• Coogler’s second archiveable film under the age of 30
  • Coogler’s direction and screenplay touches and uses the iconography, archetypes and clichés but executives it all so flawlessly
  • Fruitvale Station announced the arrival and both Coogler as a potential (now fully realized) auteur and Michael B. Jordan as a major star- but if there were doubts or trepidation- those are long gone now after seeing Creed
  • The great oner- shot in the fight between Jordan and Gabe Rosados “Leo ‘The Lion’”
  • I think it challenges the original Rocky for the best film in the series and for the best performance of Stallone’s career—it is, without a doubt, the best directed Rocky– film
  • Again, clichés- training montages and battling cancer, a man with father issues—and Coogler pulls it off and sticks the landing
  • Along with Coogler and Jordan—who could be the best director and actor on the planet in 5-10 years—Tessa Thompson feels like she could be a generational talent- she’s hypnotic- powerful, intelligent- not hyperbole
  • Coogler’s oner tracking shot gets a lot of buzz but there’s a fluidity to the camera in almost every scene—he does it in the opening and closing basketball scenes in Black Panther, too. There’s a shot here following Stallone and Jordan into the smaller more homey gym, a shot from the Tijuana locker room going up to the ring—it’s fluid but not shakier verite—it’s choreographed, blocked and there are clean tracks here-
  • Plenty of montages- Coogler breathes life into them though
  • Still- 45 minutes in the film doesn’t feel too entirely special- it’s back-loaded with the greatness
  • Again- credit to Coogler and the actors but cheese or hokey likes like “you can’t learn anything when you’re talking” coming from Stallone here work
  • The oner- detailed- Tessa is in the background for part of it- it’s 4-5 minutes—and it totally enhances the experience- anyone who says these shots are only for film buffs is flat wrong
  • The premise- and idea behind Jordan getting a title shot is very believable
  • Sorry to Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies (Oscar winner) but Stallone gives the greater supporting performance in 2015
  • I don’t think much Stallone as an actor overall and has an embarrassingly few archiveable films in his long career—much of it as a major star—but the scene of him taking the news that he has cancer should be shown to an acting class
  • Tough not to be hooked into the fighting cancer montage
  • The 365 shot in the locker room shot—just prior to the title fight—then you have 2pac’s “Hail Mary” with Stallone’s hand on his shoulder as he walks to and around the ring— wow—then you go to Conlan’s entrance with the fire breathing—
  • There’s a small nod to Scorsese and Raging Bull when the lights turn out in the ring and Coogler slows it down—
  • Strong mini-montage of Jordan’s past and state of mind when getting up from a knockout—then you have the “I gotta prove I’m not a mistake” gut-wrenching line
  • Smart narrative move to have him lose just like the original Rocky
  • Overall Coogler goes for it- montages, red/white/blue trucks, crowd chanting “creed”
  • Don’t love the lazy epilogue walking up the steps
  • HR/MS border