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This modern take on the Rocky story is a lot better than I expected. I was never a fan of Sylvester Stallone, and no one would disagree that he eventually drove the Rocky series into a swamp. Rocky (1976) is an excellent and influential film. Its legacy can be seen in the wonderful The Karate Kid (1984), also directed by John G. Avildsen. Rocky II (1979) is good, but largely a repeat of the first. Rocky III (1982) is competent, but commercial, and it showed that the 1980s have arrived. Rocky IV (1985) is all formula and all propaganda. Rocky V (1990) is the worst thing ever (just kidding). And, finally, Rocky Balboa (2006) is flawed but better than expected. So, it's clear that every successive film in the series became worse. But now, because of Creed, the series is back on top. Creed is easily the best in the series since Rocky II. Why is that? Well, it's because the director this time is Ryan Coogler, and Stallone is in a supporting role. Coogler came up with a workable idea for the film - let's make the main character the son of former world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, and let's make Rocky his trainer and mentor. It's an idea that, with Coogler's writing and direction, works surprisingly well. One can say that Creed has the same formula as every Rocky film, but, if the film is this well-made and uplifting, is that a problem? As for Stallone, he delivers one of his best performances ever. In fact, he upstages Michael B. Jordan, who plays Adonis Creed, in just about every scene that they have together. But Jordan isn't a disappointment. He has the good looks for a big budget Hollywood movie. More importantly, he breathes remarkable life into the title role, showing that Adonis is a cocksure, exuberant and loyal character. The only problem with Adonis is his relationship with his love interest Bianca (Tessa Thompson). This relationship is poorly developed and not entirely believable. Still, some of the scenes with Bianca are tender and candid. The fight scenes are, for the most part, exciting. They don't have the same punch as the fight scenes that Avildsen and Stallone filmed in Rocky and Rocky II, but they're well-done and they pay off. One of the problems is that Creed's opponent isn't presented well as someone who's tough and dangerous. Because of this, one doesn't get the feeling that Adonis has to overcome a big challenge. By the way, Coogler and cinematographer Maryse Alberti also did a good job filming in Philadelphia, showing a city in an economic depression. So, in my view, there are a few faults with the script and with characterization. Still, on the whole, Creed works very well. I definitely recommend it.

Is The Martian science fiction or science fact? Well, it's set in the near future, in 2035, so it's not easy to call it science fiction, although it's technically science fiction. It's not entirely science fact either because some of the science on display in The Martian is questionable. What matters, however, is that the film is entertaining and memorable. There's no question that Ridley Scott is one of the best directors working in Hollywood. Prometheus (2012) marked his return to the science fiction genre, and now we have The Martian, which is even better. Prometheus is a visually impressive film that, unfortunately, has a confusing plot, poor characterization, and pacing issues. It was an attempt to repeat the formula of Alien (1979) and maybe even Aliens (1986), with mixed results. The Martian, on the other hand, isn't dark and confusing. It's straight-forward and upbeat. It centers around an astronaut (Matt Damon) who gets stranded on Mars and has to survive. His struggle to get in contact with NASA and to return home is what keeps the film running. I was surprised by how entertaining the film is. Firstly, the characters in The Martian make rational decisions. They're not a bunch of degenerates and fools who run around and get into trouble, like in Prometheus. And the performances from the cast are all solid. Leading man Matt Damon did good work playing Mark Watney, someone who's often funny and hardly ever depressed. Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor are in supporting roles. Secondly, the science that's on display in the film is interesting. Some of what is shown makes viewers think, and wonder what's going to happen. Viewers can actually learn a few things from the film. This is due to the fact that the film is based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel, which was adapted into a screenplay by Drew Goddard. And, of course, The Martian is visually impressive, something that's to be expected from a Ridley Scott film. Some of the scenes set on Mars are stunning. The designs of the suits and vehicles are excellent too. So, The Martian is definitely worth recommending. It's a great example of crowd-pleasing cinema.