wanting to make it and seeking out Rocky just works, the dynamics between both Jordan and Stallone and Jordan and Thompson are just great, great acting. The film is emotional and its cinematography and score stand out to make it a gripping experience. I love it and haven't seen a better film released since.

Wow. You rewatched a film.

Is this the first film you've rewatched in, like, five years or something?

Haha, it's the first time since a long time yeah...and im trying to buck the trend as I just rewatched A Few Good Men last week and are rewatching Infinity War. Come to think of it, I watched Hades twice this year before already, but before that it's been a while.

Ah yeah. So you did. I forgot about Hades. I've been thinking about rewatching Infinity War too! Not got around to it yet. It feels like a long film, and I haven't even downloaded it yet.