Nearly good, but falls down with lack of direction

Rating: 6/10 (5 September 2016)

At times it really captures the feel of an 80s movie.
The central plot is striped down to the bare minimum. There's a strong character arc - a redemption story. A looming bad guy in the background. And visually it's a nice film to watch, with some masterfully shot boxing scenes.
But where it tries to be Rocky, it's not Rocky ... Rocky was the classic every-man story. A struggling, maybe a bit slow, man trying to make his way in the world... Creed is about an LA rich kid with a chip on his shoulder. And where it could have been a boxing film, it focuses far too much on the love interest - which is neither relatable or convincing... Ultimately what you're left with is a love story without any romance, and a boxing story without a struggle.