Boxing/sports stories are excellent models for learning story structure. We have a clear setup(of characters, relationships, conflict), progress, and payoff.

Creed III is a 2023 American sports drama film directed, produced by and starring Michael B. Jordan (in his directorial debut) from a screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin. It is the the third in the Creed film series, and the ninth overall in the Rocky film series. It also stars Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu and Phylicia Rashad.

Creed III

Director: Michael B. Jordan

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson

Release Date: March 3, 2023

My Rating: 7.5/10

My Review (NO SPOILERS)

Okay, so I still haven’t seen Creed I; take everything I say with a grain of salt. I did see Creed II, but I saw it opening night, four and half years ago, and haven’t ever watched it again.

Whenever a threequel comes around, I get worried that it won’t live up to its predecessors. That’s not an issue with this movie. Then again, I’ve not seen the original, so I’ve been judging these sequels solely on their own merits.

This movie had a lot of great fighting sequences, and packed a heavier emotional punch than I can remember Creed II delivering. The stakes didn’t feel quite as high, but they were certainly a lot more personal. The characters felt a bit underdeveloped and static, but I guess you could also maybe expect that with a third movie in a franchise, when the characters were already developed in the previous two movies.

The plot was coherent but felt a bit jumbled and rushed at some points. Right as the movie would started to dip into something deeper, it would change directions. It kept toeing the line of being something *more*, but it just never fully crossed that like.

Furthermore, even though I only saw it once, the final fight sequence of Creed II was so incredible. The sound mixing, the shots, the action? I was nearly standing up out of my seat cheering. I felt like I was there in the arena. The final fight in this movie…it got a little two symbolic for me. The imagery was over the top (Good guys in white, bad guys in black? Give me a break). Without spoiling too much, you’re really taken out of the boxing match atmosphere and it’s all focused on the boxers in almost a sort of dream sequence. It was interesting at the very beginning but then began to drag and went on a bit long. The fighting atmosphere only came back for the final round. The final fight just didn’t live up to the final match from Creed II in my opinion.

That being said, I really did have a great time watching this movie. It made me laugh, gasp, cry, smile, and hide behind my hands (I’m a bit squeamish, sue me). The acting was phenomenal, and the resolution was very fitting. It wrapped up the Creed trilogy nicely, and actually kinda of set up the possibility of a next generation Creed story. I found myself really hoping for that possibility.

If you liked the other Creed movies, this one is definitely worth seeing as well.

‘Creed III’ Review: A Heavyweight Sequel

The wall of Adonis Creed’s gym is adorned with a mural of his dad, the late heavyweight boxing champ Apollo Creed, adorned with the inscription “Build Your Own Legacy.” That’s an interesting mantra for a film like Creed III, the first entry in either the Rocky or Creed franchises without an onscreen appearance from Rocky Balboa himself, Sylvester Stallone. Stallone’s name does pop up as a…

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Creed finally steps out of Rocky's shadow and has built its own legacy. It's probably my favourite in the franchise. The acting was amazing, the action was spectacular, and the soundtrack hit with every song. The directing and cinema photography was stunning to watch, with so much fucking heart, I almost cried! So yeah 10/10 must watch and can't wait to see what Michael B Jordan does next

CREED III (2023)

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad, Alex Henderson, Spence Moore II, Tony Bellew, Selenis Leyva, Jessica McCaskill, Jacob 'Stitch' Duran, Canelo Álvarez, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Mila Davis-Kent, Jude Wells, Sherri Belinda Quinones and Michelle Davidson.

Screenplay by  Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin.

Directed by Michael B. Jordan.

Distributed by United Artists Releasing. 116 minutes. Rated PG-13.

In the 47 years since the original Rocky was released, the film franchise has spawned nine films – six Rocky titles and now three Creed movies. Of all those films, Creed III is the first of the films in which Sylvester Stallone has not been involved as an actor and/or a writer. In fact, Stallone does not appear to have been involved in the film much at all. And his character of Rocky Balboa is not mentioned once in Creed III.

