Creed

The first instalment in the Adonis trilogy rekindles Rocky's fighting spirit, and serves as a knockout rebirth of the Balboa legacy.

---

PRE GAME 🥊

---

Welcome back to Balls on Film! 👋🏻

I hope you are all enjoying the long weekend, and getting the opportunity to relax and treat yourself to some Easter eggs and other goodies, if that’s your thing. I know that quite a few readers here are in the US, and I was actually quite surprised to learn that easter eggs aren’t really a thing over there. Even though I’m 41 years old, I still like over-indulging with an easter egg or two every year. Here’s what I’ve got for this year:

If you’re also partial to an easter egg, let me know what you’re enjoying this weekend! I can’t wait to eat too much and utterly sicken myself by the time Sunday rolls around.

Many thanks to John Lees for stopping by again this week for the next instalment of our Rocky review series. We’re into the Creed additions to the Balboa universe now. As I’ve mentioned before, John writes comics and his work includes And Then Emily Was Gone, Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #6 and Glasgow-based crime thriller Sink, all to critical acclaim. His horror anthology series Hotell has been optioned for film, with an adaptation from writer/director Elle Callahan currently in development.

With that, I’ll hand over to John. I’ll be back at half time!

---

FIRST HALF 🥊

---

John: Creed is certainly a film enrichened by its connection to the Rocky mythos. Revisiting the locations of the first film, or even of the more recent Rocky Balboa, will pull on the heart strings of those fond of the series, and these viewers will get a kick out of references to events from the various films. But the key to the success of Creed is that it doesn't lean on that history. Director Ryan Coogler doesn't want to settle for making the next Rocky film, but instead uses the history of Rocky Balboa as a launching point for a new legend.

MGM

One thing the original Rocky had that none of the sequels could replicate is that sense of having a low-key opening, building up to the epic drama as we got to know Rocky Balboa and the grit driving him. As enjoyable as many of the subsequent films were, we couldn't really get to know Rocky again. But we can get to know Adonis Creed, brought to life by a charismatic superstar performance from Michael B. Jordan. He's quite a different figure from Balboa, coming from affluence, but nursing an anger and resentment never really apparent in Rocky. Here, the core of the film is in the relationship between Donnie and Rocky, and Coogler patiently builds things up as we see Rocky drawn back into caring for this kid, him getting more into seriously growing as both a fighter and a person. And by the time we get the swell of the classic Bill Conti theme, it feels earned rather than rote, a powerful climactic beat. Sylvester Stallone does some of his best acting ever here, the pain of years of loss written on his face and movements.

MGM

In addition, the romance between Adonis Creed and Tessa Thompson doesn't manage to capture the sweet, effervescent joy of the classic love story between Rocky and Adrian, and as talented as both Michael B Jordan and Tessa Thompson are, their scenes can feel a bit sluggish.

MGM

Of course, this film has a different kind of love story at its core, a plutonic love story between Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa. And the chemistry between Jordan and Sylvester Stallone soars. The fights are thrilling, with us wincing and feeling the impact of every hit. But it's this central relationship that really helps the film land home with triumph, giving us a tale rich in heart and poignancy.

MGM

Where Creed really soars, though, is in the fight scenes. The middle fight scene is an exercise in bravura cinematography, a hard-hitting battle in a single take. And the climactic fight is gruelling, thematically echoing the first Balboa/Creed fight while also doing new stuff. The fights here are the best ever to be in a Rocky film, perhaps the best of any boxing film. We as viewers are thrust right into the ring. Every hit lands like a sledgehammer, and we feel like we've been rocked as the camera recoils and rotates in response. Even outside the context of the films as a whole, you could play these fight scenes and they'd be a dramatic masterclass.

MGM

Creed is a great star vehicle for Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, a fantastic showcase for director Ryan Coogler, and a most worthy addition to the Rocky canon. It's the best film to feature Rocky Balboa since the original Rocky.

Creed is available to rent or buy via most digital stores.

---

HALFTIME 🥊

---

Let’s take a break for halftime.

Here’s what else we’ve been watching and enjoying this week:

DROP

James: This was an insanely fun popcorn thriller that you just don’t see much of on the big screen anymore. Drop reminded me so much of movies like Red Eye, Phone Booth etc. Meghann Fahy was great, and it made me also immediately make sure my AirDrop was set to contacts only.

In theatres now.

KNEECAP

John: A musical biopic so outrageous that, if you weren’t already familiar with Irish language hip-hop band Kneecap, the end credits reveal that not only is this band not fictional, but it’s the actual band members, who are not professional actors, playing themselves in the movie would act as a shock plot twist. I was expecting to enjoy Kneecap based on all the positive buzz I’ve heard about it, but even so, I was taken aback by just how much I loved it. Genuinely thrilling cinema, and one of the best releases of 2024. The music sequences got me hyped up enough to want to run through a wall. What a movie!

Available to stream on Prime Video now.

I’m also super excited that

Shea Serrano

has made his way over to Substack. I’ve been a fan of Shea’s work since his days at Grantland, and then over at The Ringer. His books Basketball (and Other Things) and Movies (and Other Things) are on the shelf behind me as I write this, and are both excellent. His

GOOD MOVIE

newsletter has been a welcome addition to my inbox, and his recent feature on Balls on Film favourite, Love & Basketball, was an absolute blast.

Love & Basketball

You can also check out my own review of the film from the Balls on Film archives here.

Let us know what you’ve been watching in the comments, or in the subscriber chat.

Let’s get back into the ring.

---

SECOND HALF 🥊

---

Let’s jump into some awards and bonus content.

BEST SCENE 🏆

My personal favourite is when Adonis meets Rocky.

BEST LINE 🏆

Rocky Balboa: “Time takes everybody out; time's undefeated.”

IMDB TRIVIA HIGHLIGHT 🏆

Per iMDb:

The ending differs from a script that Sylvester Stallone uploaded on Twitter. Adonis was winning the fight in the script dated December 28th, 2014. In the finished movie, the ending closely resembles the finale of Rocky: like Rocky Balboa, Adonis Creed loses the fight itself, but emerges morally victorious by holding out against an established champion, and earning his respect.

BEST LETTERBOXD REVIEW 🏆

We’re all like Ziwe watching this movie.

Ziwe on Letterboxd

BONUS FEATURE 💿

Michael B. Jordan apparently took a real punch during filming.

---

POST-GAME 🥊

---

James: Thanks to John for joining us again this week! Let us know what you thought of the movie in the comments. If you agree, disagree, love the movie or hate it, let us know.

I said last week that I wanted to turn to some lesser-known sports movies and also, movies that fall into the category that don’t immediately come to mind when you think of the genre. I’ve had a few messages with some suggestions, and a couple of you highlighted the movie Heavyweights, which I’d never heard of until now, even though it stars Ben Stiller. I looked at the plot, and had to double-check that it actually counted as a sports movie on IMDb. It does, so let’s make it next week’s movie. I’ve no idea what I’m for with this one, so if anyone else feels like watching ahead of next week too, I’ll see you back here next Friday to discuss it.

See you guys then! 👋🏻

~James