LEDE: Rocky Balboa is a film franchise that continues to go the distance. KPBS film critic Beth Accomando says the franchise continues by turning its focus away from Sylvester Stallone’s The Italian Stallion and toward Apollo Creed’s son. CREED 2 (ba) Sometimes intelligence is as hard to find in Hollywood as a black studio head. Ok that’s too harsh. It’s not non-existent; it’s just rare but young, black, indie filmmaker Ryan Coogler is smart. Smart enough to see an opportunity to re-imagine the Rocky franchise for a new and more diverse generation. CLIP I heard about a third fight between you and Apollo behind closed doors is that true?... How do you know about all this?... I’m his son. That’s a brilliant idea. Re-invigorate the aging boxing franchise with new blood but without losing any of the sentimental connections to the earlier movies. This marks the first Rocky film that Sylvester Stallone did not write and in which his character does not step into the ring to fight. But now the senior citizen Rocky is perfectly suited to the role mentor for Creed’s son Adonis played by Michel B. Jordan. CLIP I like what you’re doing out there. With Creed, Coogler delivers the perfect mix of an indie drama about a young black man coming to terms with his heritage and a Hollywood crowd pleaser about underdogs. Coogler’s script and direction are right on the money. Adonis’ second fight serves up some of the best boxing footage on film as it uses long takes in real time to convey just how grueling it is to spend three minutes in the ring with an opponent. Coogler, best known for Fruitvale Station, manages to remain true to his indie roots while working on a mainstream Hollywood film. That’s not an easy task so kudos to him for savvy filmmaking and to Stallone for being smart enough to see Coogler as a contender who could not just go the distance but also deliver a knockout. Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
Rocky Balboa is a film franchise that continues to go the distance, and now the story continues by turning its focus away from Sylvester Stallone’s "Italian Stallion" and toward Apollo Creed’s son in the new film “Creed” (opening Nov. 25 throughout San Diego).
Filmmaking isn’t rocket science, so sometimes intelligence is as hard to find in Hollywood as a black studio head. OK, that’s too harsh. It’s not non-existent; it’s just rare. But young, black, indie filmmaker Ryan Coogler is smart. Smart enough to see an opportunity to re-imagine the Rocky franchise for a new and more diverse generation.
Coogler is probably best known for “Fruitvale Station,” the true story of Oscar Grant III, a young black San Francisco Bay Area man who was shot in the back by transit cops. It was Coogler's idea to create a story that would involve the son of Rocky’s first opponent Apollo Creed (played in four films by Carl Weathers).
In press materials, Coogler explains that he was an athlete and his dad used to make him watch "Rocky II" on VHS before a big game.
“I grew up watching ‘Rocky’ movies with my dad; it was our thing,” Coogler said in the press materials. “Rocky is a character that people just connect with — action fans, drama fans, hopeless romantics, even just movie fans — everyone likes ‘Rocky’ movies because they have something for everyone.”
Coogler’s story idea involved Creed’s son distancing himself from his famous father and going by the name of Adonis “Donny” Johnson (played by “Fruitvale Station” star Michael B. Jordan).
The reason for this is that Donny never knew his father because Apollo died in the ring before he was born. Plus, he was the illegitimate son of Apollo and a woman the champion apparently had a one-night stand with.
Donny’s mother dies when he’s young and he’s identified as a bright child prone to violent outbursts. That’s when Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), Apollo’s wife, steps in. She takes the boy under her wing, gives him a home and gets him an education. But Donny has his father's DNA — coupled with anger — so all he wants to do is fight. He trains himself, racks up wins in Tijuana and then heads to Philly to get Rocky (Stallone reprises the role for the seventh time) to mentor him.
The onscreen story reflects a bit of what happened behind the scenes as Coogler had to get permission from Stallone to use the “Rocky” characters.
In the press notes, Stallone said, “The impression 'Rocky' has left on people is both confounding and extraordinary to me. I’ve always felt a relentless responsibility to keep the character intact because of that. So when Ryan came to me with the idea of Adonis Creed coming into the picture, I thought it was incredible, this filmmaker who is so young and yet so captivated by what we’d begun all those years ago. I admit, I was intrigued.”
And rightly so.
Coogler’s story keyed in on a perfect concept. Re-invigorate the aging boxing franchise with new blood, but without losing any of the sentimental connections to the earlier movies. This marks the first “Rocky” film that Stallone did not write and in which his character does not step into the ring to fight. But now the senior citizen Rocky is perfectly suited to the role of mentor for Creed’s son Adonis.
With "Creed," Coogler delivers the perfect mix of an indie drama about a young black man coming to terms with his heritage and a Hollywood crowd pleaser about underdogs. It’s like three-quarters of the film is Donny’s dramatic journey and then it transforms into a more traditional “Rocky” film. This is most overtly reflected in the fights. The early fights feel gritty and real.
In fact, the first big fight Donny has in the U.S. serves up some of the best boxing footage shot for movies as it uses long takes in real time to convey just how grueling it is to spend three minutes in the ring with an opponent. But for the final fight, the style changes to the over-the-top Hollywood imaginings of what a championship fight should be like. It’s still fun but it’s far from realistic.
Despite being a bit too long, “Creed” (rated PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality) reveals Coogler as a solid writer and director. He manages to remain true to his indie roots while working on a mainstream Hollywood film. That’s not an easy task, so kudos to him for savvy filmmaking and to Stallone for being smart enough to see Coogler as a contender who could not just go the distance but also deliver a knockout.
Now I’m wondering if "Creed II" could pit Adonis Creed against the son of Dolph Lundgren’s Drago and Lundgren could be coaching his son. That would be cool! It could be "Revenge in the Ring!"
