'Creed III' Movie Review: Creed Pulls All the Right Punches

Michael B. Jordan makes a great directorial debut.

Creed III has finally hit cinemas and marks the third installment of the Creed franchise, with Michael B. Jordan’s making his directorial debut.

Sylvester Stallone unfortunately doesn’t return as the iconic Rocky Balboa (he was unhappy with the direction this story was going), but its safe to say that Michael B. Jordan certainly shines on his own as Adonis Creed.

While part of a trilogy, Creed III definitely works as a standalone film. However, I definitely recommend watching the previous Creed films to watch Adonis’ journey and his relationship with returning characters in the franchise to better appreciate the different story arcs in this film.

Set after the events of Creed II, heavyweight champion Adonis retires after having an incredibly successful career in the ring. And what’s the new love of his life? His family.

One thing that is undeniable throughout the Creed films is the chemistry between Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson, who plays his partner Bianca Taylor. I love these two sm.

‘Donnie’ now works a trainer at his gym and has become a stay-at-home dad to his daughter Amara, played by Mila Davis-Kent, who is a little scene-stealer with her cheeky personality.

Scene-stealer Mila Davis-Kent as Amara Creed had me in tears both from a comedic standpoint & emotional one. While I missed Stallone's Rocky in a few scenes, I respect the decision to fully make this ADONIS'S story and the Creed family is one you're invested in 100%. #Creed3 pic.twitter.com/eIChPAwHyo

— Nick Zednik (@NickZednik) March 2, 2023

As you can imagine, this time in paradise doesn’t last too long and the past comes back to haunt Donnie.

Jonathan Majors plays Damian ‘Dame’ Anderson – Adonis’ childhood friend and once-promising boxer who has just finished serving a long prison sentence.

I can’t really go into detail about what went down between Donnie and Dame without spoiling some of the plot, but all you need to know is that Dame is ready to fulfill the dream he had of becoming a boxer and reclaiming back the time he lost.

Majors performance adds a great complexity to his character, who doesn’t have anything to lose, and is witnessing the life he could’ve had through his old best friend. There’s jealously, betrayal, desperation, determination and everything in between, and it makes Dame even more terrifying.

Man, Jonathan Majors is really out here in cinemas killing it as playing not just one, but two bad guys rn. Have you seen him yet as Kang the Conqueror? (Also, I love that Killmonger, Valkyrie, and Kang are all in this movie – the MCU is truly taking over.)

The fight scenes are incredibly entertaining to watch with Michael B. Jordan’s creative flair. His love for fight-sequences in anime were an inspiration for these big scenes in Creed III – watch him try not to nerd out when he talks about some of fave influences.

@_ominous_ Michael b. Jordan talks about anime influences in his creed III film. #creed3 #creediii #michaelbjordan #anime #manga #megalobox #hajimenoippo #dragonball #naruto #mha #bnha #myheroacademia #fyp #foryou #viral #weeb #otaku #boxing #fypシ #animetiktok #animefyp ♬ original sound - Ominous

The stylistic choices in the inevitable Creed v Anderson match really played on the tension and relationship between two people who once considered each other brothers.

While the plot may have been – at times – predictable, I won’t deny that Creed III was a great watch. With family and love at the center of its heart, this is more than just a boxing movie.

Looking forward to seeing Creed in the ring one last time? Don’t miss this knock-out and grab your tix with our $12.50 Hoyts deal!

Header Image: Eli Ade/©MGM.