Stallone does get a producer’s credit, but that seems to be mostly contractual, judging from some of the complaints that Stallone has been airing in recent months about series producer Irwin Winkler hijacking his story from him. Stallone also gets a credit of “Based on the characters by…,” but honestly other than the dead character of Apollo Creed (originally played by Carl Weathers and killed off in Rocky IV) being discussed several times by characters in this film, and a huge portrait of the former champ in his son’s gym, none of the characters in Creed III seem to have been from the original Rocky movies. Technically, maybe you can also count supporting character Viktor Drago (played by boxer Florian Munteanu) as one of Stallone’s creations, too, because he was the son of a Rocky IV character, who was introduced in Creed II, which Stallone co-wrote.

However, considering that Creed II – which is the only one of the Creed films that Stallone had a hand in molding from a story aspect – was by far the worst of the now three Creed films, perhaps it is not a bad thing that the Creed films are distancing themselves from their original creator.

Creed III returns the creative reins to the Coogler brothers who were also in charge of the first Creed film, which was such a refreshing change from the slightly long-in-tooth original Rocky series. Keenan Coogler takes over the screenwriting responsibility from brother Ryan (who was busy working on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), although Ryan also helped to develop the story of Creed III. Not only that, but star Michael B. Jordan takes over for Ryan Coogler as a first-time director.

Honestly, Creed III is not as good as the original Creed film, but it is a definite step up in quality from the disappointing Creed II.

The weird issue is that to a certain extent, the first two Creed movies were revamps of earlier Rocky stories – with Creed giving a ghetto update to Rocky and Creed II being an odd mashup of Rocky II and Rocky IV. And although there are a few echoes of Rocky III in Creed III, for the most part this is a pretty original take on the storyline.

It doesn’t always work. There is a slightly melodramatic death of an older character (not unlike Rocky III). Also, the scenes with Adonis Creed (Jordan) and his cute deaf daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) – while humanizing for Adonis and showing him to be a good father – end up wearing out their welcome long before the end of the film.

However, the main storyline – in which an old friend from Adonis’ streetwise childhood returns from a long jail stint to become his nemesis – is rather intriguing.

That returning character is Damian (played by Jonathan Majors, a mere weeks after he was introduced as the latest MCU antagonist Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.) As kids, Damian and Adonis both wanted to grow up to be boxing champs. However, one night when young Adonis got into a fight and Damian pulled a gun to protect him, Adonis got away from the police, but Damian ended up spending time in jail.

Damian is finally out of the joint not long after Adonis has retired from the ring. Damian shows up, hat in hand, looking for help to become a boxer, as he has kept himself in shape. Adonis feels guilty and tries to help, but when that help succeeds Damian allows the anger that he has felt for years to bubble over and starts antagonizing his old friend to come back to the ring and get a major beat down.

The character of Damian is a bit of a puzzle, honestly. At least twice in the running time of Creed III, he has a major shift in personality and priorities. While it is understandable that he’d have bitterness for going to jail for all these years for something he did to protect his friend, the whiplash of his feelings gets a bit overdone.

Still, while it was far from a perfect chapter of the franchise, at least Creed III puts the franchise back on the right footing. It may be interesting to see where the Rocky-verse goes next, which is not a statement that you could always make.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: March 2, 2023.

Creed III (dir. Michael B. Jordan).

Full of issues of Black male identity and confronting a legacy of violence, Jordan makes Donnie a family man with ghosts from his past. How his family deals with Dame's arrival sets up an intriguing yet mildly conventional confrontation. Both are vulnerable and irrationally emotional when confronted with their past actions that lead up to their inevitable standoff.

Creed III - Review

Director: Michael B. Jordan

Runtime: 1h 56mins

Drama, Sport

Shortly after retiring Creed’s old friend Damian is released from jail, still hoping to fulfil his dreams of becoming a boxing champion. As he tries to help his friend Creed also tries to deal with the guilt of their troubled past together.

As a follow on from the Rocky films Creed allowed old characters to be put to bed and new ones to emerge with a more contemporary relevance. Now three films in, Adonis Creed is yet to find the iconism of Rocky Balboa but has carved his own path with a much more developed story while never losing that “against all odds” mantra that accompanies all sports movies. Creed III, which is the director debut of star Michael B. Jordan, is another interesting notch on the belt of the so-called “Creed-verse”. 

