Like The Force Awakens, Creed is the seventh entry in a franchise that stretches back to the 1970s.  Actually, the Rocky saga is one year older, having begun in 1976.  And while this may sound like blasphemy considering how beloved the Star Wars adventures have become, I feel that the Rocky franchise is better.  Remember, the original Rocky won the 1976 Best Picture Oscar over such heavyweights as Network, All the President’s Men, Taxi Driver and Bound for Glory (neither Carrie nor Silver Streak were nominated that year).  I think Rocky II is even better than the first one.  The series has its lows — Rocky V is just bad, and I’m not a big fan of III either — but every other entry is good, very good or great.  Including Creed.

Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the what-used-to-be-called “illegitimate” son of Apollo Creed, is a troubled youth trying to ignore his family history.  But fighting is his one strength, so he looks up old Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in Philly, and persuades the old coot to help him train.  Ryan Coogler’s film is essentially a remake of the first Rocky (another parallel with the new Star Wars film), but one that gives its young protagonist a legacy to battle and a trainer with a very personal connection.

Coogler’s story (the first Rocky script not written by Stallone) focuses squarely on Donnie Creed, allowing Rocky to shamble about in the background, mumbling boxing wisdom and encouragement.  Stallone is terrific; I expect him to nab a Best Supporting Actor nomination and probably win for this performance.  Jordan is very good, setting the stage for at least a few more Adonis Creed sequels.  Donnie’s rocky relationship with singer Bianca (Tessa Thompson) is very nicely realized.  So why is this film only worth three stars?

For me, two aspects prevent the film from a higher rating.  The first is the brevity of the climactic fight.  Two earlier bouts are seen, and both are as vivid as the final, championship fight, which feels overcut and underdeveloped.  The second aspect is the sheer similarity between Creed and the original Rocky.  It’s fine to emulate a great film, but the only thing this one seems to omit is the spawn of Butkus.  One other quibble is that Ludwig Goransson’s music score doesn’t use more of Bill Conti’s seminal Philadelphia themes.  Still in all, this boxing series still packs quite a punch and, going on forty years, shows no signs of fading away.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  29 December 2015.