Rocky Balboa is a character with a strong legacy. Ever since 1976 Sylvester Stallone has been the man to beat when it comes to boxing films. Following five sequels, some successful and some not so much, there was talk of re-inventing the character and handing it onto a new generation for a more modern audience. In 2015 that happened as we were re-introduced to Rocky who mentored and shepherded a new boxer in the form of Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed who famously fought Rocky. Adonis became the perfect character for Rocky to pass on his legacy to with Michael B. Jordan putting on the gloves, as opposed to filling in the shoes! Creed became his own person, and Rocky is now finally at peace. A sequel saw Creed continue his journey to become a heavyweight champion and that brings us to Creed III, a film that sees Creed as a retired boxer and a family man.
The emphasis on Creed III is family and it is quite possibly the most personal film in the series so far. Further proving the point is the fact that actor Michael B. Jordan has now stepped behind the camera as well as in front which has further developed Jordan's career as a storyteller. This feels like a natural progression as Jordan knows the character of Creed inside and out and allows the other characters to breathe and develop more in this third instalment. Tessa Thompson is back as Bianca, the wife of Adonis, and she brings a nuanced portrayal as a woman who is hearing impaired and yet wants to continue her dream of producing music. The highlight of the film is Bianca and Adonis’ young daughter Amara, played by Mila Davis-Kent, who is also hearing impaired like her mother. Amara is the heart of the film as the story develops into how Adonis needs to be a father and a role model to her and make the right choices that will help her develop into her own person. This family unit is not perfect, but what family is? Instead it shows the highs and lows of how the three of these must struggle in their day-to-day lives.
Then there’s the villain of the film, so to speak. I use the word villain loosely as Damian Anderson isn’t a bad guy, he just has ulterior motives for wanting to go against Adonis, and the story between Damian and Adonis is filled with tragedy and remorse. Jonathan Majors plays Damian and he brings a brutal and intellectual performance, showing the yang to Adonis’ ying. Whereas Adonis went down a life of respectability, Damian on the other hand went down the harder life as he has spent most of his time behind bars. When Damian is finally released and gets in contact with Adonis the two begin a fractured relationship as they put the gloves back on and go back in the ring. By the final fight the two of them have made their choices as to what kind of person they want to be and as a result the fight feels heavy and almost cathartic.
With the Rocky and the Creed films the fighting is always the highlight and Creed III continues to prove that this is the franchise to beat when it comes to the boxing scenes. Creed III begins and ends with a fight with the story almost sandwiched inbetween. The opening fight feels kinetic and immersive, reeling us into the film and with Jordan now behind-the-camera we are seeing his vision of the fights which are more up close and dangerous than ever before with the sound and visuals showing the sweat and blood in ways that we haven’t seen before. By the end of the film the final fight feels such as visceral with more of the same, but it feels almost like an internal fight as well as a physical fight. The moves on display show two men at the top of their game, with each blow feeling powerful enough to shake the audience. You are glued to the screen and the tension is almost palpable, you don’t know who will win and that makes it all the more exciting. I cannot emphasise this enough, the fighting really feels unlike anything we’ve seen before on the big screen and feels like the main selling point of the film.
Despite the strong character arcs and impressive fight sequences, the film feels a little disjointed and the trailers teased some scenes that didn’t make it into the film, so I assume they had to compress the plot and the arcs down a little which can be felt by the end, but at the same time the ending could also be neatly woven into another sequel which will undoubtably get made. This is only a minor flaw and I am not surprised as that is the nature of cinema these days, but it feels like more could be said and told. Both Jordan and Majors make the chemistry between Adonis and Damian feel authentic and real, and I would happily watch more of these two on the screen again.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Creed III continues to prove that this is one franchise that goes from strength to strength. The film doesn’t slow down and the characters all have a sense of responsibility for each other in one way or another. This makes Creed III more immersive, more relatable and more engaging. That as well as the fighting makes Creed III one of the best boxing films ever made, and with Michael B. Jordan at the helm makes it all the more enticing and intimate. This is a personal film and by the end you too will be rooting for Creed to win again and be the man he was born to be.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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