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Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler, starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Tony Bellew, and Phylicia Rashad, is an American sports drama film with a runtime of 133 minutes. It was released in 2015 with a rating of 12.

Sylvester Stallone himself probably couldn't have imagined in 1976 that the Rocky cult would still shine forty years later, and not just anyhow, but in its former glory. This seventh installment in the series is the best since the Oscar-winning first episode.

Some actors permanently decline, while others truly come into their own in old age. Earlier, the names Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were almost automatic guarantees of Razzie Awards or at least nominations. However, in 2015, at the threshold of their seventh decade, both of them delivered excellent performances. Arnie received acclaim for the quasi-horror film Maggie, and Sly won his first Golden Globe for Creed, even being in the running for an Oscar. It was the first and last time he was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the original Rocky.

As Stallone humorously put it when receiving the Golden Globe, Rocky Balboa is his best fictional friend, and he owes the most to the character. This role introduced the world to the Italian-American actor's name forty years ago, and despite Rambo being a fairly distinctive character, at least Rocky didn't kill anyone, not even in the ring. The first film was a resounding success, free from the later sequels' often laughable idealism, and it won the Academy Award for Best Picture (though how it beat Taxi Driver is a good question, but that doesn't diminish its value).

Sly took over the directorial duties from the second film onwards, and the series quickly began to decline. In the second installment, Rocky immediately sought revenge against Apollo, and in the third installment, instead of the likable simple working-class guy, a wealthy professional boxer defeated Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, and Hulk Hogan. Rocky IV, the most successful part of the series, was not only about boxing but also about the Cold War, featuring a few memorably ridiculous scenes, like the Soviet antichrist preparing for the match with the most modern, even futuristic machines, while the American hero practiced in the Siberian (actually Wyoming) mountains with sleds, garden tools, and other primitive equipment.

The fifth installment brought back the original Rocky director, John G. Avildsen, and here Sly didn't do much boxing but rather focused on coaching. The end result was not very strong, and this film is considered the weakest moment in the series. Balboa then went into a 16-year hiatus and only reappeared after Stallone ended a several-year career break. In the 2006 sixth installment, he boxed again, and something happened that hadn't occurred in a long time: no one saw his name among the nominees for the following year's Razzie Awards. The movie, simply titled Rocky Balboa, did well at the box office, and it likely paved the way for Sly to successfully revive his other fictional friend, Rambo, not to mention starting the Expendables series.

At the end of the sixth installment, it seemed like Rocky had successfully and gracefully bid farewell to the audience, and Sly retired the character, but a few years ago, a twenty-something director named Ryan Coogler began knocking on his door persistently, with the aim of rebooting the series. Stallone eventually gave in, making one of the wisest decisions of his life. Creed, which can be considered not so much Rocky VII but rather the first installment of a new series, has already grossed over $100 million in the USA, and the awards keep pouring in.

So, the pertinent question is whether Sly is truly this good. The answer is yes. To make this film good, it takes not only a good Stallone but also a good Michael B. Jordan and a good director (the actor with a basketball-themed name already played a leading role in Coogler's first feature film). Fortunately, there was no problem with any of these components, and Creed is a good film that both moves forward and brings back familiar motifs from previous installments. The soundtrack is dominated by hip-hop, with Philadelphia-based groups like The Roots, and the usual training montages make an appearance, along with a running scene and the legendary steps.

An extra positive aspect is that the boxing scenes are more realistic. One of the weakest links in the Rocky films has always been that the boxers don't defend themselves, they just punch. Here, this aspect is more realistic (although an expert's opinion would be needed), but the key is that life has been breathed into what seemed like a closed series, and an aging action star has proven that he can do more than just fight and shoot. Perhaps an Oscar wouldn't be undeserved.