Creed review

The son of Apollo Creed tries to make his own name in the shadow of his father.

Almost 40 years after Rocky first exploded onto the movie scene there’s a new spin off in cinemas. And while that would normally be cause for alarm, Creed is that rare beast which both justifies its own existence and reinvigorates the franchise.

It’s a film which expertly pulls in elements of nostalgia with the well-worm rhythms of the sports-movie genre, right down to those expertly paced montages and the emotional peaks and troughs. It’s all familiar so familiar that it’s hard not to be swept along and young director Ryan Coogler brings plenty of energy from his side of the camera.