March is going to be a wonderful time for movies, and the month kicks off with Michael B Jordan’s directorial debut of Creed III, the third installment of the Creed series, and the ninth movie overall in the Rocky/Creed franchise. The movie stars a returning cast of Michael B. Jordon, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad, along with newcomer movie star Jonathon Majors. Before getting into the movie, here is the obligatory Google summary:
Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian (Jonathon Majors), a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time 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.
The first Creed is one of the best “reboot-sequel” movies of all time, and Creed II is one of the most underrated sequels ever. So naturally I was highly anticipating the release of the third installment. I was able to rope my current favorite roommate, Scott Hall, into watching Creed III at the AMC Kips Bay 15 in east Manhattan, which is the closest IMAX theater to our apartment. And I am glad we watched this movie in IMAX because this film, especially the boxing scenes, looks incredible. You can see every sweat drop from Michael B. Jordan’s beautiful face. You can see every blood splatter across the screen. You can feel every blow delivered by Jonathon Majors. And beyond the cinematography, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Sitting behind the camera in his first time, Michael B. Jordan was outstanding in his directorial debut, injecting his own stylistic flair. I learned from Chris Stuckmann’s review of Creed III that Michael B. Jordan is a huge fan of anime, and that clearly shows in the boxing scenes in the movie. For example, there are slow-motion shots that convey a boxer has identified a weakness in the opponent. And in the last boxing match, Michael B. Jordan makes a bold stylistic choice that breaks from reality to visually pull the audience into the emotional conflict between Adonis and Damian. If you watch anime, you will know what I mean.
What a couple of weeks it must have been for Jonathon Majors. He plays the main villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania two weeks ago in the biggest franchise in the world, and now he plays the antagonist in the ninth Rocky/Creed film. Which film is he better in? This one. He is better in Creed III than he is in Ant-Man. Not to take anything away from his performance in Ant-Man, but the writing in Creed III allows Majors to portray a very broken character in Damian that is so much more emotionally investing than what he was given for Kang the Conqueror. The biggest elephant in the room, though, is where is Rocky Balboa? I do not know what happened behind the scenes, but Sylvester Stallone chose not to return for Creed III. The first two Creed films built off material from the first six Rocky movies, but in Creed III, Michael. B Jordan decided to create a narrative that separated itself from the shadow of Rocky. In doing so, Creed III needed to stand on its own terms, and I feel the movie did so very well.
If you are a fan of the Rocky and Creed movies, I am sure you will enjoy this film just as much. Although this movie does separate itself from Rocky, I would still highly recommend you check out the first two Creed films if you have not done so already, as this film continues the development of Adonis Creed. Creed and Creed II are on HBO Max, so no excuses! Also, there is a Stephen A. Smith segment in the movie, and our theater burst into laughter. Anyways, check out this film.
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