‘Creed’ goes the distance

Published 7:18 am Friday, December 4, 2015

“Creed” (Drama/Sports: 2 hours, 13 minutes)

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

Director: Ryan Coogler

Rated: PG-13 (violence, strong language and some sensuality)

Movie Review: Director Ryan Coogler last directed Michael B. Jordan in the superb “Fruitvale Station” (2013). The two gentleman make an impressive team. 

Combine their efforts with the seasoned and talented Sylvester Stallone, who created Rocky Balboa, one of film’s most popular roles, they resurrect the “Rocky” franchise in a grandiose style. 

Adonis Johnson (Jordan), the son of Apollo Creed, a role originated by Carl Weathers, is still a young man trying to become his own man. 

As a child, Creed’s wife, Mary Anne Creed (Rashad), rescued Johnson from a Los Angeles youth facility. She provides a good home for Johnson, but the young man is not happy still. He wants to be a boxer like his father, the late great Apollo Creed, who died before Adonis was born. 

Johnson turns to his father’s friend and former rival, the former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Stallone). Johnson convinces Balboa to come out of retirement to train him, but both men will face consequences in and out of the ring. 

Coogler who is still under 30 has become one of moviedom’s most talented directors and screenplay writers. He and co-writer Aaron Covington script this screenplay in a manner that resurrects this franchise created by Stallone in 1976 with “Rocky” (Director John G. Avildsen).

Stallone received an Academy Award nomination for lead actor and for writing. “Rocky” did win best picture, best director and best film editing at the 1977 Academy Awards ceremony.

“Creed” continues the success of that film and other “Rocky” sequels. It features excellent direction by Coogler, a young African-American director. He makes this version a modernized one with a hip urban feel. The screenplay by Coogler and co-writer Aaron Covington works well. 

Apollo Creed died in a boxing match in “Rocky IV,” but “Creed” effectively takes his son, Adonis, and creates an inviting story around the character. Jordan is a brilliant actor. He knows how to be angry yet sentimental within in a scene without compromising his role. Jordan makes this role real through earnest acting. 

Stallone is solid in this role. After all, this is his seventh outing as Rocky Balboa. Stallone allows audiences to see him, his character, in retirement mode: older, lonely, and in poor health. He still manages to play Balboa in a likable manner. He also provides plenty of humor. The role is still an endearing one, and Stallone plays it keenly and refreshingly each time. 

Jordan and Stallone make a good pairing. They and others, like Tessa Thompson, who plays Jordan’s love interest, Bianca, are worthwhile people. They are award-worthy also. They provide very good scenes as a cast.

The fight scenes are dynamic and gratifying. As with previous “Rocky” productions, they offer hope for the underdog. They help facilitate the story and develop characters.

“Creed” provides solid entertainment. It is a flashback to what made the first “Rocky” film engaging. Coogler and Jordan are a good pairing. The duo and Stallone are major contenders.

Grade: B+ (This seventh addition to the franchise goes to final round strongly.)

“Spotlight” (Biography/Drama: 2 hours, 8 minutes)

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Brian d’Arcy James and Stanley Tucci

Director: Tom McCarthy

Rated: R (Profanity, thematic elements and sexual references)

Movie Review: “Spotlight” is the engaging tale of the Boston Globe’s uncovering of a massive scandal within the local Catholic Archdiocese.

The scandal is the revelation that multiple priests within the Archdiocese committed molestation. Even more, several high-ranking members, including Cardinal Law, knew about the molestations.

The Boston Globe has a special team of investigators called Spotlight. 

The team is Walter “Robby” Robinson (Keaton), Mike Rezendes (Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (McAdams) and Matt Carroll (James). Their investigation leads to one of the greatest cover-ups. Their task will not be easy. They receive several threats and resentment from friends. The journalists do their job, forever changing the manner in which the Catholic institution functions.

A story-driven plot is the substance of this screenplay. One does not need to know the characters to become involved. The plot has the characters on a noble mission to save children from harm. That nicely helps move this story from one scene to the next.

A team of journalists must piece together several facts to report on a major injustice. Their work is a mystery, and it is easily absorbing. Granted some of their work becomes tedious. Certain scenes appear to show the journalists doing the same repetitive work.