While the film never escapes the metaphor of a boxer fighting his own inner demons, the things that Creed is fighting feel deep rooted enough to merit the tension built into the final fight. Most of what Creed is fighting is his own guilt for Damian’s imprisonment, but he’s also fighting his own stunted emotions – affecting his relationship with his wife and daughter. It’s in this exploration that you find the most surprising themes – a film about two alpha males beating the living daylights out of each other becoming an advocate for openness and verbalising pain. 

As the film reaches its final fight between Adonis and his old friend the anticipation really takes shape. It’s a testament to the film that the build is so enticing, albeit predictable, but when it does finally reach its climax it seems to be over in a flash. It’s not quite a one round knockout and the sequences are eloquently put together, but for a film that is so good at building a genuine tension between its characters it’s final fight does leave you wanting more.

Despite its rapid ending though, Creed III is a fun and sometimes thoughtful film that does well despite being confined by its formula. Michael B. Jordan is in fine form both in front and behind the camera and, while nothing here is groundbreaking, Creed III goes a long way to establish the protagonist as something much more than a Rocky spin-off.

3/5

A Review of “Creed III (2023)”

I love the Rocky franchise. It has its lows and its over-the-top entries but for the most part, this series has been mostly hits than misses. Creed was a spinoff and I never expected to enjoy it so immensely. I loved Creed 1 and Creed 2 which is why I was hoping for a hat trick with Creed 3. There was some worry as this is the first entry without Rocky. it was also Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut with him starring as Creed and directing. So does it succeed or is this a miss?

Firstly, Michael did a great job in his directorial debut. He pushes the Creed movies out of Rocky's shadow and gives it more grit. The fights feel more visceral and flashy with some clear anime-inspired influence. He uses a lot of slow-mo which leads to some nice-looking shots. I also think the boxing intro and montage were also really well shot as well. He also does something interesting in the final fight that involves silence which gave it a new feel. The soundtrack was awesome and the cinematography is great. He also gives darker qualities to the story with the backstory and personal connection with the antagonist Damian (Jonathan Majors).

On that note, Jonathan Majors is terrific as the antagonist. I love his performance, with the subtle awkwardness and slightly pained expression in the first half. Then in the second half, we get to see Jonathan give an arrogant, menacing performance when he goes full bad guy. I also enjoyed how sympathetic he is as a character as well. You understand why Adonis would help him. Additionally, Michael continues to give a great performance as Adonis Creed with the amount of emotional moments in this film. There is great chemistry between Michael and Jonathan which made the friendship between their characters feel believable. Tessa returns as Bianca and she is good in her small role in this film as well.

However, I do have some issues with this film. The first half focuses on building up the characters and eventual conflict which is fine. The second half is incredibly rushed though with clearly many cuts made towards it. We don't get a great sense of how much time passed so it is baffling to suddenly see Damian successful so quickly. It would've helped to have seen Damian in more fights. We could have seen him growing more and more successful while also seeing how much of a threat he is. Unfortunately, this movie doesn't have a lot of boxing fights and enough build-up in the second half. It is also weird how quickly Damian's personality changes. Another issue is the lack of inner conflict for Adonis. We see him feeling guilty about what happened to Damian but that's mostly it. For example, we don't see his doubt about retiring or concern about his daughter and wife. On that note, there is a daughter subplot introduced in this film that went nowhere. Felt very pointless.

Overall, Creed III is another good entry in this franchise. It's an impressive directorial debut from Michael and I look forward to future work from him, Creed or otherwise. Even without Rocky, this franchise seems to be doing well standing on its own feet. I'm not sure what direction Creed 4 can go in but if it is of a similar quality to previous entries, then I will 100% be there to watch!

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Movie Review...Creed III

First off...congratulations to Michael B Jordan’s directorial debut.  To both star and director a film I’m sure is no easy feat and for his first time out, I think he did a good job.  Creed III, off bat, was better than the second film but still falls behind the first. Although the story was predictable it was held together by certain plot moments, performances and the climatic final fight.

There were a few things I didn't like. The mother’s death seemed out of place and rushed.  It didn’t fit the larger story and didn’t add to it.  The fight with Dame and Felix...Adonis not seeing that outcome felt forced.  You saw how he sparred with him, everyone around you was warning you about his intentions but your guilt allowed you to let this happen?  Writing wise, something else could have happened there...not 100% sure what though.  This leads me into my last issue and that was with Dame.  Boy!!! you win one fight and now all of a sudden you got a Hollywood mansion and entourage...#howsway.

