09 Mar Creed III Review

CREED III

dir. Michael B. Jordan, starring Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, and Tessa Thompson

Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, he’s eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter who has nothing to lose.

Starring Michael B. Jordan reprising his role as Adonis Creed, Creed 3 continues to prove that the writer/director is a bona fide movie star. After two films, Jordan has fully inhabited both the role of Adonis Creed as well the Rocky franchise in general so much so that thanks to his efforts, Creed can be seen as its own entity without the buoy of Sylvester Stallone. With a chiseled frame that lives up to the character’s name, Jordan has clearly put the work in behind the scenes to revive Adonis for a third installment. Boxing and shiny muscles aside, Jordan is good in his development scenes as well; the connection he has with deaf actress Mila Davis-Kent who plays his daughter is genuine and heartfelt.

Jordan’s moments with Tessa Thompson’s Bianca, while also good, are the movie’s weakest moments. Whether due to poor writing or subpar acting, the scenes where just the two of them appear on camera don’t fully work as well as Jordan and Davis-Kent or Jordan and Majors. Thompson doesn’t have much to do in the film, relegated to worried spouse as Creed works through his haunted past. Thompson does the best she can with what little she’s given; her solitary scene with Majors’ Dame might be her best of the film, proving that he can have great chemistry with almost anyone.

Jonathan Majors is currently the flavor of the season. With as much work as Jordan put in behind the camera to craft the physique of a boxer at their prime, Majors matches him every step of the way. On a character level, Dame Anderson, old friend of Adonis, is played brilliantly by Majors. Presenting himself as one thing while being revealed to be something else altogether, Majors gives layers of subtlety and cunning to Dame that may not be initially apparent on a first watch. While Creed is Jordan’s movie, and Jordan is the heart of the entire franchise, Majors manages to steal a number of scenes from him as he laughs, taunts, and bullies his way through the film. A formidable antagonist, a far better one than what audiences were exposed to just a month prior in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Majors captivates and seduces the audience every time he’s on screen.

Creed III marks the directorial debut for Michael B. Jordan. Stepping from in front of the camera to behind, Jordan brought a fresh vision to the franchise, one marked with dynamic camera movements and unconventional inspiration to create scenes with energy and dynamism. While his boxing scenes are undeniably fun to watch, the quieter elements between Creed and Bianca are the movie’s most stilted scenes. The second act downward spiral of Creed, while fascinating as a story beat, is somewhat sloppily handled as the dialogue between Adonis and Bianca further drag down Jordan’s uninspired direction and shot selection. The absence of Jonathan Majors throughout this chunk of time leaves the movie lifeless, proving that Dame’s ever-so-humble personage is the main draw for the audience. Still, having already proven himself an actor, Jordan shows signs of promise as a director as well, enough that should he decide to direct the next installment of the series or anything else, it’s at least worth a well merited investigation.

Overall, Creed III has proven itself to be not just one of the best movies in the overall Rocky franchise, but one of the best sports movies in general. While there’s flaws to be found in his work, Jordan’s freshman outing is a solid hit, delivering a compelling film with boxing scenes that will satisfy even the most hardened fans of the sweet science. Even though the dynamic set pieces aren’t enough to distract from the script’s clunkier emotional scenes and mishandled character development, there’s still much to love in this spectacular third outing. Jonathan Majors’ barely restrained feral performance dominates the screen in every scene he’s in, counterbalanced by Jordan’s cool levelheaded nature. A great way to kick off the oncoming onslaught of franchise-laden summer blockbusters, the film has no shortage of emotion and adrenaline guaranteed to have the audience fully invested. Creed III is currently in theaters.

Review by Darryl Mansel