Best film of 2015

Rating: Null/10 (14 January 2016)

By all accounts, the Rocky series came to a satisfying conclusion with 2006's Rocky Balboa. Critics called the film one of the best in the series, there was a higher box office total than one should have expected, and fans (myself included) were, for the most part, generally happy with the picture as a final chapter. When Creed was announced, it seemed likely that the final product would be little more than a cash crab, or a desperate attempt to bring back a series best left in the past.
To almost everyone's surprise, Creed is just as great, if not even better, than Rocky Balboa. It may even be the best in the series. If nothing else, Creed is, without a doubt, the best seventh installment of any film series. Everything from the writing to the production design is impressive, made with love and care for a franchise that is almost 40 years old at this point. It would have been easy for co-writer/director Ryan Coogler to essentially remake the first Rocky with a new character, but he's too smart to just shoot a lazy sequel. Creed may share a few story beats from the original Rocky here and there, although 90% of the film is an original boxing story that just happens to feature Stallone as an aging, tired Rocky Balboa.
Stallone gets a lot of criticism for some of his acting and career choices, and some of it may occasionally be justified but there's nothing to criticize in Creed. Stallone is as impressive here as he's ever been, delivering an absolutely knockout performance as the legend who has seen almost everything good in his life disappear. It is a sad, at times beautiful performance that makes Rocky feel like a more realistic character than ever before. Stallone has nice chemistry with Michael B. Jordan, playing Adonis Creed, Apollo's son. Even taking a backseat as a supporting character, Stallone could have completely overshadowed Jordan--it is, after all, still a Rocky movie--but both share the screen and are electrifying to watch together. Jordan has to display a wide arrange of emotions throughout: sadness, anger, grief, and they are done in such a way that he always remains a sympathetic character even when he's being a less than likable guy.
Creed is so great that the only real disappointment is that it doesn't run slightly longer, which is something that I never say about a film. It's an amazing accomplishment from such a young director, and an absolute delight for anyone who has ever been a Rocky fan. Creed is by far the best movie to have come out in 2015. 9/10