Friday, March 3, Adonis Creed returns to the boxing ring as Creed III hits theaters. The third in the series, Creed III is lighter on the nostalgia than its two preceding films. And that’s probably a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong. The callbacks to the Rocky movies in Creed and Creed II are fantastic and what got this franchise off the ground. Creed III, which is the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan, proves that it’s more than just a play on your emotions with a kick-ass theme song from 1976.
In fact, this is the first movie of the nine-entry franchise that doesn’t include Sylvester Stallone.
Creed III is a story about boxing, yes, but it’s more so a story about friendship, diverging paths and losing your identity. At the end of his illustrious boxing career, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) finds a new role in retirement running his gym and training a new generation of fighters.
His wife Bianca (the flawless Tessa Thompson) has moved from performing her music to producing for other artists as her hearing has continued to decline. Their daughter, Amara (the fantastic Mila Davis-Kent), is thriving even if she sometimes takes after her father by using her fists to solve problems. Mary-Anne Creed (the incomparable Phylicia Rashad) is still the maternal backbone of the family.
But, as you’d expect, things change and evolve. Enter Damian “Dame” Anderson, the childhood friend and boxing mentor of Adonis. Played by Jonathan Majors, Dame shows up at Creed’s gym after a stint in prison and is looking to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming the champ.
This sets a path where Creed has to un-retire to defeat Anderson, who has found success in the ring after working his way from sparring partner of Creed’s champ Felix Chavez (Jose Benavidez) to stealing his belt.
Majors is phenomenal and an absolute force on screen. His chemistry with Jordan is electric, his physical acting is incredible and his ability to emote is truly unlike any star currently on screen.
As a director, Jordan should get credit for drawing such performances from his characters. As an actor, Jordan delivers. An emotional scene between him and Rashad later in the film will have audiences in tears, and it’s evident the relationships forged in the first two movies of the series helped make Creed III the best it could be.
“There’s so much trust and there’s an easy communication between the two of us; we just know each other so well,” Tessa Thompson said of Jordan going from co-star to co-star plus director. “I don’t know if I’ve worked with a director that I’ve known as well or that has known me as well, so that was kind of a trip. It also felt really natural, like it didn’t really feel like much changed, to be honest.”
Jordan immersed himself in the details of his movie, from hand-picking Los Angeles sports paraphernalia and art for Creed’s basement to carefully composing the epic training montage we’ve grown to know and love in this franchise.
“I take the blame for everything,” Jordan said with a laugh when it came to explaining decisions like having Creed pull a Cessna during one such montage. “That’s on me, too.”
Creed III isn’t a perfect movie, but it doesn’t have to be. It tells the story of two young men, the way life can change in an instant and the power of relationships. It’s a worthy entry into the series.
You can catch Creed III in theaters nationwide.