Creed [2015] ★★★

I expected to hate on Sylvester Stallone’s seventh round as Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion who boxed his way into popular and Oscar glory with the first and best Rocky film back in 1976. I was wrong. Stallone, now 69, and in fine, feisty form, has a ball mixing it up with Michael B. Jordan, who is well cast as Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed. Almost 40 years after that famous fight, Rocky has put himself back in the game, as he trains Creed’s son for a major fight. It’s a hell of a fight, vividly shot and edited, which helps distract from the love story that only exists for cheesy sentiment. Amazingly, Jordan never cheats on his character’s sense of dignity. He knows how important his father’s legacy is, and his relationship with Rocky couldn’t be more credible. Against the odds, they keep us hooked until the very last round. If you’re a fan of the series, you wouldn’t want to miss that. All together now: Creed! Creed! Creed!

Rating: 3/4