NEW YORK. Four and a half decades on from the bicentennial year in which it premiered, the “Rocky” franchise is still a cinematic gift that keeps on giving. Thus “Creed III” (PG-13, United Artists), the ninth film in the series, is a thinking-person’s sports drama that will appeal even to those with no particular interest in well-choreographed slugfests.

NEW YORK. The transformation of a grump into a warm and fuzzy character is a trope as old as the Hollywood Hills. So, while the drama-and-comedy blend “A Man Called Otto” (PG-13, Sony) proves generally goodhearted, it also turns out to be formulaic. Mature discernment is required, moreover, to deal with some of the film’s themes.