Creed III finds Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) sitting on top of the world. After winning his final bout, Adonis retires from the quadrilateral and is ready for the next chapter in his life. As he takes on new responsibilities, a former friend from his past threatens to force Creed back into the ring one final time. Will Adonis emerge victorious once again?
The plot is rather typical for many trilogies, especially when the series reaches its third chapter. The introduction to our protagonist is appropriate for part one. Part two sees the character reach the destination of his journey, if not the goal he strove for. The question of how you wrap up a trilogy is ultimately based on where we went in the second story.
The past is always a good place to start. Creed III chooses this route by introducing Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), Adonis’ best friend growing up. Damian has been recently released from prison after serving time for coming to Adonis’s defense during an altercation. The movie begins with a flashback alluding to this and eventually reveals all the details of that fateful night as the story progresses. Their lives diverge. Young Damian (Spence Moore II) serves jail time. Meanwhile, young Adonis (Thaddeus J. Mixson) manages to run away, becoming a larger-than-life athlete.
The reunion with Damian forces Adonis to relive a part of his life he desperately tried to leave behind. Consumed by guilt, Adonis will not move on until he faces both Damian and his own demons. It is all rather predictable, but Jordan makes it work.
Adonis Creed’s last time in the ring coincides with Michael B. Jordan’s first time behind the camera. Taking an iconic franchise from the hands of Ryan Coogler (who earns writer and producer credits on this installment) is no small feat. However, Jordan proves more than ready for the challenge. His direction exudes confidence, introducing heavily thematic visuals to the boxing ring. Every shot is thoroughly thought out. Like its predecessors, the boxing choreography is impressive and impactful to watch. Every hit is palpable and difficult to stomach; its realism will leave audiences in pain. Even when Jordan becomes overzealous with some devices (particularly his use of mirrors), his direction connects like a right hook.
As if that was not enough, Jordan of course plays the titular character once again. He shows the maturity of Creed while displaying his vulnerability to this new challenge. He also brings a fair amount of heart to his portrayal. Scenes shared with his on-screen daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) are particularly affecting and among the most touching of the entire Creed franchise.
However, from a performance aspect, the movie undoubtedly belongs to Jonathan Majors. As Damian, he creates an imposing figure, and not just physically. He is to Adonis what Robert Mitchum’s Max Cady is to Gregory Peck’s Sam Bowden in Cape Fear. He carefully stalks and schemes to destroy Adonis, planning to take the life he believes should be his. It is a majestic yet subdued performance. It should receive awards recognition and highlights another memorable outing from one of the best actors on film today.
Even with limited screen time, Tessa Thompson shines in her return as Bianca Creed. In the midst of all the muscle and brawn, Bianca is the film’s strongest character. Even though she has established herself as one of the most successful music producers in the business, she struggles with the “what could have been” part of her career. When faced with the threat of her family falling apart at the hands of Damian, she remains steadfast in her resolve and is the cornerstone that keeps the Creed family together during challenging times.
Phylicia Rashad as Mary-Anne Creed and Wood Harris as Duke Burton also return. Rashad gives a brief but warm performance while Harris offers some comic relief as Creed’s trusted trainer.
While Creed III is not perfect (especially with some shoddy CGI), the movie manages to honor its past history while laying the foundation for the next chapter. A remarkably young and talented group of people have come together to create an innovative look at an otherwise old formula, and have succeeded. The next wave of immense Hollywood talent is here, and much like Adonis Creed, look to continue delivering knock out punches.
