Creed: Nascido para Lutar

There's no other way to say it; Creed is a knockout.

From start to finish, this film exhilarates and crackles with brilliant on screen performances and masterfully directed fight sequences. It wholeheartedly captures what was so brilliant about the first film: the characters. Yes, I'll return to theaters to see the fights, but it's the characters, particularly Rocky and Adonis that truly captivated me from start to finish.

I can't say enough great things about writer/director Ryan Coogler. The way he masterfully captures the modern spirit of Philadelphia and the visceral tension of standing toe-to-toe with a man who wants to see you hit the ground is second to none. What stood out the most, however, was his writing of Rocky Balboa. The subtle nuances that we love about the Italian Stallion are effortlessly worked into the script and flow like water from Sly's crooked mouth. Speaking of, the script would be for naught if it weren't for the beautiful performances by Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. I'm not ashamed to say I was brought to tears at various parts of this film.

I'm just so happy to say that this film wasn't a disappointment. This film exceeded my wildest hopes of a 7th Rocky installment and had me feeling amped up for hours after the credits rolled. I can't wait to see more from the talent involved in this film, and I proudly endorse and recommend Creed to Rocky fans and film fans alike.

If you have watched the original Rocky and think it is a near classic, then Creed is close. Maybe not a classic, because only time will tell. But it is close in terms of look and feel. There are scenes, tempo, performances, music, and of course the setting (Philadelphia) which harken back to the award winning 1976 film. This is not a comparison piece, but Creed is what the earlier release this year of Southpaw could have been; a gritty, modern day boxing film.

Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), plays the titular character (using the name Donnie Johnson) who yearns to exorcise his demons/ follow his dreams in the boxing ring. Without giving anything away, he's the son of the late, great Apollo Creed and he sets out to find any trainer willing to take him on. He can fight, but he's raw and needs refinement if he's going to be taken seriously.

His search lands him in his father's old Philly stomping ground, where he pester's one Rocky Balboa (Stallone) into training him. He pulls every angle to get Rocky to help him since his pop and Rocky were combatants and close friends before he died. Once Rocky begrudgingly gives in, things begin to coalesce. Stallone is excellent as the "Mickey"-esque Balboa. Although he didn't write the screenplay for Creed, he is one of the producers and his presence is felt. The dynamic between his character and Creed is perfect. The right combination of old school and new school. One scene is indicative when Creed takes a picture on his phone of Rocky's workout routine then tells him it's "in the cloud" to Rocky's bewilderment.

In Creed, director and writer Ryan Cogler is reunited with Jordan. As Creed, Jordan's performance is on part with Stallone's. He imbues his character with just the right amount of bravado, not cockiness, just confidence, hunger, and drive. He also trained and bulked up for the role. But he's not all fierce competitor, he has funny, sensitive sides as well. Cogler's team decided Creed should have a love interest. The relationship he forges with a local neo- soul artist played by Tessa Thompson (Dear White People) could have been syrupy, but thankfully it doesn't overshadow the main theme or feel forced. Frankly, some of the scenes with Thompson and Jordan are very good and so is their chemistry.

Creed is an excellent example of mixing newcomers with established names on both sides of the camera and having the end result come out perfect. The crew and cast turn in great work. Cogler had the fortune and skill to work with people who know what it takes to put together a film that would appeal to critics and audiences alike. There were a couple scenes that are "wow" moments, not just fight scenes, which are are amazing, but little scenes that are set up, shot (by Maryse Alberti) and acted that will have a lasting effect on the viewer. Maybe classic isn't a stretch.

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It's not about winning, it's about hard work, daily dedication and never giving up because new opportunities will come. This is the biggest lesson I take from the Rocky movies, a lesson that is valid for our lives, the person who can absorb this mentality will probably have a lot of success in life.

About the film, the performances are good, the plot is not that deep (and it doesn't need to), sets, soundtrack, action scenes and very accurate fighting.

That's it, a simple film (but not generic) that fulfills its role very well, a good sequel to a saga of legendary films.

As a boxing movie Creed packs a heavyweight punch.

