Will you go see "Creed"?

[Goblin19]

A truly great movie. It makes you care about the characters while also giving you exciting fights. I really loved it and I rarely use that word.

[jwyblejr]

I love Rocky immensely, but I don't want to see a movie where he dies. At least that is my impression. To me that is a mistake.

It seems like with every movie since 3,they have to kill someone off. Been kind of a bummer since then.

[MIB41]

It seems like with every movie since 3,they have to kill someone off. Been kind of a bummer since then.

This movie is so inspirational and very much it's own animal in the series. Early critical talk suggests Stallone could win an Oscar for this performance. I absolutely agree. I was blown away.

[huedell]

This movie is so inspirational and very much it's own animal in the series. Early critical talk suggests Stallone could win an Oscar for this performance. I absolutely agree. I was blown away.

Thought of you when I started combing the Net after seeing it last night.

I probably was equally touched by the movie as you were.

Apparently, so is an unusually high amount of the mainstream audience. It's nice to have a lot of company once in a while.

[skid14]

i was gonna pass..might take it in now since we have a couple of mego thumbs up.

[MIB41]

Thought of you when I started combing the Net after seeing it last night.

I probably was equally touched by the movie as you were.

Apparently, so is an unusually high amount of the mainstream audience. It's nice to have a lot of company once in a while.

Before this film came out, I had allot of mixed emotions about Sly messing with the series anymore. I thought he had really come back and saved it with an incredible sequel in Rocky Balboa. Probably my most watched entry in the series. I think getting older now and losing allot of my family (father, brother, and now my mom) within a eight year time frame really gave me a feeling of isolation and a kind of removal from that pocket of living we all associate and grade quality from. So that movie really spoke to me on a level that really helped me, since so much of it is about loss, aging, and reassessing your worth and finding motivation to hold on to what you have today. It's a tough film to watch but an inspirational one for me too. So him coming back (in a supportive role) really gave me pause because of how Rocky Balboa so perfectly brought the character to a peaceful grounding. ***SPOILERS*** ahead for anyone reading this who has NOT seen CREED...

So I was actually pretty tentative going in because I was completely convinced Stallone brought him back to die. I didn't think seeing this character, whom I had grown up with and gained so much inspiration from, dying was a healthy experience for me, especially since I had just buried my mom earlier this year. It felt counterintuitive to my best interests regarding the inner damage I had already acquired and the personal importance I had given this character in my life. But I was hearing so many great things about the movie and people walking out feeling good, I thought, " Okay maybe I better just trust the reactions these people are having and see if this character has one last lesson to provide me." Early on it was important for me to see his cancer was curable. That part of it was important because it allowed me to sit back and let the rest of the movie come to me. It was at THAT point I knew he would fight to see this through. Or at least that's the consideration we were given all the way to the end. While it was tough seeing him climb those steps in the finale and get out of breath, there was something very natural and inspiring in that effort as well. It's the circle of life. We all have to face it and we all have to answer to it one day ourselves.

Jackson did a phenomenal job as Creed's son. His story drew plenty of parallels from Rocky's life, thematically speaking, but the director definitely found a nice pathway to weave his own story through Rocky's without it becoming a straight out formula driven script. I felt genuinely invested in his character. His inner anger was palpable. Jackson really gave life to that anguish and brought that character to life in a way that was refreshing to see. But I do believe it needed to be anchored in Rocky's world. They needed each other to pull one another up and that chemistry felt like the director's homage to Rocky's days with Apollo. There was a beautiful irony to it that was nicely framed early when Adonis said to Rocky, "So when Mickey died, he took you out to LA. He built you up. He brought you back." That statement right there, essentially laid the groundwork for the entire story and it was incredibly well executed. But you know the part that surprises me the most Huedell? None of this was written by Stallone. THAT was amazing because Sly has always had a great pulse on that character since it really reflects his own life. So this idea someone on the outside could come in and make it as personal and grounded as what this director did is just incredible. He completely understood those characters and gave them great purpose and meaning while honoring everything that came before. And yeah, if Stallone can get an Oscar nod or at least a nomination (as the buzz suggests), I think he definitely carved out an amazing performance to validate that recognition.

[huedell]

Before this film came out, I had allot of mixed emotions about Sly messing with the series anymore. I thought he had really come back and saved it with an incredible sequel in Rocky Balboa. Probably my most watched entry in the series.

