It's Good as Its Own Film - But Makes a Fine Addition to the Rocky Legacy

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2018)

Creed was the film I was sceptical of for such a long time. I could have watched it thirty times over in the amount of time I spent building up to watch it. Then, I finally did. I thought at first it was going okay. I knew this wasn't going to be my favourite Rocky (related) film, but there was every chance it could be second or third. Course, there was every chance it could have been my least favourite and I ended up giving it a 5/10, but that didn't happen. Halfway through the film, say around the second Act, I remember slouching just a little. I liked what I was seeing but some things were missing. First of all, I still find it hard to watch Rocky on-screen as an old man. I'm just so used to and have always been used to watching the first five, when he was much younger, you know. Obviously there's a five year filmmaking jump between IV and V, but still.
The end of the film approached and the credits appeared themselves. What I had just watched wasn't my favourite Rocky movie, but could have been the best-made/most well-made of the Rocky films. And if you're like me you'd say the other was the very first Rocky.
The cinematography and fight choreography are fantastic and so is the directing and acting. Stallone does give a fantastic performance, co-star or not. It doesn't feel out of place that Stallone is the second main star of the film, cuz A: Jordan gives a great performance himself and B: even being cast as the movie's co-star, Rocky is in almost every part of the film. Like he isn't seen until around 10-15 minutes in, but still, he's there all the time and it's brilliant. The film's antagonist is decent enough, albeit nowhere near as memorable as the likes of, say, Ivan Drago or Clubber Lang. Or even Apollo Creed. They're just the greatest, you know. Although the two awesome things here are 1) It's so cool knowing it's actually the son of Apollo Creed who's the star, and 2) Well, the antagonist of the second film is Ivan Drago's son, and apparently Drago is in it himself.
Some things irk me a lot. Why does Rocky gotta have cancer in the film? It makes me sad cuz I don't want anything to happen to him in the next film. He's one of the best movie characters of all time. And I don't like the fact that Creed loses. They made Rocky lose in the first Rocky, and in Rocky Balboa. I know he lost in Rocky III too but he later won. Why make Creed also lose? He should win in the first two and if they make a third one, let him go out as one who's been defeated but make it a great match.
Solid movie either way. 9.5/10
edit-07/03/2018: After watching it another time, it's definitely obtaining the 10/10 score, particularly thanks to its cinematography, fight choreography, dialogue, acting and direction. The more I see it, the more I like it, it seems. I also strongly believe this film showcases Michael B. Jordan's best performance. His return is definitely long-awaited. 10/10.