Way back in 1976, Sylvester Stallone blew up the world with a little movie called “Rocky.” Now, 47 years later, we have the third film in the spinoff series with “Creed III,” the first to be absent Stallone and Balboa. With Michael B. Jordan (“Fruitvale Station,” “Black Panther”) also taking over behind the camera, its clear that this is a new dawn for this series that was once the kid-sister to the original champ.
Following his retirement after the birth of his daughter, Adonis Creed, played by Jordan, is running the Delphi Boxing Academy alongside “Little Duke” Evers, played by Wood Harris (“Remember the Titans,” “The Wire”), and raising his daughter Amara, played by Mila Davis-Kent, with his wife Bianca, played by Tessa Thompson (“Dear White People,” “Westworld (2016)”). However, after his childhood friend Damian, played by Jonathan Majors (“The Harder They Fall,” “Devotion”), is released from prison and asks for a shot to be a boxer, Adonis agrees to train and sponsor him. This forces Adonis to re-examine his relationships and his love of the sport after Damian’s brutal techniques and personality rocket him to fame.
Written by Keenan Coogler (“Space Jam: A New Legacy”) and Zach Baylin (“King Richard”), from a story written by them and Ryan Coogler (“Creed,” “Black Panther”), it’s clear that emotion is at the forefront for Adonis in this third installment. If there is no other “Creed” film made after this, which does seem unlikely, then as it stands this is a fantastic trilogy of films. However, even just taking this film on its own, its clear that this is the first film in this trilogy to fully step out of the shadows of its father franchise to become its own thing.
Not only is this clear due to the absence of Rocky, but its clear from a technical standpoint as well. Jordan uses IMAX cameras for the fights and an overall grandiose sense of scale to emphasize the brutality of these two men and their physical and emotional boughts against each other. It seems silly to say, but Jordan’s love of anime is a clear influence here, from the confrontations and larger than life personalities to the incredible looking fights. The third act alone has a moment that might just be the best fight in the entire franchise, “Rocky” or “Creed.”
Jordan continues to be excellent as Adonis, balancing the strength and emotion hidden within this character he’s nurtured for almost a decade now. Thompson continues to be an emotional rock, without ever becoming “the wife who watches from the sidelines” as is so predictable in this genre. Her spirit takes hold of the entire film, fueling her relationship with Adonis and his trial. Davis-Kent is adorable and wonderful every time she appears, proving to not only be a bright spot for the potential future of the series, but also in this film itself. Majors is a menace, working a bizarre combination of intensity and violence with natural charisma that makes it impossible to look away from him, no matter how much you grow to hate him.
As this series continues to evolve, Jordan and his team keep weaving in small elements that make it not only stand apart from the “Rocky” films but fully come into its own. For example, Amara is deaf, and therefore throughout the film, Adonis and Bianca as shown signing with her in their everyday lives. It’s not only a fun detail that helps to further build the lives of these characters, and serve as some great representation, but it also works really well in a boxing film, given the noise and loss of hearing that can occurring during a fight.
These sorts of smart additions go a long way towards making this film in particular stand out. The first “Creed” will likely remain the best, but this one feels the most complex. Not just in terms of its emotional arcs, but in terms of the relationships and journeys of each character. Drago, again played by Florian Munteanu (“Creed II,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), is here again as one of the fighters Adonis works with as well as has a friendship with, and seeing Adonis not only fight but run the gym and train others is not only fun and fresh, but feels like a natural extension of his character and the journey he’s been on for three films.
While there’s still some of the predictability inherent to the genre, Jordan takes his anime influences to heart and really dresses it all up. This is a big movie that plays with scale and egos to great effect, and not just during the fights. Shot by Kramer Morgenthau (“Fahrenheit 451 (2018),” “The Many Saints of Newark”), every punch, dodge, and movement lands with brutality and grandiose energy, making it a thrilling film to just sit back and watch. It has an energy unlike any other.
“Creed III” is fighting hard for the title of the best film not only in its trilogy, but in the post- “Rocky 1” state. Jordan is fantastic as Adonis but also directs the film fabulously, with the energy of it all coming together to provide a thrilling tale of brotherhood and love, shot with a skill and scale that leaves you pumped. 4.5/5
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