I am going to settle on 4/5.  This was entertaining and the final fight pushed it beyond my initial 3.5/5 rating.  

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is 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 (rottentomatoes.com).                

Creed III (2023) Review

Everything seems to be going well for Adonis as his family life and career post boxing is thriving but when his childhood friend Damian Anderson returns from being in prison everything would be pushed to the limits when he’s forced to revisit his past. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more…) “”

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Creed III (2023, dir. Michael B. Jordan) - review by Rookie-Critic

Over the past couple of weeks, I have watched all nine films in the Rocky/Creed franchise, leading up to seeing this in the theater last night. My overall impression of the Rocky movies is that, on average, they're good. Not great, but they're passable character studies, my favorite of the bunch being the sixth film, Rocky Balboa, from 2006. The Creed films, however, have been absolutely fantastic. Michael B. Jordan is an immense screen presence that was more than up to the task of taking the mantle over from Sylvester Stallone, while Stallone himself still manages to turn in some of the best acting he's ever done at the same time. The first Creed is possibly the best in the entire franchise because of the relationship between Jordan's Adonis Creed and Rocky. The continuation and growth of that relationship, as well as well as the hardships it endures because of the weight of the history of Rocky IV and its effects on the events of Creed II is what makes that film so good. There are a lot of things that make a good Rocky/Creed film work, and one of the most important is how the film writes the relationships between its characters. I think that, ultimately, this factor is what makes Creed III one of the best in the franchise.

This newest entry feels like the first time the story is about something bigger than the heart of its protagonist, whether that be Balboa or Creed. This film, as cliche and tacky as this is going to sound, is about friendship. Even more so than that, it's about brotherhood, and how the ties that bind us to certain people in our lives are there regardless of the twists and turns life takes us on. In a way, it's what all three Creed films have been about, but in Creed III we see this story unfold with a character that we, as the audience, have no preconceived emotional ties to, Damien Anderson, played with the usual mastery of the craft by Jonathan Majors. The chemistry between Jordan and Majors, both as brothers and as rivals, is electrifying. Never in a Rocky movie have I believed the full range of a relationship so fully as I have between these two characters, with everything playing out right up until the final round of the extraordinary fight at the end of the film. I don't think I've ever been more emotionally invested in the final fight of a Rocky/Creed film like I was during Creed III's climactic battle. There is history that's been built, things that have been said, things that have been left unsaid, this isn't a boxing match, it's a therapy session, and not just for Adonis, but for Damien, as well. There is a story being told during that final match, with Jordan making a truly inspired artistic decision that I won't spoil here, but it's an absolutely stunning moment that is just indicative of his talent and major potential as a director (this film is his directorial debut). To me, these movies are at their best when the fight at the end of the film isn't really about the fight, but about the characters' journey to get there. The fight is merely a chance to reflect on the growth the characters have gone through and the journey therein, and the outcome of it is almost a non-issue. It's what makes that original Rocky film so great, it's what made Rocky Balboa so great, it's what made the first Creed great, and, finally, it's what makes Creed III great.

I've been flipping on whether or not this is my favorite of the franchise. The relationship between Rocky and Donnie in the first Creed film, as well as Stallone's performance, in general, might give that the edge, as Rocky isn't even in this one. While I understand Stallone's decision to not continue forward with the Creed films, his presence was missed, and there were a handful of scenes that would have heavily benefited from him being there. However, that is the only reason this isn't taking the top spot, because outside of that, it's masterfully done.

Score: 9/10

Only in theaters.

I have to admit that I did see this in a D-Box seat (Cinemark's premium seating option that rumbles and moves with the film). Obviously, if you suffer from motion sickness or anything like that, this isn't going to be your thing, but it did make the boxing sequences incredibly fun, and I would recommend seeing it this way if you can.

Creed 3 (2023) - Movie Review

While I may not be the biggest fan of the Rocky films, meaning I like the ones I've seen but it's not near and dear to me, I have been a big fan of both Creed films. Thus, I was very excited to see Creed 3, and it doesn't disappoint.