While I agree that Rocky 6 was a great entry, I like 5 okay. So, there's that horrible Superman 3-ish admission right there

I think getting older now and losing allot of my family (father, brother, and now my mom) within a eight year time frame really gave me a feeling of isolation and a kind of removal from that pocket of living we all associate and grade quality from. So that movie really spoke to me on a level that really helped me, since so much of it is about loss, aging, and reassessing your worth and finding motivation to hold on to what you have today. It's a tough film to watch but an inspirational one for me too. So him coming back (in a supportive role) really gave me pause because of how Rocky Balboa so perfectly brought the character to a peaceful grounding.

And, for all intents/purposes, it did. What I mean is... although Creed exists, Rocky's story is over...

***SPOILERS*** ahead for anyone reading this who has NOT seen CREED...

...which is why it was such a bonus gift that the writer broke form and had Rocky receive his "news" himself...(I still can't bring myself to be TOO "spoilery" even though I quoted your spoiler warning in bold---ha). I suppose it was done out of respect for the character that started the franchise. But they'd never give Mick a scene like that---ya know?

So I was actually pretty tentative going in because I was completely convinced Stallone brought him back to die. I didn't think seeing this character, whom I had grown up with and gained so much inspiration from, dying was a healthy experience for me, especially since I had just buried my mom earlier this year. It felt counterintuitive to my best interests regarding the inner damage I had already acquired and the personal importance I had given this character in my life.

I so totally understand that thought process. I'll sum that up with "MIB, I was crying for, like, half the movie..." It was crazy. But, hey, as you mention belowVVV "circle of life"---and if the writing is to our liking, then we're better people (and just as importantly, better FANS) for having experienced it.

Early on it was important for me to see his cancer was curable. That part of it was important because it allowed me to sit back and let the rest of the movie come to me. It was at THAT point I knew he would fight to see this through. Or at least that's the consideration we were given all the way to the end. While it was tough seeing him climb those steps in the finale and get out of breath, there was something very natural and inspiring in that effort as well. It's the circle of life. We all have to face it and we all have to answer to it one day ourselves.

In spite of us being hit with that reality, we "still move forward"? We fight cancer-type obstacles for our loved ones and for ourselves. Rocky's a fighter. Creed-Johnson's a fighter. And the newcomer writers/director (Coogler/Covington) wants to inspire us to be fighters too.

Jackson did a phenomenal job as Creed's son. His story drew plenty of parallels from Rocky's life, thematically speaking, but the director definitely found a nice pathway to weave his own story through Rocky's without it becoming a straight out formula driven script. I felt genuinely invested in his character. His inner anger was palpable. Jackson really gave life to that anguish and brought that character to life in a way that was refreshing to see. But I do believe it needed to be anchored in Rocky's world. They needed each other to pull one another up and that chemistry felt like the director's homage to Rocky's days with Apollo.

Jordan was perfect---so perfect, I took it for granted. I tend to put acting performance below aspects of writing. But, the reality is that Jordan's performance coulda been "Hayden Christiansen"level---and then I woulda noticed SOMEthing ain't right.

There was a beautiful irony to it that was nicely framed early when Adonis said to Rocky, "So when Mickey died, he took you out to LA. He built you up. He brought you back." That statement right there, essentially laid the groundwork for the entire story and it was incredibly well executed.

It's the theme of the movie. In Rocky 3 (the film from where Adonis' reference existed), Apollo took over Mickey's mentor position. And, in movie screenplays, mentors are father-figures. And Creed's theme is somewhere along the lines of "what defines family---where is that line drawn?" It's an original and CHALLENGING premise for a Rocky theme and I think the film explores it very well.

But you know the part that surprises me the most Huedell? None of this was written by Stallone. THAT was amazing because Sly has always had a great pulse on that character since it really reflects his own life. So this idea someone on the outside could come in and make it as personal and grounded as what this director did is just incredible. He completely understood those characters and gave them great purpose and meaning while honoring everything that came before.

Coogler/Covington deserve top marks. Indeed a miracle screenplay as far as interpreting the franchise's tone overall.

And yeah, if Stallone can get an Oscar nod or at least a nomination (as the buzz suggests), I think he definitely carved out an amazing performance to validate that recognition.

I'm behind that notion. Oscars aren't too big to me---but I'd love to see Sly and Coogler/Covington get that industry nod/cred that'd celebrate the franchise that much more.