Creed III is a 2023 sports drama film directed by Michael B. Jordan in his feature directorial debut, based on a screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin from a story they co-wrote with Ryan Coogler. It is the sequel to Creed II (2018), and the ninth installment in the Rocky franchise. This will be the first film in the franchise without Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, though he still serves as a producer.

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis has been thriving in his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face off between former friends is more than just a fight.

The cast includes Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Jose Benavidez, Selenis Leyva, Thaddeus J. Mixson, and Spencer Moore II.

Creed III made its debut in theaters and IMAX on March 3rd, 2023, courtesy of MGM Studios and United Artists Releasing.

THE GOOD

Back in 2013 I was absolutely blown away by the intense biographical drama film Fruitvale Station, which starred Michael B. Jordan and was the feature film directorial debut for Oakland, CA native, Ryan Coogler. It was clear from the jump, Jordan was on his way to becoming a big name in the industry, and Coogler was a master behind the camera. Fast forward two years, and Coogler teamed up with Jordan yet again, this time with the sports drama extension of the famed Rocky franchise, Creed. Like what?! I was pumped! First of all, who doesn’t love the Rocky movies? Easily one of the most iconic film franchises ever.

Needless to say, Creed was incredible, and the relationship between Coogler and Jordan was for real. They worked together again on Black Panther (2018), but because of that project and how much was required of Coogler, Jordan had to do Creed II with a different director. Luckily, Coogler left his mark and the sequel was great as well. Four years have passed and the third Creed movie is finally here, this time an opportunity for Michael B. Jordan to not only star, but to also make his own debut in the director’s chair. So, did Creed III do the franchise proud or fall flat on its face? Keep reading to find out!

Ding ding ding, Creed III was an absolute knockout!! This movie was just so good for so many reasons, but I am still giddy about that fact that I got to watch Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors together. I mean what an incredible decision to bring Majors in to star alongside Jordan’s Adonis Creed. These two together turned the heat of the theater up 20 degrees, at least. Seriously though, as great as Jordan has been and continues to be in these films, I can’t even begin to imagine an actor coming in and matching the energy and intensity of his character like Majors was able to. As the poster says, you can’t run from your past, and the screenplay from Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin, and Ryan Coogler, was incredible. I don’t know how else to explain it but to say that I was intoxicated by this new layer to the story of Adonis Creed, and how he came to be. Creed III looks amazing and has such a unique and immersive style which is a testament to the directorial debut for Michael B. Jordan, and of course the soundtrack was just pure fire.

I touched on the cast first for a reason, it really is THAT good. Michael B. Jordan has been incredible ever since he took on the role of Adonis Creed, the son of the late and great Apollo Creed. Jordan has transformed ever since the day he took on the role, and in many ways it feels like the Creed films have helped to propel him as an actor and a serious player in the film industry. Granted rubbing shoulders with the legendary Sylvester Stallone, aka Rocky Balboa, doesn’t hurt either. I mentioned how much of an impact he had on me in Fruitvale Station, but you’ll be surprised to know he became a favorite of mine after his role in the underrated but just so damn good coming-of-age comedy That Awkward Moment (2014), where he stars alongside Zac Efron and Miles Teller.

The first Creed film would release a year later so I was all in on the Michael B. Jordan train at this point. In Creed III, he has built a family and a legacy of his own, and because he has done such an amazing job becoming this character throughout the first two films it all feels very genuine and real. I had zero issue buying into where Adonis Creed was at in this point of his life, and that for me made a big difference in terms of how invested I was in the film from the start. I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing this role, and it without a doubt was a career-defining decision for Jordan to join this franchise.

As the saying goes, behind every strong man is an even stronger woman, and that is without a doubt the case with Creed III. Tessa Thompson is an incredible actress who just happens to share a birthday with me, and although she has been slightly more successful in her career endeavors, we will be forever linked. Thompson has been hustling in Hollywood since 2003, but her role as the strong independent musician, Bianca in the original Creed film without a doubt opened doors for her. A few short years later she would be given the role of Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (2017), thanks to another visionary director in Taika Waititi, and the rest is history. Thompson is the whole package; she is beautiful, sexy, extremely talented, and a legit badass.

She also starred in the underrated indie drama Little Woods (2018, which is now streaming on HBO Max and worth checking out). Thompson of course returned in 2018’s Creed II, and by then was a fixture in the Creed films and had developed incredible chemistry with Jordan’s character. I am confident that Adonis Creed wouldn’t have become the man he became by Creed III without Bianca. Even though Adonis is a proven boxer and one of the best to ever enter the ring, in the Creed household Bianca wears the belt. I loved her character in Creed III, and even though she kept it real with her husband and challenged him to make the difficult life decisions he needed to make, she was also a supportive wife and mother who stood by him no matter what. Bottom line, she is amazing in this movie.

Now, it is time to talk about the newest addition to the Creed films, Jonathan Majors. I am still in awe that the decision was made to cast Majors in Creed III, and I honestly had chills when I watched the first trailer. It was hard to envision a new character making a big enough impact after the first two films, but bringing back an influential figure from Creed’s past was without question the right decision. Majors plays Damian ‘Dame’ Anderson, and he and Adonis were inseparable as kids when they were both struggling and in and out of foster care. I won’t talk too much about his backstory as to avoid spoilers, but the writing team deserves a ton of praise for giving Majors an opportunity to become a big part of such a successful film franchise. What I found to be unique about Majors’ character was the fact that he toed the line of antagonist and protagonist, making it difficult for viewers to decide how they should perceive him.

