I do not go out to the movies to much, since most of the movies out in the box office just don’t excite me. Those that I have checked out in recent years have been disappointing, and not worth the money. I had a few free tickets to the cinema and a date though, so I said that I might as well go out. The movie Creed was the only thing that I wanted to see that was playing, so that is what we saw.
Without spoiling too much of the plot for you, Creed follows the story of Adonis “Donnie” Creed (portrayed by Michael B. Jordan), the son of Rocky Balboa’s rival and friend, Apollo Creed. Being the product of an affair between the famous boxer and an unknown woman with the surname Johnson, Donnie has a rough time growing up in foster homes and correctional facilities. In his adolescent years, he is adopted by his father’s wife, Mary Anne Creed (played by Phylicia Rashad of The Cosby Show fame), who helps the young man to clean up his life. Despite working an excellent job as a financial professional, Adonis is still not satisfied with his life, and the real meat of the movie’s story begins.
The casting of the movie and acting are both phenomenal, and are part of what makes the movie worth watching. Sylvester Stallone plays the role of Rocky almost as if it were his natural personality, and although he might not get in the ring this time around, his role as a mentor is well-played. This is a Rocky movie, but Adonis Creed is the subject of this film. The addition of actual professionals from the sport of boxing adds a touch of authenticity to this movie, and while we can expect the boxing to be a bit over the top, it was not completely unrealistic.
Despite the fresh faces, changes in the soundtrack, and modern camera tricks, Creed is still very much a movie concocted using the standard Rocky formula. After all of these years, and six movies before it, the formula still delivers. Along with the lessons of perseverance, hard work, and fighting against the odds, this particular film has a couple of other lessons that came to mind.
Making Your Own Name
Throughout the movie, Adonis is torn by the feeling of abandonment of his father, wanting to live up to his family legacy, and making a name for himself. In order to net more income and fight publicity, his opponent’s trainers want him to use the Creed name. In the end, this is resolved by Adonis wearing the signature trunks of his father, but with Johnson, the surname of his biological mother, on the back of his trunks, along with him holding his own in the ring with his own style and mentoring from Rocky. As a side note, it would have been hilarious of “Johnson” was written on the front of his trunks; that is how I would have done it if I were directing the film.
This theme is further explored by Law 41 of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power.
Following Your Passion
With a highly paid job as a financial professional, Adonis has access to a life that many people would dream of having, but despite his income, this is not satisfying. He has a burning desire, satiated partially by sneaking off to fight bouts in Tijuana. This is not enough, so he jumps right into the boxing world that he wants to be a part of, quitting his job to seek the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, and his own glory in the ring.
Speaking from experience, going all in can have devastating consequences in life, and might not always be a gamble that we want to make. Living a life without pursuing what we truly desire, at least a little bit, is not a worthy life at all though.
The Final Bell
Creed is a movie that is worth seeing. It certainly won’t win prizes for originality, but the acting, camera work, story, and messages are on point. I must also add that it was nice seeing a movie with a Black man developing himself without being a coon or brokeback. Too bad that his love interest wasn’t a “huwatt” Asian girl. Can’t win them all, at least my date was a decent one.
All in all, if there is a sequel to this film, I will be checking it out, and I will probably purchase this one when it is released on DVD or Blu-Ray.