Review of Creed (2015) by Adam R — 30 Jul 2016

The Rocky film series is one that has very noticeably run its course. With each passing entry, it feels like more and more of a retread of the first. However, it must be said that originality, or lack thereof, shouldn't be the deciding factor on a movie's overall quality.

Creed is a perfect example of that. While this is clearly a soft reboot of the original Rocky in many ways (young and troubled fighter gets trained by a former champion and hits big etc.), it thankfully benefits from having a genuine heart.

There are no signs of this being made as a cynical cash. Rather, director Ryan Coogler and co simply had a strong desire to tell a compelling story, and they succeeded wonderfully. Sylvester Stallone once again flawlessly embodies the character that made him a household name 40 years ago.

This time however, he plays second fiddle to Adonis Creed, played by the equally amazing Michael B. Jordan. These two acting titans elevate the material to a whole new level. In the end, Creed is hardly original, but it manages to pay respect to the existing material while adding a fresh coat of pretty paint and it even manages to show a promising new direction for the series.

Well worth a watch.