Creed Review

Normally boxing movies do not catch my interest, but the Rocky movies have always been the exception. While they all have had their ups and downs, the last Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa, did end on a high note. However, it did not reach the height of the first Rocky movie. Surprisingly, Creed is the best Rocky movie since the 1976 original.

Creed stars Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of famous boxing champion Apollo Creed, who never knew his father as Apollo died in a boxing match before he was born. Even though he never knew his father, he wants to follow in his footsteps. He seeks out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who was Apollo’s friend and former rival. Although initially hesitant, Balboa agrees to train him as Adonis has a shot at the title shot against the world light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew).

Even though the plot is similar to Rocky, Creed stands on its own, as it is an entertaining movie. Michael B. Jordan gives an outstanding lead performance as the driven boxer Adonis Johnson, but the standout performance is Sylvester Stallone. Stallone easily jumps back into one of his most iconic roles and is arguably the heart of the film.

Ryan Coogler steps into the director’s chair for the seventh Rocky film, and does a spectacular job. Coogler previously collaborated with Jordan in the marvelous “Fruitvale Station”, and does another marvelous job with this movie. Coogler does an excellent job with all of the boxing scenes as they are masterfully directed. He also captures the spirit of the first film so well that it is truly a worthy successor to the Rocky franchise.

Creed is no doubt the best entry in the Rocky franchise since the first one. It may be a bit formulaic as most boxing movies are, but strong performances, masterful direction, and heart make Creed a worthy successor to the Rocky legacy.

Creed - 4.4/5