Rent Creed III on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin (screenplay by), Ryan Coogler and Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin (story by), Sylvester Stallone (based on characters created by)
Directed by: Michael B. Jordan
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
Adonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight.
Verdict
This might be better than its predecessors. A deeply personal story propels Adonis Shaw and the movie. This does embrace some of the typical boxing and Rocky movie story structures, but the way it positions them is just unique enough to make it feel different or like an homage. All of the characters are really well done, and that's what gives this movie a lot of depth. You understand characters' motivations, it's not as simple as good or bad. The events don't happen to prop up the plot, everything that happens is character driven.
Watch It.
Review
This is the sequel to Creed II and Creed, overall the ninth Rocky based movie. This marks Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut.
This opens with Adonis's childhood as he sneaks out to watch his friend Damian box. We're left with a cliffhanger as that night goes sideways. The next scene jumps forward, showing Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) becoming the undisputed champ. Another jump gets us to the present day where Adonis is retired from boxing, focusing on family and business ventures.
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| Michael B. Jordan plays Adonis Shaw |
Adonis runs into Damian (Jonathan Majors), the childhood friend we saw in the first scene. Damian has been in prison, but he wants to box. He pushes Adonis for a chance at the title as he's had years taken away from his life. I get Damian wants to make up for lost time. Adonis refuses, but I wondered if just anybody can challenge for the title. I assume you have to work your way up the ranks. Google didn't provide a front page answer for that.
The movie makes it a point to develop the characters and avoid heavy exposition to do it. Adonis wants to teach his daughter the sport he knows while his wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) is hesitant to teach her how to fight. Damian wants to make up for lost time, and he sees Adonis living the life that he wanted. Damian manages to parallel that situation to Bianca who no longer performs and instead produces.
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| Jonathan Majors plays Damian Anderson |
Damian manages to get the title fight against Chavez. It's an underdog story, and I like how this compares the fight to Rocky versus Apollo. People like the underdog and that creates excitement for the fight. Damian fights dirty in a brutal match. Adonis is conflicted as he watches his former friend pummel his protege. Adonis has spent all this time training and hyping Chavez, and he has so much guilt over what happened to Damian.
You get why Damian has all this aggression and something to prove. He spent nearly two decades in jail, abandoned by his friend, as he watched someone else accomplish the future he wanted. That doesn't excuse his actions, but we do understand. He verbally attacks Adonis baiting him to fight, and Adonis knows that won't quit unless they both step into the ring.
An aside Adonis's house is very nice and he drives a Rolls Royce. Damian wins one fight and quickly seems to get a very nice apartment. I wondered if boxing really generates that much money. In Adonis's case he has various businesses, but it did seem like a lot of money spent for both characters.
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| Jonathan Majors, Michael B. Jordan play Damian Anderson, Adonis Shaw |
The boxing movie formula often focuses on training and fighting. The main character has to lose a fight in the middle of the movie to put pressure on them to come back at the end. This movie puts a nice story into motion, making it very personal for Adonis. Damian is not only a challenger, but represents that difficult life and the guilt Adonis wants to leave behind.
This does include a training montage which feels like a homage. In the final fight, this shows just the two fighters and an empty ring to drive home their focus. It's creative, something I've never seen in a boxing movie.
This is the best Creed movie due to the depth of the characters. In boxing movies the fights are the main focus, but in this movie it's a result of characters, their struggles, and their decisions. It bolsters the narrative instead of being the bulk of the narrative.
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