Sylvester Stallone (as the film's producer) has covered a lot of miles with his Rocky legend, most recently with his 2006 Rocky Balboa. As such I had thought there was little milk left in the cash cow, but "Creed" proves me wrong. This time, with Stallone's advancing years, he wisely doesn't stretch credibility by having Rocky Balboa as the center of the pugilism, but hands the baton to young contender Adonis ("Donnie") Creed (Michael B Jordan). Adonis is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, Rocky's protagonist and later close friend in the first four Rocky films.

Donnie is a kid from the wrong side of the tracks with a big chip on his shoulder and a reputation for finding trouble with his fists. Brought back from the brink by Apollo's wife (a touching performance by Phylicia Rashad) Donnie can't escape his family legacy and seeks Balboa's help to make it in the ring, using his own adopted name. Balboa's help leads to a number of 'traditionally' brutal Rocky-style encounters in the ring.

I must admit I don't normally 'go' for boxing films like this, but this is extremely well done. All of the boxing training is gritty and believable and the actual bouts, particularly the classic finale, is suitably thrilling and a technical masterpiece of camera-work (hats off to cinematographer Maryse Alberti, who also filmed "The Wrestler" so is no stranger to the ring).

A real surprise is just how good Stallone is in the role. There are scenes where Stallone really has to act – particularly an emotional locker-room scene when Rocky faces up to his own personal crisis – and any jokes about Sylvester "Expendables" Stallone's acting abilities are forgotten. Michael B Jordan is also a great find and a name to watch. He has to cover a wide range during the film and succeeds admirably.

Tessa Thompson, impressive in last year's "Selma", makes a similarly positive impression here playing the love interest in the form of songstress Bianca, with a difficult future ahead of her.

"Creed" is a love letter to the old Rocky films, and – with this quality, and likely success – the start of a whole new generation of films seems probable. The respect it shows to the originals is characterized by a moving tribute to the classic 'Philadelphia steps' scene that brings a genuine lump to the throat. That being said, the film is a lot more 'street' for a new generation, with a soundtrack (by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson) that mixes rap and hip-hop with more classic orchestral elements. Without outright plagiarism of Bill Conti's classic score, Göransson subtly weaves in some of Conti's themes, notably Adrian's theme, as well as coming up with his own "Fly Now"- equivalent musical high-point.

Impressive direction is by Ryan Cooglar in only his second feature film (after Fruitvale Station, also with Michael B Jordan). Cooglar also wrote the story and co-wrote the script. Without any spoilers, the story is delightfully 'un-Hollywood" by being unpredictable in where it goes. However, an area for criticism is that it took a few 'easy' short-cuts in places: a particular 'change of heart' in the film is way to glib and quick.

Finally, i would love to watch this film in a cinema in Liverpool, when the "hallowed turf" for a bout is revealed as being Everton's ground, Goodison Park….! Generations of Liverpool FC fans will be turning in their graves and I predict that cinemas in the city could become scenes of the worst hand to hand combat since the finale of Kingsman!

(Please see the graphical version of this review at bob-the-movie- man.com. Thanks.)

Creed is the 7th installment in the Rocky franchise but this time focuses on Adonis Creed, Apollo Creed's son. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps and is trained by Rocky Balboa himself. More than boxing, this movie really goes into the relationship between Creed and Rocky and how they both support each other when they most need it. Michael B. Jordan is fantastic as Creed. He is so energetic in the boxing scenes and he is even better when his character is being developed. Now we come to Sylvester Stallone as Rocky. In his signature role, he absolutely knocks it out of the park in what may have been his best performance in his career as an actor. He honestly deserves an Oscar for this part. He brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions and still has the same charm from the old Rocky movies.

Creed perfectly mixes elements from past Rocky movies, especially the first, with modern culture. The amazing Rocky score is complemented by modern styles. Creed's story is told just like Rocky's and it is so beautiful to watch. The cinematography is also visually pleasing. Coogler captured the look of Philadelphia extremely well. The boxing scenes are excellent. There is a fight that is done completely in one take and I have no idea how they did it. It was amazing. This movie is a drama that tugs at your heart a lot, but at times it still manages to be quite funny as well.

I love Creed as a film. Its characters are so well realized and acted, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the boxing is glorious. Creed is definitely one of the best films of 2015. Creed gets an A.