Creed III

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Phylicia Rashad, Florian Munteanu, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Thaddeus J. Mixon, Spence Moore II
Directed by: Michael B. Jordan
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Sport
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has retired from boxing and is leaving a more peaceful life, when a childhood friend (Jonathan Majors) returns to life and threatens to upturn it.

Review:

Tim: Creed III is such a fascinating film- it felt like the movie took substantial steps away from the shadow of Rocky Balboa and to allow Adonis Creed to really stand on his own. I didn't always love these moves, but I have to say that Creed III is another success story- it's every bit as good as the first and second movies. This now concludes the trilogy that shows remarkable consistency in its effectiveness. What is perhaps a bit surprising is that this film had the third different director. So, you have a trilogy comprised of equally good films, all directed by different people. That's impressive. For this film, it's perhaps an even greater surprise because Michael B. Jordan steps into the director's chair. If anyone understands this franchise and this character, it's him.

I have to say, I loved this move by Jordan. It allows the broader series a nice full circle moment, since Sylvester Stallone stepped into the director's chair for Rocky II (as well as multiple other sequels). Jordan brings his own sensibilities to the film, though. I've read that he's a huge anime fan and allowed his love for that medium to show up here. The different homages and touches are not things I easily recognized, but even for someone less versed in anime, this film feels different. It's most visible in the climactic battle, our protagonist in white and our antagonist in black. Many of the shots there, the disappearing crowd, it felt unique in this broader franchise and it gave this movie a nice feeling of uniqueness. Jordan does a great job of continuing the story of Adonis Creed in impressive fashion.

I really appreciated this film focusing on Adonis' past, by having a childhood friend return and create problems for him. The first two movies were obviously tied closely to Rocky- even the second film featured Creed recreating a famous Balboa fight. It felt fitting to have this one being solely focused on Adonis' life. Pitting him against a figure who looms larger-than-life from his own past felt personal and an appropriate challenger for the third film. Now, as much as I loved this character stepping out from the shadows and standing on his own, I have to admit, I missed Rocky Balboa. For fans of the broader franchise, it felt sad and disappointing not to see Sylvester Stallone here. I feel like Rocky would have at least called Adonis before the big fight. I understand the reasons for this not happening (I've definitely read up on some of the drama and Stallone's unhappiness of not being included at all). I get it, although it did make me feel a bit sad- Stallone's absence was absolutely felt.

Michael B. Jordan is so good in this role. He's more comfortable in the character the third time around and he obviously put in the physical work to bring this character to life. I'd watch Jordan make many, many more of these films. Creed is an incredible character and I loved getting to see his story continue here. Tessa Thompson feels a bit underutilized, but she's so important to this franchise. I appreciated the time we did get with her character. Same can be said for Phylicia Rasad- she's not on screen much, but she uses her time to make a real impact. Mila Davis-Kent did an outstanding job as Creed's daughter (do I smell a franchise continuation in a decade?) and I thought she acted extremely well. The scenes with her never felt like filler- they felt like they revealed Creed's heart and motivation. It was nice seeing Wood Harris get a bigger role this time, too.

And, that brings us to Jonathan Majors. It's hard to know what to write about him. I've been an enormous fan of this man's work since The Last Black Man in San Francisco. His meteoric rise felt obvious, as I've been blown away by everything he's done. Likewise, his performance here is stunning. He's one of the most memorable, powerful antagonists in the whole franchise. He brings humanity and depth to this character, never allowing him to feel one-dimensional. His physical presence was remarkable, too- Majors was obviously jacked for this role, but he commands our attention. I thought his Damian Anderson was a terrific foil for Creed. Plus, getting to see Majors and Jordan interact so much together was an incredible treat. These two actors are both so good and it felt like such a present to be able to see them in these roles. So, I want to rave about Majors here. Unfortunately, in real life, he's currently embroiled in a number of assault allegations by various women. It feels like it's still a developing story and he's (obviously) proclaiming his innocence. It's so hard to know how to feel without all the facts. I definitely feel like we need to believe the victims, but I just haven't seen enough to really understand. What I do know is that Majors' career seems like it's in major jeopardy and if the allegations are true, it should be. It was hard seeing him give such a tremendous performance here, knowing about the real-life hurt he likely inflicted on a number of women. The whole thing is very sad.

Now, as much as I'm a fan of Creed III, the story, and Jordan's direction, I have to recognize that the film doesn't really get close to greatness. In my mind, the only great films of this franchise are the original Rocky and Rocky III. That first trilogy is superior to this one, I absolutely believe that. However, this one is far superior to the 4th-6th films. I'd rate every film in the Creed trilogy the exact same score. I love the characters, the drama, and the boxing sequences. I will say that the climactic fight here felt a little underwhelming. Yes, it was great fun to see Jordan and Majors duke it out, but it all felt like a foregone conclusion. Maybe that's due to this being the 9th film in this broader franchise (although without Rocky here, I don't think I'd include this in that franchise?). We've seen this all before. Jordan does a nice job in the fight sequences, showing the brutality. But, he doesn't quite ratchet up the excitement and tension as high as it could go. I felt like the final fight was obvious, verses truly nerve-racking.

Still, I mostly just want to celebrate Creed III. It's an especially strong end to a consistently entertaining trilogy. Even best, this was the highest grossing film of the franchise, but a decent margin. In 2023, box office successes are far from a foregone conclusion. This one has always flown a bit under the radar, but there's obviously a demand for these movies. Let my voice join hopefully others to say- this trilogy is so good, there's no reason not to do a 4th film. Let's not wait until Creed's daughter is old enough for her own trilogy. Let's make another one, and hey, let's bring back Balboa.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Creed, Creed II, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Black Panther