Before I start this review I just want to get something out of the way, I am a huge Rocky fan. Rocky is without a doubt my favorite film series and Rocky 2 is probably my favorite movie of all time. It’s a classic story of a man trying to prove himself against all odds and make a name for himself.

With all that being said it’s safe to say that I went into seeing Creed  with some pretty high expectations, sure it was not written or directed by Sylvester Stallone like a lot of the past Rocky movies, and it also didn’t feature Rocky actually stepping into the ring, but none of that matters because of how well it was done. It still feels like a true Rocky movie from years past.

***Spoilers***  Creed  follows Adonis Johnson (Michael B Jordan), son of the late Apollo Creed from the first four Rocky movies. Like his father, Adonis is a fighter and has been fighting his whole life. After quitting his job to be a full time fighter, Adonis goes to Philadelphia to find an aging Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an old friend and rival of his father. He wants Rocky to train him and teach him to be a better fighter. Reluctant at first, Rocky later sees potential in Adonis and his desire for greatness and agrees to train him. After Adonis knocks out a local fighter in an underground boxing match, the news media learns that Adonis Johnson is Apollo Creed illegitimate son, and that catches the eye of the light heavy weight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew). Conlan is being sentenced to prison and for his last fight he wants to fight the son of Apollo Creed, although only if Adonis is billed as “Adonis Creed”. At first Adonis doesn’t accept the terms of the fight because he wants to build his own legacy and be known as himself. Adonis later accepts who he is and takes his father’s name into to the ring to fight Conlan for the light heavy weight title of the world.

Creed  feels like a remake of the first Rocky movie where this time Rocky takes the role of Mickey, his trainer from the first film, and Adonis takes the role of Rocky, a young fighter trying to make a name for himself. And the end result is without a doubt not only the best boxing movie in years, but also the best Rocky movie in years. With all that being said, if you have seen a Rocky movie before or if you have even seen the movie trailer, you probably already know how Creed is going to end. But none of that matters because of how well it’s executed.

Another high note is the casting choice of Michael B Johnson as Adonis Creed. Jordan shows the same emotion and desire to be great as Sylvester Stallone showed in the original Rocky movies. He’s a man who against all odds is trying to prove his worth and it’s a classic underdog story that hopefully will never grow old.

Creed is an amazing movie. Whether you are a fan of the Rocky movies or just a casual movie goer, Creed is a knockout and shouldn’t be missed.