Most people I know, including myself, weren’t sure what to feel when we found out another Rocky movie was coming out. In an age of unneeded sequels and reboots, it just seemed like another halfhearted cash grab with no heart.

Luckily “Creed” is a fantastic. So good in fact that I think it deserves a place right up alongside the first “Rocky” film.

I know that’s high praise, but when you watch the film, I think you’ll agree. It follows a lot of the original film’s beats and even has a couple training montages, but it manages to be fresh and new feeling even if it is a tad cliché.

“Creed” follows the story of Apollo Creed’s bastard child Adonis. He was parentless for a lot of his childhood until Creed’s widow decided to take him in a give him a home. Adonis doesn’t go by the ‘Creed’ name, wanting to make a name on his own. So he moves to Philadelphia and enlists the help of an aging Rocky Balboa. They both start learning things from each other and Adonis’s name gets bigger and bigger.

Sylvester Stallone returns to the iconic roll that made him a household name, and he kills it. With his recent movies – where it felt he was a parody of himself – he shows us all that he can still act. I’d even go so far as to say he deserves a Best Supporting Actor Nomination. That’s how good Stallone is.

This movie really shines in the fact that it’s less about boxing and more about these two characters and their journey together. Adonis wants to make a name for himself, and Rocky is an old soul who has lost a lot throughout his years. Together, they build and grow in each other. Don’t be mistaken though, the boxing is there ,and it’s fantastic, including a fight that looks like it was done in one take.

In the end “Creed” is a thrilling and worthy entry in the “Rocky” franchise. It manages to feel fresh and new, even if it uses a lot of familiar feeling ‘Boxing movie tropes.’

Michael B. Jordan shows his fantastic acting skills as Adonis, and shows he’s an actor who can, and should, be taken seriously. Stallone shows us that he is still a great actor, even if we doubted it there for a bit, and it all comes together in a thrilling knockout of a film. Definitely check out ‘Creed’ if you have time.

Rating 4.5/5 A great film and a worthy entry in a beloved franchise.