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Since first stepping into the ring with help from his father’s old friend, Rocky, Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed has battled some tough competitors in his quest for a championship title. But in Creed III, he finds himself reconnecting with an old friend who brings back painful memories from his past.
Creed III finds Adonis happily settled into life as the retired heavyweight champion, enjoying time with his family and promoting the next generation of boxers. But then an old friend from his past shows up, bringing with him memories of Adonis’s troubled youth. Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) was an up-and-coming young boxer before serving 18 years in prison. But now that he’s out, he wants another chance at the career he once dreamed of—and he wants his old friend to help him fight for his own heavyweight championship.
With his old friend’s arrival, Adonis is finds himself flooded with troubling memories from his past—of the pain and mistakes and the guilt that he’s worked so hard to put behind him. Like most tough guys, he struggles with talking about his past and his emotions, which puts a strain on his relationships—and gives the film plenty of drama. Of course, despite the fact that his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), encourages him to talk through his problems, it’s no surprise that he chooses to fight it out instead.
Admittedly, though, there’s really nothing surprising here. The latest Creed film returns with all of the elements that audiences have come to expect from Creed movies—and the Rocky movies before them: the same stylized fights, the same drama, the same high-energy soundtrack, and the same training montages. As expected, it’s another emotional adrenaline rush of a boxing movie—though maybe a little darker and heavier than usual.
What makes the film stand out, though, is rising star Jonathan Majors. His captivating performance as Dame Anderson brings so much depth and power to this layered, complicated character—a man struggling with his rage, his resentment, his regrets, and the dreams that he’s never been able to let go. He makes a worthy opponent for Jordan’s Creed—and he manages to take an enjoyable but predictable film and elevate it into something bigger and more fascinating than just another installment in a reliably likable franchise.
Creed III sticks with what’s worked for the franchise for more than four decades—so when you walk into the theater, you’ll know what to expect. But while it doesn’t really bring anything new or surprising to the series, the talented cast gives it plenty of depth and drama.
Michael B. Jordan makes his move back into the ring when Creed III hits theaters on March 3,2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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