Creed III – Review
116 Minutes, Rated PG-13
Written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin
Directed by Michael B Jordan
**NOTE: You can read Mark’s review below then listen as he and Ryan discuss the movie in more depth. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
Synopsis:
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian, resurfaces after serving a long sentence 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.
With Creed III, Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut as he completes (?) the Creed trilogy.
This time, Adonis Creed is a true champion, recognized for greatness on his own terms, and who, after retirement, starts to face the same issues his father faced after he stepped out of the ring.
With his wife’s (Bianca, played again by Tessa Thompson) music career going gangbusters despite her having to step back from performing into more of a production role due to her hearing loss, Adonis runs a successful business managing and promoting fighters, including the current Heavyweight Champion of the world.
When a childhood friend reappears after nearly 2 decades in prison, Adonis is forced to reconcile his past with his present, and deal with its effect on his future.
The idea of “legacy” is one that runs through most of the films in the series, and Creed III is no exception. The idea that what we leave behind is the most important thing, and how the drive to ensure that is seen as a positive by those who come after can force someone into decisions they might not normally make.
Jordan makes a fine debut behind the camera, although he made some choices I found a bit odd, including the filming of a large chunk of the “the fight” to end the film. I also found the ending to be a bit… too feel-good, even for a Balboa-verse film.
Majors continues to show why he’s the hottest thing going right now, commanding the screen each time he appears.
Overall, fans of the Balboa/Creed-verse should leave the theater happy, though I’m not sure this particular film will win over many new fans to the boxing-heavy genre.
A good film, solid all around, Creed III is definitely worth your time and box-office $$.
Creed III hits theaters on March 3 and stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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