Movie Review - Creed

***Rocky Week -- Day 7***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***
Creed (2015)

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Tony Bellew, and Phylicia Rashad

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Without any shred of doubt, Creed is the best made film in the Rocky franchise.  Does that make it the best film overall?  Not quite, but it's definitely up there in terms of quality, acting, story, and direction.  While staying true to its roots with simple homages to the past, Creed introduces us to a new lead character to whom we in the audience admittedly don't quite have as much connection which hampers things a little bit.  Fortunately, though, Creed doesn't abandon all that made Rocky so successful, giving us a touching performance from our former title character in what may be the best role of Sylvester Stallone's career.

As a young boy, Adonis Johnson lived his life moving from foster home to foster home and eventually landed himself in a juvenile detention facility.  At the age of 13, Adonis is visited by Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad) who takes the young boy in and tells him of his true lineage -- that he is the result of a extramarital affair between her husband (the late Apollo Creed) and Adonis's mother.  Seventeen years pass and despite Mary Anne's wishes that he hold down a good job, Adonis (played as an adult by Michael B. Jordan) feels a passion for boxing and travels to Philadelphia to train with the man who helped to shape Apollo into the name that he was -- Rocky Balboa.

Rocky himself is a bit more weathered, a bit more weary of jumping back into the boxing world.  His pace of everything -- the way he talks, the way he walks -- has slowed as time and his boxing past has taken its toll on him.  Stallone plays Rocky vulnerable here -- and while we maybe saw tinges of that in Rocky Balboa, this adds huge layers of depth to a character we've long known.  Smartly (and perhaps this is due to the fact that this is the first Rocky film to not be written by Stallone), Rocky doesn't steal the spotlight.  Director Ryan Coogler has made this Adonis Creed's film, but Rocky and Stallone's portrayal are the reason the film succeeds as well as it does.

There's a visceral, in-your-face style that director Ryan Coogler and cinematographer Maryse Alberti bring to the table that we haven't seen in previous Rocky flicks.  Moreso than ever, we feel a part of the action -- we're in the ring fighting with or against Adonis, close enough to feel his pain and comprehend the pain he inflicts.  One scene in particular showcases Adonis's first "real" fight and it's completed in one take that is so blissfully choreographed and amazingly shot that I found myself awestruck.  But Coogler also allows for quieter moments to shine, particularly in some rather touching scenes between Michael B. Jordan and his love interest Bianca played by Tessa Thompson.  Jordan carries many of the same characteristics as Stallone in the first Rocky film, but there's a bit more of an innocence within the tough exterior -- an innocence that probably stems from a sense of hope and heartbreak (both stemming from his difficult, fatherless childhood) that Rocky himself never really experienced.  Thompson also does a nice job of bringing out the softer side of Adonis, obviously playing the "new Adrian," but she's certainly a captivating presence.

As mentioned, there is no doubt that Creed is the best made film in the Rocky franchise.  However, were I to choose to watch another Rocky flick, I'd go with Rocky Balboa first, followed by the original, and then give Creed another go (despite giving Creed a higher grade than the original Rocky).  In time, with inevitable subsequent Creed releases, I'll get to know Adonis a little better as a character and my opinion of this movie will likely only increase in its positivity.  As it stands now though, Creed succeeds for not only introducing us to a new title character, but giving tribute to the iconic Rocky.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Rocky Balboa

***Rocky Week -- Day 6***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes, James Francis Kelly III, and Milo Ventimiglia

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

I fully recognize that it's likely sacrilege to say this, but Rocky Balboa is a better movie than the original Rocky.  Now that I've completely ticked off any fan of the Rocky series, let's delve into why this flick -- coming two decades after the release of Rocky V -- is so successful and deserves plaudits for all involved.  The sense of nostalgia that runs throughout adds an air of poignancy to Rocky Balboa as our title character (played by Sylvester Stallone) finds himself dealing with boththe death of his wife Adrian and his son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia) feeling the need to distance himself from the overpowering and omnipresent gravitas that comes from being Rocky Balboa's son in Philadelphia.

It's these predicaments that give Rocky Balboa heart and help to shape Rocky into a more well-rounded character here than we've ever seen before.  Having left the boxing world behind long ago, Rocky now runs an Italian restaurant named after his deceased wife.  Days are spent reminiscing with patrons about past bouts, but things begin to change when ESPN formulates a computerized battle between Rocky and the current heavyweight champion Mason Dixon (Antonio Tarver), the latter of whom has been criticized for only fighting contenders whom he knows he can easily beat.  With the tv special garnering much attention, Dixon's handlers goad Rocky into one final battle and Balboa finds his boxing memories too precious to pass up one last chance in the ring.

Moreso than any other Rocky movie up until this point, this isn't a film about boxing, but a flick about family.  Sure, Rocky aims to get a little redemption, but in the end, it's Rocky's relationships with his son, his brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young), and his deceased wife that really make this one shine.  With some simple touching reminders of past Rocky flicks -- the turtles make a return appearance; Rocky befriends a female, Marie (Geraldine Hughes), who just so happens to be the young gal who sasses Rocky in the first film -- the film exudes nostalgia while still being its own piece of filmmaking.

