Apollo Creed was well known for his boxing greatness throughout most of the Rocky movies.  Unfortunately it all came to an end when he was killed in the ring after coming out of retirement and now his son has chosen to continue his father's legacy.  Creed was written and directed by Ryan Coogler.  It was released in the United States on November 25, 2015 and the length of the movie is 133 minutes.  The genre of the movie is drama/sport.  In today's society hip-hop music is played all over and it is very appreciated.  Throughout Creed there are many scenes when hip-hop artists such as Future and Meek Mill can be heard.  The style and flow these artists have created add an even better effect to the moments they are presented in.  I believe that the movie’s purpose is to focus on a man following in the footsteps of his father.  Getting a mentor in the now-retired Rocky Balboa made it easier for him to complete his mission of becoming a professional boxer.

This movie is most like and very similar to the Rocky series.  The main characters are Adonis “Donnie” Johnson and his well-known trainer, Rocky Balboa.  Some of the places the movie is set include Los Angeles, Philadelphia and England.  I think the main source of conflict is that Donnie Johnson wants to make it in the boxing world but he faces many obstacles being that he is Apollo Creed’s son.  At the commence of the movie we find Donnie serving time in a Los Angeles youth facility when Creed’s widow, Mary Anne, pays him a visit and offers to take him in.  17 years later, he quits his job and moves to Philadelphia in search of a starting point for his boxing career.  Donnie tracks down Rocky and asks him to be his trainer.  Rocky is reluctant to get back into boxing at first but he eventually agrees.  Donnie trains at the Front Street Gym, with several of Rocky’s longtime friends as cornermen.  Also he meets a girl named Bianca, an up-and-coming singer and songwriter, that he progressively find a love interest for.  Donnie defeats a local fighter and word gets out that he is creed’s legitimate son.  Rocky gets a call from “Pretty” Ricky Conlan and Conlan offers to make Donnie his final challenger before his retirement.  Conlan was the World Light Heavyweight Champion and he will only fight Donnie if he changes his last name to Creed instead of Johnson.  This was for publicity reasons of course.  Donnie thinks at first but eventually accepts the deal.  While helping Creed train, Rocky learns that he has cancer.  At first Rocky is unwilling to undergo chemotherapy but eventually Creed urges him to seek treatment.  Creed fights Conlan in his hometown, Liverpool England.  Overall there were good camera techniques.  Lots of camera movements between conversations, close-ups when characters are talking but mostly when Donnie is looking at himself or training.  Not really any special visual effects. 

The author conveyed the theme and got his points across by writing a simplistic, realistic and well-structured story line.  There is great dialogue throughout the film and also characters show great emotion when speaking.  This allows them to get their feelings across well.  Their language and tone of speaking really set the mood for each scene.  Some of the strengths of the movie are that there was very good editing.  Quick cuts are used between conversations or unimportant scenes.  A weakness is that lengthy shots are shown at the end to dignify how far Rocky and Creed have come.  The lengthy shots decrease the significance of a scene because the viewers don't get to visualize the character’s faces up close, especially during essential points like the end.  My overall response to this movie is that is was a success.  I found it interesting because I did not know much about the Rocky movies but after I watched Creed I gained some knowledge on them, plus a little more.  I would recommend this movie to others because it has a great backstory and it can teach individuals to work for what they want. 

The impression Creed left me with is to always believe in yourself.  No matter where you come from or how you grow up, if you work hard you can reach your goals.  Heart is something that Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed had and that is why they were such great boxers.  I am rewarding this movie with an A.  It met the requirements of a drama film but also managed to convey the aspect of sports and how athletes must have motivation and determination to be successful.