Creed II

First Hit: For something that started in 1976 and having 7 previous films, it holds together well enough.

Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is getting long in the tooth, still wears that funky round hat that makes his head a roundish funny shape, and is managing Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). He managed Adonis in the last film as well.

As champion, Adonis is having a good life and decides to ask his longtime partner Bianca (Tessa Thompson) for her hand in marriage. What makes this set of scenes so good is that he asks Rocky how he asked Adrian, his now deceased wife, for her hand in marriage. For those who saw the Rocky series of films, we can always recall the way Rocky worked up his nerve to ask for her hand. It was hilarious then and it brought up a wonderful memory now.

Adonis’s father Apollo was killed by a Russian fighter called Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) and Rocky, in a fit of rage, fought Ivan and beat him. Ivan’s loss made him become a disrespected person in Russia. So much so that his wife Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen) left him for a high-level government official. Raising his son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) alone, he trains Viktor to fight to get the championship belt back and to make the name Drago great again.

Rocky doesn’t want Adonis to fight Viktor because he’d be doing it for the wrong reason. Ignoring Rocky’s advice Adonis fights Viktor.

The fight and boxing ring shots were very good. The story is way to telegraphed which takes away from the film. The nice touch is Rocky reconnecting with this son Robert and grandson Logan.

Stallone is strong as Rocky, a character that he created and enhanced over the years. I loved him bringing the bouncing ball back into a couple of the scenes. Jordan is excellent as Adonis. His softness with Bianca belies the way he makes a living. Thompson is very good as a hearing-impaired musician. Lundgren was very good reprising his role as Ivan. Munteanu was excellent as Ivan’s son Viktor. He showed a great sense of loyalty to his father and it came through during the film. Nielsen was fun to see and she still commands the camera with her powerful look. Phylicia Rashad reprised her role as Adonis mother and Rocky’s close friend. Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone wrote a good and predictable screenplay. Steven Caple Jr. did a good job of directing this predictable story with finesse.

Overall: I wasn’t enthralled with this version of the Rocky series.

Black Panther

First Hit:  The inspiration was lost in the excessive fighting.

I’ve stated before and I’ll say it again. I’m not the target audience for Marvel type films. I find them excessively violent, do not base enough of the film on believable, or an attempt to make believable, characters, and don’t have interesting stories behind them. This film was no exception. It may be the last time I see a Marvel film.

That there is an entire country in Africa having such a superior technology and basis for living and not taking advantage of it to lead the world out of its stupidity, just didn’t work. Yes, the screenwriters gave a reason for this and I didn’t think it was intellectually based.

The best part of the film was how the story elevated women as the leaders in scientific and protective warrior prowess. The second-best part of the film were the effects. In many sections the special effects were first rate.

The essence of the story, from what I could figure out, is that because of mistrust, the previous king T’Chaka (John Kani) goes to Oakland, CA to find out how Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) had infiltrated his country Wakanda and stole Vibranium, the secret component that allows Wakanda to be technology light years ahead of everyone else in the world. The thieves were planning to use the secret powers of Vibranium in the world at large.

Exposing this plot, King T’Chaka, kills his brother, and leaves his brother’s son Erik Killmonger (as an adult Michael B. Jordan) in Oakland. The king dies and his other son T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) becomes King and the Black Panther after drinking the essence of flowers grown in Vibranium.

Because of a heist of vibranium from a museum, the Black Panther and his intellectual lieutenant Shuri (Letitia Wright) and special forces chief Okoye (Danai Gurira) go out into the world with their super powers and attempt to recapture the stolen Vibranium.

Being throwarted Killmonger in his plan finds a way to Wankanda to get ahold of all the Vibranium. He challenges T’Challa for the throne of Wankanda and succeeds. With his new-found conquest, he decides, with vindictiveness, to rule the world with Wankanda’s technology.

However, as we all know, T’Challa wasn’t killed and comes back to save Wankanda from Killmonger's change in plans for Wankanda.

The fighting sequences were overdone, the use of rhinoceroses as battle weapons was sad and a bit overdone, and the line that seemed odd to me was when and Killmonger proceeded to say that he was fighting for his ancestors that were sent to the new world as slaves. What was peculiar about this was, that his ancestors came from Wankanda, a privileged society, long before slavery was began in Africa.

Boseman was good as the King and Black Panther, but there wasn’t anything outstanding about his performance. Strongest performance of this film goes to Letitia Wright. Her powerful character as intellectual leader was fantastic. Gurira was also excellent in her role as leader of the special forces. She embodied this role. Jordan was very good as the protagonist. His dynamic personality came through in this role. Lupita Nyong’o as T’Challa’s former lover Nakia, war dog, and undercover spy was very strong. Forest Whitaker as Zuri as the wise elder statesman and keeper of the secret Vibranium herb, was OK. He seemed to press his lines to make them important. Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole wrote this script that focused more on fighting and special effects than substance of a story, but that is what Marvel wanted and paid for. Coogler directed this film.

Overall:  I’ve got to stop going to Marvel films because I get bored quickly and find them to lack substance beyond the displaying ways to present action.

Creed

First Hit:  This 133 minute film flew by because it was engaging and well done.

