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Boxing champ Adonis is living the good life with a wonderful wife, loving daughter, and more than he could have ever dreamed of. So, of course, he’s now about to face his greatest challenge – a friend he left behind – in the third entry of the Rocky spinoff, Creed III.
Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has retired from boxing and spends his days with his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and his daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), in their mansion. He also runs a gym and is a promoter for boxing champ Felix Chavez (Jose Benavidez). Yes… life’s pretty much perfect for Creed.
That is until a blast from his boyhood past, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), shows up. It seems Damian and Creed grew up together and were extremely close as foster kids until one night 18 years ago when a few bad decisions resulted in Damian going to jail. Now, Damian is out and looking to move forward with his boxing career. (A flashback reveals that Damian had real talent as a young, up-and-coming boxer while 15-year-old Creed carried his towel and water for him.)
Damian looks Creed up and confesses he followed every one of his fights while in prison. But now Damian believes it’s his turn to be a champion; he’s kept incredibly fit and still has the hunger to win. Feeling a bit uneasy but obligated to help his friend, Creed invites him to his gym, promising he’ll work with him.
Creed believes Damian might be an excellent sparring partner for Felix to prepare him for his next big fight. However, Damian quickly makes it crystal clear he is no one’s sparring partner. Damian is convinced he’s ready for – and deserving of – a shot at the title of champ, and is determined to take everything Creed has made for himself away.
Creed III is a sluggish and somber entry in the Rocky and Creed boxing franchises. Creed‘s third film appears to pull most of its ideas from the films Rocky III and Rocky V. It also features the most unimpressive and suspenseless fight scenes of any boxing film.
Michael B. Jordan is both star and director and does a solid job handling both titles. Jordan portrays Adonis Creed, this time out, as a man who’s haunted by an ugly past that has caught up with him and that he’s still struggling to atone for. Creed feels that he owes Damian for everything he did for him when they were young, but he’s also convinced he needs to keep his past a healthy distance from his wife and daughter. Jordan’s best scenes are when he’s quietly wrestling with his guilt and demons and pushing Bianca away.
Jonathan Majors makes for a formidable challenger to Creed as Damian, his older and much larger former friend who’s filled with anger and resentment toward Creed, the man he believes has the life he should have. Separately, Jordan and Majors are terrific. However, the film suffers from a lack of any real chemistry between Majors and Jordan in their shared scenes. Rather than natural, they come off as awkward and forced. A perfect example of this is the diner scene where Creed treats Damian to a meal and finally offers to train him.
Another big issue with the film is the incredibly weak boxing match showdown between Creed and Damian at the climax of the film. Almost the entire fight is filmed as though it’s some sort of dream state. There’s no sense of suspense or realism to it. The intensity and brutality of the epic boxing matches in the first two Rocky films and Creed is sadly absent.
Creed III isn’t a knockout; it’s not even a contender. It’s a missed opportunity and lacks the punch of the other entries in this boxing saga.
GRADE: C
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language, intense sports action, and violence
Running Time: 1 hour 56 minutes
Release Date: March 3, 2023
Studio: United Artists Releasing
