I enjoyed the movie very much. I have to warn you that I'm going to use the word 'love' many times. Creed contains a good mix of rich characters, drama, conflict, action, suspense, love, and even some romance. The very first scene depicts the troubled background of Donnie and his innate attraction to fight. Many people don't have the guts to follow their dreams. So, I root for this young courageous man when he decides to abandon a secure career and to follow his heart wish. This already makes him a winner in my heart. I like the old mentor- young student relationship between Rocky and Donnie. I love it more when the student becomes the teacher of the master when he encourages him to take that chemo and give them both something to fight for. I adore Rocky. He's an interesting person and has lived a rich life. His life has kind of slowed down. The arrival of Donnie enriches his life in some way. I loved how Rocky collected his old buddies to train Donnie. It felt like a resurrection of his old friendships. I loved that the movie didn't end with Donnie winning the boxing match. He put up a good fight and gave it his best but he's not at the top of his game yet. He has to learn a lot and grow into his new role. I'm relieved that Rocky took chemo that means that we might see him back. I really loved this movie !

Shari, there's a lot to love about this movie. When I first heard of this project, the initial rumors about it happening, I was, "No way!" But I think screenwriters Coogler and Covington nailed it. To me, this is a throwback. Not just in recalling Rocky, but in the tone of the story. It feels like a 70s movie. Gritty, urban, and character, character, character. There are precisely 3 boxing matches of note in the story. The rest of it is characters interacting. To say this is a 'boxing movie' is a misnomer. This is a father-son movie, albeit Rocky as a surrogate father. And isn't it interesting how the rage Donnie feels, which fuels his boxing, gets revealed at the end (before the last round of the final fight) at its base level: The rejection he felt due to his father leaving. An infantile hurt. That is at the heart of Donnie's shadow. And he doesn't expose that until the final final moments of the Final Struggle. Ryan Coogler is a major talent. The fact he could pull off Creed the way he did (and of course the excellent Fruitvale Station) demonstrates he gets it. He knows Story at a deep, intuitive level. And clearly he loves characters. It is HUGELY satisfying to me the movie has made as much money at the box office as it has. It completely flies in the face of conventional wisdom: Mid-budget dramas don't work. There's no audience for them. BULL SHIT! Yes, this is tied to one of the most famous franchises of all time, but there's no way this movie hits $100M in revenues unless the STORY works.