When Ryan Coogler's "Creed" came out in 2015, it fueled new life into the long dormant "Rocky" movie franchise. And, after a less successful sequel, we now reach the end of the trilogy with "Creed III."
Is it worthy of its name? How jacked is Jonathan Majors as the antagonist? And does anyone care about boxing stories nowadays? The film is Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut and although Stallone isn't in the film, he's one of its producers. As Donnie (Jordan) is living a renewed life and enjoying a boxing career, an old friend — Dame (Majors) — comes back into his life and challenges him in the ring. Is Jordan's directorial debut, and the first "Rocky" film without Stallone a hit or miss? Here's what the reviews say.
What it's about
For Donnie, old wounds are reopened when Damien “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors), an old friend and former boxing prodigy, shows up at the champ’s gym after an 18-year stint in prison. It’s clear from the jump that Donnie was involved in the incident that led to Dame’s weapons charge and made no effort to reach out to his friend once he was incarcerated. Dame’s arrival comes not long after Donnie settled into his post-retirement life coaching the newest WBA champion, Felix Chavez (José Benavidez), and moved into posh new digs in Beverly Hills, so the contrast between how the two men’s lives have turned out couldn’t be more pronounced
The unresolved emotions of both men drive the narrative, and the scenes where Donnie and Dame go to battle with one another outside the ring are far more intriguing than anything that plays out within it.
Jonathan Majors steals the show
Majors radiates volatility whether he’s smiling or frowning, and as with his recent Marvel outing, he’s the most charismatic aspect of "Creed III," embodying Dame as a Clubber Lang variant fueled by long-held resentment and anger. That the film teases the reveal of his insanely formidable physique until its midway point only amplifies one’s impression of Dame as a rampaging wolf eager to shed his sheep’s clothing.
Majors, an actor currently on a high-speed ascent to the A-list, makes for a fantastically knotty antagonist, a victim of a harsh system that Creed, through the luck of finding out about his real, privileged family, managed to get out of. The weight of where they both came from and where they ended up sits heavy and there’s a complicated strain between their scenes, brilliantly played by them both but with the showier role, another knockout turn from Majors (even if, like Majors has stated himself, I crave something a little lighter for him next).
Majors, already seemingly inescapable this year, brings a wounded menace that suggests the many sedimentary layers of fury and grief underneath; he's less some sneering Iron Curtain meathead á la Rocky villains of yore than a lost soul. It's still Creed's name that's on the movie poster, though, and his championship belt to claim. Would we have it any other way?
Michael B. Jordan makes a solid directorial debut
As thrilling as the boxing sequences are, including a particularly artful black-and-white moment at the climax of the film, it’s the conflict outside of both the ring and the gym that sticks with you even more.
Part of that comes from interesting questions the film poses. Like, who is Adonis now that he’s no longer fighting — both metaphorically and physically? What is your relationship to your music if, like Bianca, you’re no longer able to sing your own songs?
It’s funny, even in terms of directing, how these movies mirror the Rocky movies. Okay, yes, Stallone directed the little-seen "Paradise Alley" first and didn’t let the bad reviews sway him from directing "Rocky II," "Rocky III" and "Rocky IV." Now Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with "Creed III" and he and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau have shot a really great-looking movie.
The film starts slow but picks up the pace
Only in the film’s final half-hour, which (unsurprisingly) sets the pair on a path to duke it out in the ring, do they — and this film — really spring to life. That’s when both Jordan and Majors are allowed to turn their fury and sadness and confusion into action (and, yes, fantastic training montages, a heart-stopping final match, and enough thrown punches to make the audience feel them), and when “Creed III” really gets cooking. It’s the best testament to Jordan’s directing skill (the way he imagines that final bout will likely divide some audiences, but this is clearly a man with a vision), and the genius in pitting Jordan against Majors. Get them in the ring sooner. Keep them there longer. This is the only battle that matters. This is the one that hits.
TL;DR
And while the final quiet moments at film’s end between friends doesn’t land the emotional punch the script desires — one where these spiritual brothers reunite under the banner of mutual respect — "Creed III" is a thrilling crowning of a new hero grappling with his own complicated legacy.
In a sports drama that feels like a thriller, Jonathan Majors once again proves his mettle as Adonis' ominous friend-turned-boxing-foe.
With Stallone’s Rocky absent from its story, "Creed III" feels like a pivotal moment in the franchise’s history meant to underscore how much it’s evolved over the course of almost 50 years.
Watch the trailer
