Creed (2015)

A good continuation of the franchise that some would say is tired and jumped the shark years ago. The story and character development help to separate this one from the others.

Stallone has milked a lot out of the franchise, and most of his acting along the way has been unremarkable, but he’s pretty good here. With Rocky in his twilight, we get perhaps Stallone’s best performance in the series. Of course, cancer is easy drama, but there’s a certain lack of ego and vulnerability to this performance that’s refreshing for him.

After failed attempts to keep the franchise going with Tommy Morrison and a video game, we finally have a character and an actor that we can hand the franchise off to. Jordan is likable, and his performance is quite good. Creed 2 is inevitable.

The fight action is well-shot and edited. The first fight in particular is shot with a beautifully long take. Bits and pieces of the classic Rocky score are nicely updated. Title graphics introducing each boxer are cool-looking and effective. A ton of product placement (Nike, Tecate, etc.) and real-world media coverage (HBO, PTI, YouTube) works to make the whole thing feel more authentic.