Confession time: I have not seen the previous Creed movies. I watched half of the first one, and bought parts 1 and 2, but have never had the time to sit down and watch them. This was corrected after I watched Creed III in IMAX earlier this week. I will say that while it is not necessary to see the first two movies to understand Creed III, they will help in understanding the arc of Adonis Creed. With that said, Creed III is a great movie with phenomenal boxing scenes and spectacular performances by the leads.
The movie starts off with Adonis Creed fighting his last fight in Africa. During this fight we see a hint of Michael B. Jordan’s use of the IMAX cameras to put the viewer inside of the fight. We also see the anime influence in filming the fight scenes that inhance the fight and bring them to another level. Within this fight we see that Creed uses a technique that he learned from a childhood friend, Damian Anderson, who’s story is told as the movie progresses.
Damian’s story is told through a series of flashbacks. These flashbacks show us the close friendship that he had with Adonis. Damian was on the cusp of stardom in the boxing world when an incident changed the trajectory of his life and the life of Adonis. We are introduced to Damian as he visits Adonis at his boxing gym. It takes a moment for Adonis to remember his friend and they connect and catch up over lunch. There is a lot going on in this lunch scene. From the guilt that Adonis has for his friend being in jail for 18 years to the lost potential of not living out his dream, we see Damian plant the seeds of what his goals are. He is out of jail and wants what he feels is owned to him. If you thought Majors was scary as Kang he takes it up a notch as Damian.
This theme of “entitlement” is one that is highlighted by both characters in the movie. Where Damian feels that his journey was stopped due to the incident mentioned earlier he wants what he did not get and will do everything he can to get it. On the other side, Adonis feels guilty for being where he is. He feels that everything he has should not be his and should belong to his friend. This survivor’s guilt clouds his judgement and makes him blind in seeing nothing wrong with helping out his friend. This guilt also brings about issues within Adonis’ family and his wife, Bianca, who is the voice of reason for him.
One thing that Creed III does fantastic is show how men deal with mental health issues. The entire issue between Adonis and Damian could have been wrapped up during the lunch scene but because men don’t want to open up about their feelings we see what happens between them. There are moments when Bianca is asking Adonis to open up to her about what is troubling him and he responds by lashing out and saying he does not want a “therapy session”. This matter is resolved later in the movie during a scene with Adonis and Bianca shows that sometimes all men need to do is talk to someone they trust/love to know their worth.
As a father, the relationship between Adonis and Amara was beautiful. The fact that the crew learned American Sign Language (ASL) to work with the young Mila Davis-Kent shows the commitment of the stars. Seeing how Adonis cared for her and wanted to protect her showed a softer side of Adonis as opposed to his demeanor in the ring. The young actress stole the scenes she was in and we’ll see what the future holds for her.
I will say this about the boxing scenes, Jordan takes advantage of the IMAX cameras to give new life to how boxing scenes are filmed. His anime influence is highlighted in how stylized the fights look. The last fight shows some Raging Bull influences in the color choice but also takes you inside the head of each fighter.
Final Thoughts: Creed III is the latest installment of the Creed franchise and is a great wrap-up to the saga…or is it? If you have not seen the previous installments you will not be lost in following along with this story. While the previous movies might give you a better understanding of Adonis Creed, this movie does stand alone. The movie covers a lot of topics like childhood trauma, mental health, and survivor’s guilt but also shines the light on fatherhood, disabilities, and family. Creed III is a great movie with spectacular boxing matches that are enhanced with IMAX cameras.
Kid-Friendly: The relationship between Adonis and his daughter, Amara, is beautiful to watch on the screen. These tender moments are great to watch together as a family. The theme of guilt and loyalty is something that kids will eventually learn but seeing how it plays out in the movie is a good starting point for conversations at home. The movie is rated PG-13 and it sticks close to that rating.
Violence: This is a boxing movie so there are some fights. The fights are filmed in a way that puts you in the middle of the action so you see the effects of a punch to the gut or face. One fight scene is a little brutal but the fights are not excessive.
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Creed III is the third installment in the successful franchise and is Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut.
I saw Creed and loved it. Good acting,great script and surprizes along the way.