Ryan Coogler’s ‘Creed’ Is The Best ‘Rocky’ Movie

Rebooting a beloved franchise is no easy endeavor. Developing and releasing any film is fraught with unforeseen complications, but when you add the fervent expectations of a devout fanbase into the mix, the margin of error between success and failure becomes razor thin.

Expectations are heightened. The stakes are higher. Failure isn’t limited to just personal ramifications. Lack of success means you could personally besmirch the legacy of a beloved franchise. This is why I will never reboot The Mighty Ducks. Some paintings were perfected the first time around. Despite the overwhelming odds, Ryan Coogler’s Creed, which is now available to stream on Hulu and Prime Video, is the best film of the Rocky franchise.

First things first: I’m not a monster. I have two ears and a heart, so I obviously love the original Rocky. I’ve watched the entire Rocky oeuvre multiple times. My pre-Creed rankings were: Rocky, Rocky IV, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky Balboa, Rene Russo’s 2000 film The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, and Rocky V. But if you remove the rose-colored tint of nostalgia, Creed is victorious via unanimous decision.

I’m not of the mindset that modern is always better. I understand the concept of recency bias. But with Creed, Coogler accomplished what all reboots should strive to do: he paid homage to the source material while also adding to the franchise’s legacy. Michael B. Jordan not only gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Adonis “Donnie” Johnson, the son of the late Apollo Creed, his cracked-glass intensity and translucent empathy make it impossible not to invest in his journey. Creed’s unlikely ascension to battle the World Light Heavyweight Champion provides the film with the familiar underdog story, but it’s the relationship between Baby Creed and Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa that elevates the film to another level.

The main antagonist of Creed isn’t arrogant champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan, it’s the undefeated opponent known as Father Time. When Rocky is diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, it becomes apparent that Creed is less a boxing movie that just so happens to deal with humanity and more a film about humanity that just so happens to deal with boxing. It’s a movie that can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the preceding films.

I saw Creed on a first date with someone who didn’t know her Clubber Lang from her Ivan Drago. Sure, during the movie I excitedly explained the myriad callbacks to the original franchise — which I’m sure was 100% endearing and not perpetually annoying — but she absolutely loved the film. During a pivotal scene in which an emotionally-obliterated Rocky wants to succumb to his disease and tells Michael B. Jordan’s Donnie that the two of them are “not a real family,” she turned to me and whispered, “Wow, this is actually really good.”

It’s life. It’s humanity. It’s the triumphant of the human spirit. It’s as real as it gets.

Throughout the film, Coogler deftly blends an enthralling mix of action and drama until we arrive at the final fight where Creed reaches its tectonic crescendo. The fight scenes in the movie are an aesthetic marvel — including Creed’s first match that is shot in one continuous take — but it’s the final round of the fight that truly packs an emotional wallop.

One round to go and needing a knockout to win, a battered Creed implores Rocky not to stop the fight.

Rocky: I should have stopped this fight with your father; I’m stopping this one now.
Creed: Don’t, okay. Let me finish. I gotta prove it.
Rocky: Prove what?
Creed: I’m not a mistake.

I’m a sucker for surrogate father and son plots, but I’m even more of a sucker for immaculately told stories. After an impassioned speech by Balboa, the unmistakable first few notes of that wonderful melodic caffeine known as “Gonna Fly Now” begins to play.

Anyone who’s familiar with the Rocky franchise knows where this is heading, but it doesn’t matter if you know the destination when the journey is so much f*cking fun.

Watching the film you can feel Ryan Coogler’s passion for the franchise. Creed didn’t settle for good; it aspired to be great and it succeeded beyond all reasonable expectations. I could continue to lavish the film with effusive praise, but it really just comes down to this: Creed is an inspirational, joyous film that will put a smile on your face. If you’ve never seen a Rocky movie and accidentally stumbled upon this post due to your love of ’90s alt rock, I highly suggest watching Creed.

Oh, and that first date I told you about. Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa aren’t the only guys who can go the distance. We’re engaged! The wedding is scheduled for the summer of 2017.

Just kidding. The relationship got TKO’d around Easter. But what an incredible ending that would have been to this post.

[Where to Stream Creed]