Michael B Jordan is the star of the movie, in front of and behind the camera. I was curious to see how he would handle his directorial debut, and he knocked it out of the park. He clearly has a strong grasp on his titular character and the world around him. He keeps the film focused on what matters, Adonis and his family.

Jordan also adds stylistic flares that we haven't seen the likes of in the Rocky franchise. It may not work for some, but it worked for me. Jonathan Majors continues to shine as well. Just like with his performance as Kang, Majors brings a quiet intensity that makes for very compelling villains. That helps propel him to the best antagonist of the Creed films and one of the best of the entire Rocky series.

The big issue with Creed 3 is that the third act was far too rushed. It's almost as if they made the first two acts with so much care and attention and then had a week to write and film the third. Unfortunately, this lessened the impact of the final fight for me. It doesn't tank the film, but it keeps it from ranking right next to the previous two. Also, while Rocky wasn't particularly necessary for this film, I feel they could've done a better job addressing his absence.

Overall, Creed 3 is a worthy addition to series and offers some of the best parts of the whole Rocky franchise.

Grade: A-

‘Creed III’ continues to make history

A lot of firsts in Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut with #CreedIII. Not only was it the first sports movie filmed with IMAX cameras, but its massive swings in the box office gives it the biggest opening weekend for a sports film. Click the link for @ejgwrites review

CREED III REVIEW

The torch has been passed and Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed is truly center stage in the "Rocky Universe". While Stallone was there to support him in the first two "Creed" movies, Jordan is the sole face of the franchise, both in front of and behind the camera. Does Creed III keep the spirit of the franchise alive without Rocky?

Adonis Creed succeeded at building his legacy and is ready to retire from the ring to focus on his family and managing his own gym. When his old friend, Damien, enters back into his life after serving over a decade in prison, Adonis feels responsible for getting him back on his feet. After years out of touch and some anger within Damien, are these two more friends or foes?

Like the previous two installments, Creed III is a powerful and thrilling movie full of great characters, plenty of heart, and incredible boxing sequences. Not only does Jordan continue to be great as the titular character, but he shows a strong introduction to his directing skills. The three boxing scenes feel brutal and powerful leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.

Tessa Thompson as Bianca continues to strive as Adonis's wife, who rises above the one-dimensional supporting partner stereotype. The chemistry between the two actors feels real and genuine, which is rare to see in any recent movie couples.

Jonathan Majors as Damien is a standout in a cast full of strong performances. The scenes of Jordan and Majors playing off each other deliver some of the most emotional moments. The drama between these former friends is very emotional and sympathetic towards both sides.

The first and third acts of Creed III are excellent and glue you to the screen not wanting to miss a single moment. The second act is where the movie stumbles. After the second fight midway through, the story seems to rush past natural plot progression to speed towards the escalation and final fight.

Damien goes from a genuine character to a "Rocky Villain" in the flick of a switch. While there is a moment involving a photograph meant to explain why the sudden shift in his character, the identification of the character representing the big turn is not explained well enough. A two-second flashback pointing out who the character is would have slightly helped, but even so, there still would be a lack of natural escalation to build to the final fight.

Does Creed III suffer from a lack of Rocky? Absolutely not, as this is Adonis' story, and intergrading Rocky into it would feel forced. While there's always room for Rocky to return, Creed III showcases that the franchise is alive and well in the hands of Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed.

8/10

In the latest episode of our Whatcha Watchin podcast, Kim talks Cocaine Bear and Creed III.

Meanwhile, Alexis was sick at home and rewatched YRF Spy Universe movies Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, and War.

We discuss the merits of gore in horror comedies, Michael B. Jordan’s directorial style, how movie star crushes can expose you to new cinema, and why everyone should embrace subtitles.

Check it out now on Trashwire.com or download the audio version from your preferred podcast app.

Digital Noise Episode 236: John Story 3: Supercritic DIGITAL NOISE EPISODE 236: JOHN STORY 3: SUPERCRITIC Chris and John have a towering stack of home releases to review that range from all-time HK action classics, to the most surreal yakuza films ever made. From the latest but not greatest in a long-running boxing franchise, to aliens from another world fighting dinosaurs on Earth.… Read More »Digital Noise Episode 236: John Story 3: Supercritic read more on One of Us