Creed is a great movie that will amuse and move the audience. One step at a time. One punch at a time. One round at a time.

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2016)

Creed is a love letter to the rocky franchise as well as a beautifully crafted movie that stands on its own. Even though this seventh installment in the rocky franchise isn't as refreshing and new as the first film in the franchise, it sure feels new. The introduction of our new underdog Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) is told in a very fast pace. The narration of this film is focused keenly on the goals of Adonis to make it into the boxing world, like his father did. The style of storytelling by Ryan Coogler makes this film a pleasure to watch. Clichés in the story are told in such a playful and skillful way that it doesn't come off as comparable to the other movies in the franchise as it should have been.
Adonis Johnson is a smart but troubled young man who has been fighting his whole life. His mother died at a young age so he gets in and out of juvenile detention centers and doesn't have a place to call home. Until his father's wife Mary Ann Creed (Phylicia Rashad) comes to take him under her wing in Los Angeles. Adonis is educated, smart and works for a big company, but he feels that working behind a desk isn't in his spirit. He decides to move to Philadelphia to start a boxing career. This story is truly about legacy. Even though Adonis does not want to take on the name of his father but wants to make it on his own, he does not want to shame the name of the late great Apollo Creed. When Rocky comes to serve him as a trainer and mentor, a new underdog story begins.
Creed steps in like an underdog should do: Nobody knows what they are going to get, but the underdog knows what he is capable of. Director Ryan Coogler tells this story with confidence and isn't afraid to tell this story his way. A story of a young man who is fighting his way (literally) to the thing he is most passionate about is highly intriguing to say the least. A story like this is however told many times before, but Coogler found a way to keep the story interesting. The craftsmanship behind this film is the main reason why this movie is so great to watch.
The acting, the script and the cinematography are the elements that are outstanding in this piece and are strongly correlated to each other. The main actors Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Sylvester Stallone are fantastic in their roles, and their roles are greatly written. Adonis and Rocky are both characters that have endured pain and loss and it serves as their motivators.
However, this collective sentiment also brings up destructiveness upon themselves. Adonis becomes reckless and Rocky becomes world-weary. Rocky isn't a smart man, but he knows things. Life has taught him a lot and he has seen what time does to people. Everybody he loved has moved on and he stopped looking into his future, he is only looking back. He doesn't see that Adonis is there for him every day. The struggle and relationship between Adonis and Rocky is portrayed with the perfect amount of melodrama, and the natural chemistry between the actors gives a certain level of realness to it.
The way the fights in the ring are crafted is outstanding. The fighting choreography, close up shots and camera movements gives the fighting scenes a raw, brutal and real atmosphere. Add awesome sound effects and a greatly integrated score of Ludwig Göransson and the scenes become a real pleasure to watch. The score of Göransson is a perfect blend between a new euphoric score and Rocky's nostalgic score which is a great addition to this film. There is a fight scene halfway in the film that is shot in one take which is done beautifully. Subtle transitions between wide shots to experience the fight, and close-up shots to observe the fighters brooding facial expressions makes this scene an intense and a truly amazing cinematic experience.
Even though this movie is about legacy of the name Creed, one could say this is the legacy of the underdog story. Not the legacy of Apollo Creed to Adonis Creed, but the legacy of the Italian Stallion Rocky to Adonis Creed. This story is told to satisfy old fans and captivate the new ones. To continue the saga and to still stand on its own. Ryan Coogler did a phenomenal job and this legacy will certainly continue.