Creed III Is Here But Where's Rocky?

Creed III, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors, is much darker than the previous 2 films.

Intro

The third installment of the Creed franchise has arrived after quite a bit of hype. It stars Michael B. Jordan, who returns as Adonis Creed, and Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson. The film follows Creed, who has retired from boxing and is living his best life. He runs into someone from his past and realizes he may need to put on the gloves for one last time.

Storyline

The plot is relatively straightforward, although it decides to present itself more mysteriously than needed. It revolves around Adonis, who has retired and is now running his boxing promotion company and organizing massive fight events as a businessman. He runs into his old childhood friend Damian who just got out of jail and wants a shot at the heavyweight title. As the film goes on, the two begin to clash, and their dark past starts to resurface. The plot maintains a level of suspense that keeps the viewers engaged enough to make it through the film. However, many plot points are anti-climactic, building too much hype for subpar reveals. The soundtrack is phenomenal, which was expected after seeing the trailer and the previous 2 Creed films. The overall dialogue is decent, nothing spectacular, but good enough to keep audiences from cringing.

Directing

The acting is strong, as Jordan and Majors have great chemistry on the screen. Directing-wise, it's clear that the director was going for a much darker feel for this film relative to the prequels. This is also why Sylvester Stallone did not want to be in the movie. He indicated that he was more of a sentimentalist and did not like Creed III's direction. While that's somewhat true, Creed III provides a much more unique and fresh experience to viewers tired of the same old "Rocky" style films. The cinematography is solid, and the boxing scenes are great, as they should be. Some of the camera shots are incredibly captivating and, along with the music, help build up hype scenes.

Closing Critiques

Now the important question: Is it worth watching? Yes. It has enough boxing for boxing fans to appreciate and storyline-driven scenes for casuals to enjoy. While it isn't a must-watch blockbuster movie, considering that Creed 4 has been confirmed by Michael B. Jordan, anyone who wants to follow the Creed series will have to watch it eventually.

Raving Rating: 6.9