Stallone returns as screenwriter and director here and I think this is by far his best work behind the camera of any Rocky flick.  The whole film feels much more complete visually, conceptually, and story-wise than Rockys III-V and the conceit of an older, somewhat defeated man getting one final shot at redemption feels oddly more touching than the first film's classic underdog success.  Maybe it's just that I'm getting older, but the idea of having "one last shot" somehow makes Rocky Balboa the most enjoyable film in the Rocky franchise for me.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Rocky V

***Rocky Week -- Day 5***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***
Rocky V (1990)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Richard Gant, Tommy Morrison, Sage Stallone, and Burgess Meredith

Directed by John G. Avildsen

Here's the problem with Rocky V -- I've already forgotten about it less than two days after watching it.  Granted, some of that may be attributable to the fact that I've watched six Rocky films over the past six days, but even when I had to refresh with the wikipedia summary, I still oddly found Rocky V a bit of a blur.

Once again, as has been the case with II-IV, we begin the film with a recap the prior film's final fight -- a conceit that I will never comprehend.  Following the unnecessary Ivan Drago remembrance, we discover that Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) has returned home to the US only to find that brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young) unknowingly had Rocky sign power of attorney over to a crooked lawyer who has depleted nearly all of the Balboa's funds.  Forced to move out of their large mansion and downsize to a row home in Philadelphia, Rocky decides to make a little money by training a young boxer named Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison).  Unbeknown to Rocky, Gunn is approached by shady, bombastic promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant) who wants Gunn to fight his protégé and when Gunn agrees, he shuns Rocky and his training.

Even that summary exudes boredom which is unfortunately the case throughout Rocky V.  Rather shockingly, this is the one Rocky movie that doesn't showcase Rocky training for another fight -- instead we get montages of Rocky training someone else to fight.  It's very different!  Tommy Morrison is a lukewarm actor and Richard Gant as the obnoxious promoter makes Rocky IV's Dolph Lundgren look like a Shakespearean actor.

The one positive in Rocky V -- and what I actually liked at the film's beginning -- is the relationship between Rocky and his son Rocky, Jr. (played by Stallone's real son Sage).  There are some tender moments at the start that ring surprisingly true, but Junior's storyline is pushed to the sidelines when Tommy Gunn comes into the picture and it hurts the film.  Fortunately, the father/son relationship is explored further and to much greater effect in the next film in the series and my thoughts on that one may surprise and even shock you.

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Movie Review - Rocky IV

***Rocky Week -- Day 4***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***
Rocky IV (1985)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, and Dolph Lundgren

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

And Rocky IV is apparently where the already diminishing franchise completely falls apart.  Everything about this movie feels excessive which while admittedly is the point with Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) using his nine years of success to have crafted a great life for wife Adrian (Talia Shire) and son Rocky, Jr.; however it also creates plot points that prove ludicrous.  Writer Stallone goes too far here with the excess and auteur Stallone throws in too many directorial flourishes -- both of which inherently go against the innocence, simplicity, and homely nature of the Rocky series.

There's a new fighter on the scene -- Russian Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who after recently been granted fighting privileges in the US has dominated many of the American boxers.  Retired Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) sees Drago as an opportunity to return to the arena, so he agrees to an exhibition match with the Russian.  With James Brown singing "Living in America," scantily clad dancers, and a fancy Las Vegas setting (note: just a few of the examples of the aforementioned excesses), the purported exhibition has disastrous results for Creed which causes Rocky to avenge his friend.  Rocky travels to Russia to take on Drago and we get yet another "Fight of the Century."

The problem with Rocky IV isn't just that it's the worst of the Rocky films, it's that it's a bad movie in general.  From the horrible acting of Dolph Lundgren to the ridiculously silly montage of Rocky training in Russia by chopping wood (set to one of the worst movie montage songs ever) to a robot befriending Rocky's brother-in-law Paulie (Burt Young), Stallone really needed to reel this one in and he fails to do so.  Certainly the low point of the series, the jingoistic Rocky IV signaled the beginning of the end for the franchise...until over two decades later.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - Rocky III

***Rocky Week -- Day 3***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***
Rocky III (1982)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, and Mr. T

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

I guess at this point I must come to terms that every Rocky film is going to end with a big fight -- I mean, it's a sports movie so I won't hold that against it since it's characteristic of the genre.  However, I'd hope that every film doesn't follow the same notes of a retired Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) heading back into the ring for one more Big Fight prefaced by our titular character going through the same rigorous training process we've seen before.

