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Rating: $2,965,471,850.
This is the astronomical figure grossed to date by the six films in the Rocky Balboa series. A character who will turn forty this year. Forty years of successes and, as was right to happen, also of falls. Just as it happened to his creator. Sylvester Stallone will turn seventy this year and has been experiencing a second cinematic youth for about a decade. The "Expendables" series and some good action films have brought him back into the spotlight after beginning a slow descent into Hollywood's flop drawer in the second half of the '90s, from which it is very difficult to emerge. And yet, Sly managed to surface again, and he did so by starting over from where he began: from Rocky. After receiving a long series of no's, in 2006 he finally managed to bring the Philadelphia boxer back to the screen for one last fight, on the edge of realism, somewhat predictable, and with many familiar elements. But effective. Enough to revive Sly's career, proving that for better or worse, this man managed to create an icon that lingers, and that people always enjoy seeing one last time.
Year 2015: Ryan Coogler, a young director whose first film was a success and received very positive reviews, chooses to reignite the Rocky franchise as the second piece of his cinematic career; and here begin many difficulties. He has to contend with producers who consider another film on Balboa madness and with Stallone himself, who clearly indicates that with the sixth Rocky film he said all he had to say and, to him, it's a closed matter. But Coogler has a different idea: to reignite the Rocky franchise, the young director proposes shifting the focus to a new character. Thus, he creates Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, Rocky's first great adversary. After much persistence, Coogler wins, obtaining the approval of both the production and Stallone, who agrees to reprise Rocky to shed new light on his character. Also because this time, for the first time he will only focus on the acting side, leaving the script and the direction to someone else.
The plot is fairly simple: Adonis, the illegitimate son of Apollo who grew up among institutions and reform schools, decides to pursue his father's career, trying to keep his connection to Apollo secret due to the pressure the name carries. To do so, he turns to the one man who might be willing to train him, Rocky Balboa who, after overcoming many doubts, agrees to train his late great friend’s son, also helping him delve into his feelings towards the father he never knew, and free himself from the great shadow cast by the latter. However, complications arise with news of Rocky's serious illness, who agrees to get treatment only after Adonis's strong insistence, as Adonis has become his only reason to carry on. Thus, the film develops a compelling parallelism between Adonis's struggle to rise and Rocky's struggle to stay alive, up to the final fight, which represents a turning point for both.
Very different from the previous films in the saga, "Creed" is a tough, effective, and ruthless film in showcasing the weaknesses inherent in the human condition, just as it is straightforward in showing what a man can aspire to. During its roughly two-hour runtime, the film gradually reclaims all the characteristic elements of the saga, adding much more to try to distance itself and represent something new: a new soundtrack (although the famous Bill Conti theme returns briefly), a worthy, if not better, exploration of the inner dimensions of its characters compared to the first film, a drier yet more attentive direction, more particular and memorable, and new, well-defined characters that could prove useful should "Creed" become a standalone saga, heir to the first. In short, for those who have seen the previous Rocky films, it will be impossible not to view "Creed" as a successful attempt, for better or for worse, to revive a franchise that everyone thought was over, finally saying something new in new ways and especially distancing itself from the Rocky saga while preserving and amplifying the elements that led to its success.
Technically, the film is very well made, especially regarding the boxing matches, experienced almost firsthand and shot with a technique and style absolutely new compared to the previous films. The cast is of high caliber, with the excellent lead Michael B. Jordan, who confirms his great acting levels seen so far, also undergoing grueling physical training to be believable in the role (his opponents are not portrayed by professional actors but real boxers). A special mention goes to Sylvester Stallone. The 2016 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and the 2016 Oscar nomination in the same category are rightful recognition for a performance decidedly above his "acting average," probably the best of his career. For the first time, he tackles a character in decay who must deal with his world falling apart and who no longer knows where to draw the strength to rise again; a decay that Stallone makes evident through a process of physical decline that his tough and moving performance manages to enhance, turning what were limitations for his acting into strengths.
In summary, for better or for worse, it may not be a masterpiece, but it is a courageous attempt to resuscitate a story no one believed in anymore. A successful attempt, moreover. A film to see.
As a rating, three and a half would be more appropriate than three.
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