The movie opens with a flashback of a young Adonis Creed and his best friend Damin Andrews, two youths just having a night out. Little did either of them know that their lives would be forever changed that fateful night, and that they would then be sent on very different paths.
We jump forward several years and by that time we see Adonis “Donnie” Creed has it all. A lovely family, nice house, and several boxing championship belts hanging on the wall. He can comfortably step back from the ring, but not from the sport. Now a fight promoter and gym owner, he’s nurturing a new generation of fighters. You can take the boxer out of the ring, but not the other way around.
But as the movie’s tagline reminds us. “You can’t run from your past.” And so when a grown up Damian, now played by Jonathan Majors, comes calling, Adonis’ life is thrown for a loop.
Damian too has boxing in his blood. And just like Donnie, there’s no taking the ring out of that boxer either.
The story doesn’t cover much new ground, and truthfully, it doesn’t really need to. There’s enough familiarity in it that it’s comfortable, like visiting an old friend. You have the loomingnantagonist, the underdog, the supportive female lead, the big fight night and of course, an extremely cool training montage!
And yet there are enough new ideas and things layered on top of it to keep it interesting and fresh. There is a lot of heart in the story, which the actors all bring to life from a script by Keena Coogler and Zach Baylin.
Aside from the bad blood between Adonis and Damian, there are also issues within Adonis’ family. Tessa Thompson reprises her role as Bianca, Donnie’s better half, and possibly his biggest fan and supporter, surpassed only by their hearing impaired daughter, Amara.
Michael B. Jordan is intimately familiar with the character of Adonis Creed, having played him in the first two films as well. Perhaps that’s what makes the third Creed film, and the ninth in the Rocky series overall, a perfect choice for his directorial debut.
Jordan’s performance is engaging and his work behind the camera is solid and confident. He’s treading on familiar ground, but still manages to make the trek interesting. The artistic choices made in the final fight are gutsy but well executed and stylistically reflect his love of Anime.
Now that isn’t something you see a lot in boxing movies.
Jonathan Majors is electrifying as Damian. His anger and drive are palpable whenever he’s on screen and his swagger demands you take notice, and is a perfect antagonist to Jordan, who’s Adonis has lost his drive just a little bit.
Legacy has been a throughline in the Creed branch of the Rocky-verse since the beginning. At first it was about Adonis stepping out of his father’s shadow, and in some ways, about Rocky Balboa’s legacy as well. But now Adonis has to confront and decide what his own legacy will be. What will he leave for his daughter? What will he be remembered for?
The characters themselves are appealing and engrossing, and their dynamics hold the story up and elevate it more than the fights.
Creed III is a worthy addition to the Rocky-verse, a clear knock-out.