Instead of Apollo Creed, Rocky is facing Clubber Lang (Mr. T), the newest "It" boxer.  Despite the warnings of his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith), Rocky heads into the ring to fight Lang and fails miserably.  Much like Mickey told him, Rocky was too preoccupied with endorsements, charity events, and celebrity to focus on fighting and it did Rocky in.  It also did Mickey in as the elderly trainer can't deal with the fact that his protégé has fallen so drastically.  Mickey ends up passing away, leaving Rocky devastated and unwilling to fight ever again.  However, during a chance meeting with his former opponent Apollo (Carl Weathers), Rocky agrees to be trained by Apollo in an attempt to regain his former glory and bring honor to Mickey.

Written and directed by Stallone, Rocky III begins yet again with a several minute long recap of the previous movie's final fight.  Why this is necessary, I'll never know.  Fortunately, the film picks up a bit with a nice little montage showing Rocky Balboa's ascendence in the boxing world while juxtaposing against Clubber Lang's recent rise as well.  This cleverly posits the film's pivotal showdown from the very beginning of the flick which works in Stallone's favor.

Unfortunately, whereas Stallone captured emotional moments in Rocky II, he doesn't succeed nearly as well in Rocky III.  Mickey's death should've been heartbreaking, but it's not set up in a way to garner the audience's favor.  It's presumably a pivotal moment in the titular character's life, but it disappointingly doesn't connect emotionally and considering it's the crux of the "homelife" aspect of the story, it's a fairly big issue.

Rocky III isn't particularly awful, but it certainly the least successful of the three Rocky films thus far. I'm pondering how this series can really branch out from here...

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Rocky II

***Rocky Week -- Day 2***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***
Rocky II (2015)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith

Directed by Sylvester Stallone

It's not that Rocky II is a bad movie by any means -- it's simply that the overall story of Rocky II is a complete rehash of its predecessor.  Even though he lost the big fight at the end of the first film, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) finds himself still living on a bit of a high (yes...Rocky's success is the biggest difference between the first and the second films).  After marrying Adrian (Talia Shire), Rocky wants to live life as grand as his endorsements will carry him, but the money runs out quickly and he's forced to head back to boxing again.  And he's gonna come back to the ring fighting Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers)...again.  With an even more epic fight at its conclusion (15 rounds!), the beats of Rocky II simply feel to similar to the original.

Surprisingly, however, Rocky II is innately watchable despite feeling repetitive.  Stallone and Shire feel more nuanced as characters and actors and their relationship gets to be a little more fleshed out with Adrian's pregnancy taking center stage on the homefront side of the story.  Unfortunately, the boxing side of Rocky II is much too much the same.  Stallone -- who not only wrote but also directed the film this time -- starts the film with the final six minutes of the prior movie.  It's an odd way to try to start things off on a new note and, quite frankly, it's indicative of the film's biggest problem.  That said, Stallone actually does a nice job directing here pretty much equalling the direction of his predecessor with the film having some lovely cinematic scenes.  I worry, however, that the repetition of Rocky II may be indicative of the rest of the series' films.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Rocky

***Rocky Week -- Day 1***
***Note:  Spoilers may appear in all Rocky Week reviews.***
Rocky (1976)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith

Directed by John G. Avildsen

I had never seen a Rocky movie prior to now.  Growing up near Philadelphia and being a movie buff, I certainly knew of Rocky, but much like Star Wars I never caved in to watching the series.  And then Creed comes out and everyone says how great it is and I figure that maybe it's time to just give in.  So I did.

Rocky doesn't try to be anything other than what it is at its core -- a simple story about how an everyday guy can achieve success by trying hard enough and believing in himself.  A bit of a rags to riches tale that is entirely believable and certainly strikes an emotional cord with its simplicity, Rocky is the quintessential underdog story as we see our titular character (played by Sylvester Stallone), a no-nonsense local Philly boxer, be challenged by the bombastic and braggadocian World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) to a huge boxing event.  At the same time, Rocky finds himself falling for the quiet, mannered, and meek Adrian (Talia Shire) causing her alcoholic brother (and Rocky's acquaintance) Mickey to become a bit jealous of Rocky's success in his profession and in his love life.

There's a certain "normalcy" to Rocky's script penned by Stallone himself.  The words that are spoken feel basic and perhaps lacking a little education, couth, or sophistication, but they fit in perfectly with the blue collar setting of the film.  Stallone has crafted a realistic piece here that one can't help believe could truly happen to an underdog boxer living in Philadelphia in the 1970s.

Oddly enough, as the film came to a close, I found myself a bit surprised by the way the final two or three minutes played out.  Here we were waiting all this time for a big boxing match, it happens, and then the film somewhat abruptly ends.  However, I realized as I thought back on it a little more, Rocky ends not placing its focus on the boxing itself (despite an epically long ten-round brawl between Rocky and Creed), but on the human story.  We end with Rocky desperately seeking Adrian and it's Adrian who's given him purpose in life -- not the boxing.  It's rather sweet, certainly simple, yet quite pleasant.  Rocky isn't a great film per se and I'm not quite sure it should've beat out some very solid contenders to win Best Picture, but it's a warmly "familiar" piece that places family, heart, and hard work at its core.

The RyMickey Rating:  B