By PABLO Y. MENDEZ
Sheridan High School Student
The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abby Williams.
The Rocky franchise is known for its great storytelling, relatable characters, and spectacular fights inside the boxing ring. The character of Rocky Balboa was a relatable underdog that we as the audience love to root for. He became an icon and influenced a generation. However, this current generation has lacked an icon of that stature in film until there was a reinvention within the franchise.
Creed, the introduction of this brand-new character, was executed perfectly. It managed to reintroduce and innovate a franchise with a modern-day tone that appeals to a new audience.
The first Creed film is perfect, and it flawlessly captures the underdog story that we are all so familiar with. The first film perfectly introduces us to the character of Adonis Creed. Ryan Coogler as the director helps us understand his motives and his reason for fighting. We slowly fall in love with the gritty street tone of the film and Adonis’s persona. We want to see his character succeed because we are just as invested in Adonis Creed’s story as we once were with Rocky Balboa.
The story is further elevated with the sequel with a brand-new perspective on Rocky IV. Creed II is an indirect sequel, and it is worthy of the story that was once told. It further explores Adonis Creed’s character while developing his family and an older Rocky Balboa as a supporting character. Creed II, just like its predecessor, does an excellent job at pulling at your heart strings and playing with your emotions, a trend that is carried over into the trilogy’s final installment.
Creed III is a must-watch film. Creed III carries and continues the trend of having those emotional character moments that are essentially the heart of the film. The stirring fight scenes fully capture the spectacle and magic the sport of boxing has in real life. The villain of the story is relatable and compelling thanks to his further explored motives. The character dynamics are in full swing, and they are at their best in this film.
Flaws are mainly found within the screenplay: the drama that enfolds at times has standard mistakes that fail to deliver the same emotional beats as the previous two films but where this film lacks it makes up for in great directorial vision thanks to Michael B. Jordan.
Creed III is a spectacle filled with emotion, action, powerful moments, and motivational storytelling. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I most definitely recommend you go watch it.