A 7th Round TKO

Rating: 10/10 (19 January 2016)

All the praise director Ryan Cooglan has gotten is warranted and well deserved. HIs direction is really the spice and life of "Creed". The screenplay doesn't miss a step until two hours into the film, and that makes it nearly a perfect movie.
I went into viewing Creed as a skeptic because I haven't been impressed at all with any sequels since Rocky IV. But the witty script, swift moving dialogue, and pacing will make you a believer.
Michael B Jordan turns in a surprisingly impressive performance with shades of Denzel Washington's range, and Sylvester Stallone definitely deserves his award recognition. Stallone plays an elder Rocky loosely, having fun in the role, but also capturing the film's most dramatic scenes with poise and solid delivery.
The story is really great. It has heart, which is something many films nowadays lack considerably. The camera-work, story, and screenplay make this one of the best movies of the year and arguably one of the top 3-4 of the franchise. Except that is the thing about Creed- what is interesting about it is it sets itself apart from the usual Rocky series and charts a new course and direction, making it its' own film and own series with lots of potential for the future.
This movie is so good in a technical way, it's difficult to consider it a Rocky movie, and the most impressive scenes and writing all occur outside of the ring in day to day living. Witty dialogue, great direction, and a clever vision make Creed a surprise hit worth seeing of 2015.
4/4 stars (10/10)