I am really loving the Creed franchise. I love how it manages to pay homage to the Rocky films that came before while still very much carving out its own identity, something which is often explored metaphorically in these films as well, this latest one being no exception. Creed III is very much the Rocky 3 of this series, and there are definitely some parallels to be found in the way the films tackle the titular character’s place in the world at this point compared to their roots, along with the arrival of an opponent who proceeds to thoroughly humble him, and confront harsh truths and realities.
With Creed III, we have Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) on top of the world, he is has achieved pretty much everything a boxer could achieve, and has retired at his peak. He is now a true family man, caring for not only Bianca (Tessa Thompson), but also their adorable young daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), who they communicate with through sign language. He hasn’t totally given up on boxing though, taking a more behind-the-scenes approach, mentoring a prodigy at his gym, Felix (Jose Benavidez), who he has setup to fight Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) in a highly anticipated match. Unfortunately, a figure from Adonis’ past, Damian or “Dame” for short (Jonathan Majors), and has plans of his own.
The two used to be very close, and Dame was set to have a major boxing career of his own until he got arrested, and was behind bars for a whopping 18 years. Adonis has not kept in touch with Dame while he was gone, leaving Dame to sit in prison watching his friend rise to become one of the world’s best boxers, which only adds insult to injury given the circumstances of his arrest. While his first few encounters with Adonis seem nice enough, he makes his intentions known. He wants a shot at the world championship, and he’ll do whatever he needs to do in order to get there.
Aside from the more obvious parallels of Dame being the Clubber Lang to Adonis’ Rocky, Dame could almost be seen as a sort of twisted alternate universe version of a Rocky-esque figure. A macho man with a heart of gold who is involved with some shady people (remember that Rocky was essentially hired muscle for the mob?), who is no longer a youthful up-and-comer in the boxing world, he’s older, slightly past his prime, and he has this one opportunity to go the distance. Of course, while certain situations and circumstances share similarities, Dame and Rocky’s perspective on life couldn’t be further from each other, and that’s part of what makes Creed III so compelling.
Of course, what makes these movies so special, especially compared to many other boxing movies are the way they explore character, and the way they carry their hearts on their sleeves. The Rocky franchise, extending through these Creed films, have all been deeply earnest in the way they handle these characters. There’s so much care and attention placed in their emotional journeys, Adonis in particular does have a fascinating arc that is all about coming to terms with trauma, and being able to open himself emotionally to the ones closest to him, as opposed to hiding it inside and bringing that baggage to the ring.
The performances are, as you’d expect, as strong as ever. But since he is the big newcomer here, I’m devoting this whole paragraph to just gushing about Jonathan Majors, who is absolutely stellar in the film. Having observed him in projects like The Last Black Man In San Francisco (not the first thing I saw him in, but definitely the first one where I truly took note of him), to Lovecraft Country, to The Harder They Fall, to Devotion, even in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, it is clear he is truly a gifted performer. Few actors are able to inhibit their characters so deeply the way he does, he has one of the most expressive faces I’ve seen from any American actor in a while. He is a beast in this film, one that is starving, I love all the little touches he puts in the role, from the little looks he’ll give to Adonis, the smiles that hide something more sad and troubling, and the way he will practically leap to the middle of the ring at the start of every round. It’s a great performance for a villain, but thankfully, the material is nuanced in a way that services his skills very well, and he is able to tap into something really special here. If he isn’t a household name by the time this weekend is over, something is wrong.
Another notable thing about the film is that it is the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan. Much has been said at this point as to the influence that anime has had on him, and the way he approached directing this film. Those touches are appreciated, and really do give the film a striking visual sensibility. The final boxing match alone is, if not one of the best boxing matches ever put to screen, then it’s at the very least the most visually compelling boxing match every put to screen. It’s truly electric, and Jordan throws in a lot of fun stylistic touches with the depth of field, the camera angles, the slow-motion, and the way certain emotional beats are expressed through motion and visual storytelling.
If it doesn’t seem obvious enough, I really dug the hell out of Creed III. Not too much of a surprise for those who have come to understand my taste, these movies are definitely my jam through and through. I am loving that every creative team that has been involved so far – this one is written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin – have committed to the film’s way of exploring the emotional depth and nuances of all the characters, the one place where a lot of the other Rocky movies lack a little bit, especially with the antagonists. Michael B. Jordan killed it with his direction. While I still believe the first Creed is an all-timer high mark, this is one is still really good, it takes the characters to some interesting places, it’s thoroughly entertaining and rousing in all the ways you would want a film like this to be. I’ll take a bunch more of these, thank you very much.
Creed III is now out in theaters.