Michael B. Jordan lands haymakers and heart in a predictable sequel that punches above its script. Creed III marks a solid feature directorial debut. Jordan's good in front and behind the camera, but the addition of a heavyweight antagonist elevates the film. An absolutely shredded Jonathan Majors brings depth, gravitas, and wicked jabs. He's a beast and a half as a bitter ex-bestie seeking glory. His quest for comeuppance sears with palpable rage. Majors has an underlying intensity that dominates every performance. He brings believable betrayal and menace to an otherwise rote storyline.
Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Jordan) has reached the pinnacle of success. He retires as an undisputed champion with a bounty of riches. Marriage to Bianca (Tessa Thompson) has given him more than he could have ever hoped. Their daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), and his beloved foster mother (Phylicia Rashad), completes a bedrock foundation of happiness. Their gilded lives fulfill the American dream.
Majors Is Tough Enough
Warner Bros.
Donnie and Duke (Wood Harris) train new fighters as boxing promoters. Their golden boy, Felix Chavez (Jose Benavidez), holds the heavyweight belt. The boxing world eagerly anticipates his upcoming fight with Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). But Donnie can't find anyone tough enough to spar with his talented protégé.
The answer presents itself leaning on Donnie's Rolls-Royce SUV outside the gym. He's shocked to see Damian "Dame" Anderson (Majors) after almost twenty years. He worshiped his best friend as a teen. Dame was a promising Golden Gloves youth fighter before his stint in prison. He wants a chance at the title, not a handout, from the shadow that became the spotlight. Dame wonders why Donnie abandoned him. A guilty Donnie promises to help. A title match can't happen. Others have earned their path to Chavez. Dame can train with them while he gets back on track.
Emotional Framework Drives Characters
Warner Bros.
Creed III builds an emotional framework that drives the characters. Motivations are crystal clear. Flashback scenes of Donnie and Dame in their youth explain the long incarceration. The loss of brotherhood has wounded both men. But Dame festered in anger while Donnie achieved stardom. He's the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing that Donnie unwisely allows back into his life. A genuine effort for reconciliation reveals the true agenda of a hurt man with serious grievances.
There are no surprises. The film plays out along the same path as every other installment of the Rocky and Creed franchises. Familial subplots with Donnie's wife, daughter, and mother are contrived. They're melodramatic when real tension already exists. Focus should have been kept on the primary arc between friends turned rivals. There's a thin line between love and hate.
Stylistic Change Compared to Previous Films
The fight scenes have a modicum of creativity. Jordan uses ultra slow motion, visual effects, and close-ups to differentiate the matches. There's a stylistic change from the previous films. Not all of it works but the actual boxing does. Jordan, fit as a fiddle, slugs it out savagely against a much bigger Majors. Audiences are going to race from the theater to the gym.
Every film I review with Majors has me exalting his virtues. He's continuously damn good in every aspect. Dame is a physical juggernaut who's devious and forlorn at the same time. Majors' performance shines above the written dialogue. A lessor actor wouldn't have been as believable. The next chapter has to focus on Dame's redemption.
Creed III is a production of MGM Pictures, Chartoff-Winkler Productions, Proximity Media, and Outlier Society. It will have a theatrical release on March 3rd from MGM.