I enjoyed the first 4 Rocky films. I didn’t see the 5th because they were deteriorating as the series went on. Of course, like many others, I thought the first Rocky film was wonderful and a great story.

This film feeds off of Rocky IV where Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is killed by a Russian fighter. One of Apollo’s out of wedlock children, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), never met his father before he died and now carries resentment towards the Creed name and his roots.

He grows up going from foster home to foster home and getting into fights over everything and anything. He likes fighting. Apollo’s wife finds him in juvy and takes Adonis in to raise him, puts him through school and helps him get a great job. But even with a great job, he loves fighting and quits everything to become a professional boxer.

He goes to live in Philadelphia looking for Rock Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to ask him to become his trainer. When we meet Rocky, he’s a little tired, isn’t engaged with boxing any longer, and runs Adrien’s, his deceased wife’s namesake restaurant. When he discovers that Adonis is Apollo’s son he begrudgingly helps him.

This film is about both Adonis and Rocky growing through their relationship to become better people - together. The boxing scenes are well done, not as violent as the scenes in “Southpaw” or a couple of the earlier “Rocky” films, but they are effective.

This script has Rocky talking to Paulie and Adrian's headstones was vintage Rocky and very touching. Having Adonis meet Bianca (Tessa Thompson) was a throwback to Rocky and Adrian’s budding and then lasting relationship.

Jordan was very good in this part and his ability to be touchy and touching are a wonderful strong point. Stallone was magnificent. I wouldn’t doubt he will receive award nominations for this performance. Subtle, true to the character, and very engaging. Thompson was a great conduit for and in this film. She rounded out the testosterone nature of this film. Phylicia Rashad was perfect as Apollo’s widowed wife and Adonis’s stepmom. Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington wrote a wonderfully insightful script that brought together wonderful historical aspects of the old Rocky films. Coogler did a great job of putting the script and actors together to make this film really work.

Overall:  This was a thoroughly enjoyable film.

That Awkward Moment

First Hit:  There were some very funny moments in guy oriented film about relationships.

Three friends since college come together again because Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) finds out his wife is having an affair with her divorce attorney.

The other two Jason (Zac Efron) and Daniel (Miles Teller) work together at a book cover company. In order to help Mikey, the three make a deal to go out to bars, meet women, and make no commitment to a relationship - just have fun and get laid. Jason and Daniel have common theme with women – when a woman says “so, where is this relationship…”, these guys leave the women and the possibility of a relationship behind.

Mikey is still in love with his wife Vera (Jessica Lewis) and instead of enjoying the nights out with the boys, he pines for her. Daniel, on the other hand, uses his friend Chelsea (Mackenzie Davis) to get himself introduced to women in bars and have sex with them. However, when they say "so...", he hightails it out of there. 

This is the same story with Jason, who seems to be headstrong about not getting into a relationship, but when he meets Ellie (Imogen Poots) his world begins to be rocked. The scenes of the guys hanging out together, joking with each other, and talking about life gives insight to guys afraid of commitment and to a younger (than me) generation.

A few of the bits are out-loud funny but mostly for a guys kind of humor. For me, one of the funnier scenes was when Jason showed up to a party at Ellie's house totally dressed in the wrong kind of outfit. His vulnerability and ability to deal with his mistake was well acted and very funny.

Efron is cute in his own sort of way and appears to have a good handle on the role. Teller is equally strong in his role and has the total feel of being a jokester. Jordan is a great straight man for the other two while staying clear about his role. Poots is very engaging and it is easy to care about her character. Davis is really good as a part-time free spirit and in giving hints at her longing to be close with Daniel. She was one of the most engaging people in this film. Tom Gormican both wrote and directed this guy oriented film with the women getting what they want in the end.

Overall: I enjoyed this film and although it wasn’t great – it was fun to watch.

Fruitvale Station

First Hit:  Fantastic film about a young man who was beginning to find his way.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area we are familiar with the dramatic killing of Oscar Grant III and the ensuing riots, trial and verdict.

Although this film does not really address any of these three things, it does tell an enormously effective story about Oscar the man. The film frames the story we’re about to witness by beginning with the actual video from a camera phone of New Year’s Day killing of Oscar.

Then it reals back one year when Grant (Michael B. Jordan) was in jail and his mother Wanda (Octavia Spencer) come visits him. What you get in this latter scene is his quick temper which tended to get him into trouble and softness for his mother, which gives you some of his sweetness.

The film then plays out Oscar’s trials and tribulations during the year before his death. You see his love for his daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal), wife Sophina (Melonie Diaz), and family. Oscar loses his job, again, by being tardy, and thinks about selling his stash of pot to make money to pay the rent.

There are well crafted scenes of Oscar helping out people, a dog, and himself, but it is Jordan that makes Oscar come alive. I admired the way the story stayed away from the trial of the officer that shoots Oscar and the ensuing riots in Oakland.

Jordan is fantastic. He shows a depth of character and evolvement not normally attributed to a depiction of true events. Spencer is, as she always is, fully engaged and engaging. Diaz is very strong as Oscar’s girlfriend. Ahna O’Reilly is wonderful as the woman Oscar befriends in a grocery store and who films him being shot. Ryan Coogler wrote and directed this film with a complete vision and excellent execution.

Overall:  This is a strong excellent film.