Creed

It’s been eleven years since the last installment of this unforgettable series, which has deeply embedded itself into all our hearts and ranks among the top films dealing with sports themes. It was unusual to see that in the new installment, Rocky is no longer the main character, but instead Adonis Creed, the son of the famous Apollo Creed. Michael B. Jordan was an uncast actor just a few years ago, but in recent years, he’s been proving that he’s slowly but surely carving out a permanent place in Hollywood. This guy has a bright future ahead! Creed is a great product of today’s times, where I no longer expect such perfect sports films, but lo and behold, I’m surprised. Stallone walked away with a Golden Globe for his role, and it must be said that he deserved it every bit. He’s no longer playing Rocky at his full strength but a normal aging man who has to fight a serious illness and the challenges of daily life (and he does it convincingly). Most importantly, though, he delivers one witty remark after another, which this film desperately needed. Adonis’s training had something to it—it was clear how many hours Jordan had to grind in the gym for his role to make everything seem believable. Maybe I would’ve delved a bit more into his opponents’ characters, but in the end, that didn’t bother me much. The final match was quite emotional. Admit it! Who else got goosebumps like I did when the famous Rocky theme song played? Such small details bring joy, but not every film can boast them. Compared to Southpaw, I liked Creed more. I give it 88% (2017-07-19)

I find this almost unbelievable. I didn't believe in the film at all, but it showed that Sly has what it takes to really act brilliantly. By giving up boxing and action, he can demonstrate how great of a character actor he is, and that simply put, Rocky is the best thing he ever created. Incredible nostalgia, yet a great modern film. I had a dry throat for a long time, yet it's a film with a strong positive message. (2016-01-10)

Terrible! I found the main "hero" totally unrelatable from start to finish. I still remember enjoying Rocky all those years ago. Back in the day, these films featured a charismatic main character and his evil counterpart. Creed lacks both. Plus, Rocky gets also attacked by cancer, which I take as a last-ditch attempt to stir at least some emotion in the viewer. And it worked – it stirred total disgust in me. Unfortunately, Rocky gets talked into treatment by the totally uncharismatic Adonis (WTF?), so maybe I'll get to see the next installment entitled Rocky: The Wheelchair. Yaaay!!! (2016-06-23)

I stand by my opinion that this series should have definitely ended ten years ago with the nostalgic "six", which managed to build on the formal and, above all, emotional tuning of the first four films with the help of old and familiar characters. Creed, unfortunately, doesn’t manage that. The story is not bad, on the contrary, it nicely brings together two boxing generations in the world of its famous plot marker and delights with its existential layers, which put the ring and the fight in the shadow of personal life and the excellently sketched relationship between Creed Jr. and the (now definitely) ageing Italian stallion. Yet, I see it as nothing more than a superfluous variation on a disgustingly stale story scheme that doesn't surprise with anything, and isn't saved either by the through-and-through mediocre directorial touch or the lovingly beating heart of Rocky Balboa, which makes us love and respect the whole franchise so much. As a motivational song about the willpower of an underdog, the first one was far more effective and moving; as a riveting, straightforward drama about a quest for satisfaction against a seemingly invincible foe, the fourth one was more emotional and physically more palpable. Creed probably wants to be both, but it succeeds on a completely different, more subtle front – behind closed doors, during the interactions between two characters that are really the only thing that has the power to save this film from the dust of oblivion. And thanks for that at least... (2015-12-30)

I love these films and they rarely disappoint me. The story is a classic fairy tale but unfortunately without emotions, so Southpaw won in this respect. Michael B. Jordan is likable, Sylvester Stallone is friendly and the one-shot fights almost without editing are breathtaking, too bad there were only two of them, but they were decently long and adrenaline-pumping. I wasn't bored. 75%. (2015-12-28)