Still, Tom McCarthy (“The Visitor,” 2007) uses a fine cast to portray a noteworthy story. Each scene delivers new facts. Like the newspaper writers on screen, one must also connect the dots. That keeps “Spotlight” interesting.

Grade: B (A good story retold for the big screen.)

“The Good Dinosaur” (Animation/Adventure: 1 hour, 33 minutes)

Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Raymond Ochoa and Jack Bright

Director: Peter Sohn

Rated: PG (Moments of peril, violence and thematic elements)

Movie Review: While this Pixar production feels like something seen before, it is still a family treat. It has adventure and thrills along with comical bits. 

Arlo (Ochoa), an Apatosaurus dinosaur, finds bravery after a hazardous environmental event causes the death of his father, Poppa (Wright), leaving Arlo to survive on his own. Enter Spot (Bright), a primal human, who helps Arlo survive. Spot is small compared to Arlo, but the human child is fierce. Together, they manage major challenges to return home to their remaining families.

What if the asteroid that wiped out dinosaurs on Earth never happened? Rather than becoming extinct, massive dinosaurs remain the dominant species on the planet.

The notion was not necessary for this story to work, but it is an interesting inquiry.

The adventure works. It is the first full-length film by Director Peter Sohn. “Good Dinosaur” provides all the necessary components to make itself genuine entertainment. In addition, the visual effects are masterful, especially in 3-D.

Grade: B (Manages to be a more than adequate, animated feature.)

“Brooklyn” (Period Drama: 1 hour, 51 minutes)

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters

Director: John Crowley

Rated: PG-13 (Scene of sexuality and profanity)

Movie Review: If one stands in several spots in Brooklyn, N.Y., one can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance. While not being big-cinema grand, “Brooklyn” should see statues of its own for its subtle beauty.

An adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s novel, this impressive tale follows a brief moment in the life of Eilis Lacey (Ronan), an Irish immigrant, She travels to the United States, where she finds residence in a 1950s Brooklyn. 

There, she finds work and a meaningful social life. She also finds a relationship with an Italian-American plumber, Tony Fiorello (Cohen). While she becomes more American every day, Ireland summons her attention.

Saoirse Ronan is an exceptional actress. She gained the attention of audiences with her turn as a young girl in “Atonement” (2007) for which she received a supporting role Oscar nomination. She is impressive here in a classical manner seen in yesteryear’s movies.

Her onscreen relationship with a notable Cohen is an old-fashioned courtship that is charming. They express their love. Then, a more subtle relationship exists between Ronan’s Eilis and Jim Farrell, played by Gleeson. The subdued, triangular relationship forms a pivotal apex. The plot is riveting, although a few scenes appear rushed.

Ultimately, this is a movie about character associations. The relationships of the people form their identities. The notion is elegantly acted by the cast, particularly Ronan, well directed by Crowley (“Boy A,” 2007) and nicely scripted by Nick Hornby (“An Education,” 2009).

Grade: B+ (A nice cityscape)

“Victor Frankenstein” (Horror, Sci-Fi: 1 hour, 50 minutes)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy and Jessica Brown

Director: Paul McGuigan

Rated: PG-13 (Violence and gore)

Movie Review: The biggest problem with this re-envisioning of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is it suffers from attention-deficit disorder. 

People want to see Frankenstein for one reason, the monster he creates using lightning. Instead, this tale combines several subplots as if the plot was not strong enough already.

This re-imagining of a classic tale is from Igor’s perspective. 

Igor (Radcliffe) has had a terrible life as a circus freak, a humpback clown. Igor’s deformities make him a mistreated member of the London circus. Igor’s life changes when Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy, “The Last King of Scotland,” 2006) rescues an intelligent Igor and makes him his laboratory assistance. 

Frankenstein is a brilliant medical student. He is secretly creating an invention that will change the world — he is trying to create a living being. 

The tale tries too much to create reasons why the characters behave in the manner they do. Some of the motives are not necessary. The historical entries are unneeded to facilitate an already intriguing plot. 

Directed by Paul McGuigan (“Lucky Number Slevin,” 2006), the process to create back histories only causes multiple subplots. Some add little to the overall plot. “Victor Frankenstein” needed a ringmaster.

A shame. The actors are talented. The plot is interesting. Set designs and props are intriguing. It is entertaining. Just, story elements need to be just as gratifying.

Grade: C+ (As wildly energetic as a circus, it needs a handler.)