Creed III (2023) Movie Review

Synopsis:

Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is thriving in life as a result of becoming a world boxing champion. His childhood friend, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after a significant prison sentence. A former boxing prodigy, Damian demands a title opportunity to prove his worth in the ring.

Review:

Creed (2015) and Creed II (2018) left their mark on Rocky and Adonis’ legacy. Creed III strove to continue this formula.

For context, this was Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut. With this in mind, Creed III had to leave an impression on the fans.

Jordan’s visual style and boxing sequences are the highlights. Regardless, Creed III's rushed story approach may be a problem for some.

What may have contributed to this is the absence of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa.

Without a trainer or father figure to guide Adonis, the story’s momentum drags. This is also evident with Jonathan Majors’ Damian.

Despite a good performance by Jonathan Majors, Damian needed more substance and development.

Creed III’s main problems are its script and a rushed narrative. Despite these flaws, the boxing sequences are a highlight.

Each fight hits with a noticeable impact and has precise choreography.

There is also a greater emphasis on slow motion during these fights. This helps to add more flair to the proceedings.

Michael B. Jordan also has a distinct visual style on display in Creed III. With it, he establishes the in-ring action and location shots.

His visual style is also present when displaying characters, presenting a unique perspective.

Creed III's performances are good from most of the cast. These include B. Jordan’s Adonis and Tessa Thompson’s Bianca.

As stated, Jonathan Majors also gives a good performance. Majors displays a sense of unease as Damian.

It’s unfortunate, though, that his backstory isn’t explored further. Despite this, Majors does show promise in the role.

Conclusion:

Creed III is an above-average film that can falter due to a rushed storytelling approach. Its plot also lacks forward momentum.

Jonathan Majors’ Damian can also suffer due to this approach as well. This is despite a solid performance, both in-ring and out.

This film's positives are its striking visual style, alongside good boxing sequences.

Performances are also good, with Michael B. Jordan cementing a firm new legacy as Adonis.

Creed III should entertain most fans, even if fan favorite Rocky Balboa is missing.

Sam’s Action Reaction score:

Characters - 7/10

Story - 6.5/10

Action - 7/10

Visuals - 7.5/10

Soundtrack - 6.5/10

Overall score: 6.9 out of 10