Embrace the past and frame your own future! An all-around artistic outing of the franchise. The Rocky films have always been substance-rich art but this one, in particular, is full of both style and substance. Visual storytelling from the very beginning till the end, and adding the usage of vivid and vibrant colors and long take pov shots for walkouts to get us into the crowd's atmosphere is just peak cinematography. And the required mood-enhancing score ranging over from inspiring classics to hip-hop and R&B, now le thanks to Tessa Thompson's character. Speaking of characters, the character writing is just as good here with an underdog, an empathetic and mentally vulnerable protagonist in Creed, and Rocky now being a wise old man fighting his own battles in life. And it creates a beautiful chemistry between the main three leads making it engaging all the way through. Not to mention the incredible world-building, that not only fully capitalizes on the previously established legends and lore, but also establishes ranks and introduces athletes from all around the world to add to the overall depth and the hurdles ahead. The fights themselves are extremely exciting with weight to the punches and the mental aspect of the game being all too authentic. And to have the protagonist fight a #2 pfp boxer at the very beginning is just the right way to show the glaring distance. And surprisingly, no visible retcons with all the questions answered either directly or through visuals. The parallels to the original are also uncanny with the film having a similar act structure and events reflecting the original. Overall, it's a great film that stands out as a modern classic with a lot of inspiration from the original.

I’ve never seen <i>Rocky</i>, but this story still managed to connect me to Rocky Balboa, and even Apollo Creed who didn’t even appear in the movie.

At least Adonis Creed win the night haha, was great!