Michael B. Jordan will direct Creed 3. Credit: Warner Bros/DPA via TNS
Adonis Creed, the titular character of the “Creed” franchise, is no longer the up-and-coming hotshot like he was in the first two films of the “Rocky” spin-off. Rather, he looks to close his boxing career with a bang. The theme of finishing strong reaches beyond the screen and extends itself to the entire “Creed” and “Rocky” franchise in “Creed III.” While the film is undoubtedly an exciting installment and a thrill to watch, it seems as though it might finally be time to hang up the gloves on the legendary boxing series.
Michael B. Jordan takes the directorial reins for the first time in “Creed III” while reprising his role as Adonis Creed, as he looks to come out of retirement and close his career with one final fight against a new challenger for the boxing world title. The challenge comes in the form of a childhood friend turned nemesis, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), who is bound with Creed through a shared trauma. Creed must prepare for the emotionally charged journey while balancing his newly formed family of his wife Bianca Creed (Tessa Thompson) and young daughter Amara Creed (Mila Davis-Kent).
Jordan does a good job of adjusting Adonis Creed’s character to have a more relaxed, mature feel of a fighter at the end of his career, but it is Majors as Anderson who steals the show. In fact, at points in the movie, you might forget that Adonis Creed is in fact the main character and hero, which is actually a positive because of how charismatic, yet intimidating, Majors is as Anderson. And a shoutout must be given to 10-year-old Davis-Kent, who is deaf in real life and portrays the deaf character of Amara Creed. She gives an excellent performance in a very difficult role for someone so young.
However, if there is one character “Creed III” is missing, it’s Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who acted as a mentor for Adonis Creed in the first two “Creed” films. The chemistry between Jordan and Stallone as well as the dynamic between their characters was a huge part of what made the first two installments so enjoyable, and his absence is notable. At times, the film seems unbalanced without the guiding hand of Balboa for Adonis Creed.
As for Jordan’s directing debut, it can be rocky at times but gives viewers plenty of reasons for excitement for his future projects. “Creed III” struggles at times from seemingly forgetting to pick up on themes introduced earlier in the movie and can be quite predictable, as sports movies often are. However, the formula of the prior movies with this predictability worked, and it did for the most part again in “Creed III.” Jordan put his own flavor on the fight scenes by taking inspiration from anime, as he mentioned in an interview with IndieWire.
While the editing style of the fights takes away the sense of realism achieved in previous “Rocky” and “Creed” installments; it adds a refreshing twist to the genre and allows Jordan to think outside of the box, resulting in some stunningly choreographed moments and brilliant cinematography. “Creed III” also has a great soundtrack, with an early contender for Best Original Song at the next Academy Awards in Dreamville and J. Cole’s “Adonis Interlude.”
While there has been no official word if “Creed III ” is the final movie in the franchise, it has the feel of the last movie in a trilogy, and it likely should be to avoid repetitiveness spoiling a consistent series. Yet, much like a legendary boxing career, the “Creed” trilogy was entertaining to the very end.
Rating: 3.5/5