The balance of love and animosity between Anderson and Creed is incredibly complex and makes for an engaging narrative, and I enjoyed watching how things played out and the tug-of-war I experienced in terms of how I felt about these characters. Majors is incredibly talented and has proven that time and time again, but add in the fact that he is just a physical specimen, the sky really is the limit for him. In many ways Majors’ character reminded me of Tom Hardy in Warrior (2011), just an absolute beast and a bruiser of a fighter with a win at all costs mentality. If they decide to continue with the Creed films, and they really, really, really should, keeping Majors involved would be the right decision. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors working today and I will continue to support him no matter what he does. I hope they gave Paul Rudd a raise considering he had to go toe-to-toe with Majors in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (our review here).

I have to also touch on the incredible young actress, Mila Davis-Kent, who is deaf in real-life, as the cute as can be little Amara Creed. She was awesome in this, and after reading a few interviews from star and director Michael B. Jordan, it was clear that the connection between his character and his daughter was intended to be a big big part of the story, which was a great decision in my opinion. The supporting cast was incredible as well, from Wood Harris as trainer Tony “Little Duke Burton, Phylicia Rashad as Momma Creed, Florian Munteanu returning as Viktor Drago, Jacob “Stitch” Duran as Stitch, Jose Benavidez as Felix Chavez, Selenis Leyva as Laura Chaves, and last but certainly not least, Thaddeus J. Mixson (Safety) as young Adonis, and All-American and A.P. Bio star, Spencer Moore II as young Damian.

I thought the story was amazing and I really liked the route they decided to go with this third film. The people I talked to made it very clear they were bummed that Stallone wouldn’t be a part of Creed III, but I felt like the direction they went with the story made that pill a bit easier to swallow as the core of the story pre-dates Stallone’s Rocky character. Because the Creed films are built on such intense themes of love and family, they needed to find a way to come up with something that cut deep enough to threaten everything Adonis Creed was able to build in his life and his career, and they were able to do that perfectly. We don’t do spoilers here of course, but Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin, and Ryan Coogler deserve the credit for a great story.

How about Michael B. Jordan stepping into the director’s chair for the first time with such a massive project, and boy did he deliver the goods. The fact that he was trusted enough to take on Creed III speaks volumes about his commitment to his craft, and I feel like he deserves all of the credit in the world for what he was able to do. It was clear that his style was influenced by his mentor Ryan Coogler, but Jordan also made sure Creed III felt different and was able to leave his mark. I loved how he stuck with the intimate feel as far as the camera work and the individual shots that do a great job capturing raw emotion, and I won’t give anything away but I LOVED the unique cinematic sequence that was worked in to the final act of the film making the finale feel that much more epic. Bottom line, Michael B. Jordan is a damn swiss army knife, simple as that.

The technical elements of Creed III were on point. I really liked the use of slow-mo during some of the more intense fight scenes as I thought they added another layer of depth for viewers. I felt some of those brutal body blows in my ribcage. I thought the feel of the film stayed true to the franchise even though the family has made California their home. Shoutout to cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau for helping to create such an immersive experience. The fight entrances were incredible and brought me back to my childhood watching the glory days of Iron Mike Tyson. A big reason why the fight entrances were so amazing were thanks to a crazy good soundtrack which included music from Joseph Shirley, as well as a bunch of great tracks. The Creed franchise has always put a premium on the music and how much it means to the overall feel of the films, and that continues to be the case here. Just amazing all around.

THE BAD

Creed III is a fantastic film regardless of whether or not you are a fan of boxing or sports in general. Just like the Rocky films, the Creed franchise is built around family and legacy that extends well beyond the ring. The characters matter, the story matters, and viewers will have several reasons to be invested in what is happening on-screen. I think I made it very clear during the review that I loved this movie, but if I had to point out one thing I would personally have changed, it would be the runtime. I just think they could have easily added 30-45 minutes to the film and expanded on the story, and I would have been more than okay with that. But the fact of the matter is average moviegoers prefer films that aren’t quite as long. I was on the edge of my seat during the entire 2-hours, and I did not want to leave the theater. I also wish I had re-watched the first two films prior to seeing Creed III (all currently streaming on HBO Max), but that is a me problem. But rest assured, I am doing that this weekend before seeing this movie again.

THE VERDICT

A hard-hitting and emotionally charged cinematic journey elevated by powerhouse performances from Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors, Creed III is an intense edge-of-your-seat experience that will leave viewers begging for more. This movie was just awesome and I enjoyed every minute of it, from the cast, to the story, right down to the music and the cinematography. And what a directorial debut for Jordan, who will without a doubt get more opportunities to direct in the future. Quality films are supposed to leave a mark on you, and that is undoubtedly the case here.

If you consider yourself to be a fan of the Creed films or the Rocky franchise dating back to 1976 (wow!!), you need to see this in theaters as soon as possible. I don’t know if we will get another Creed movie or not, but Jordan seems to have left the possibility open, and the inevitable success of Creed III should be a big determining factor. So get out there and support this movie! Plus, if you need motivation to start working out and preparing for beach season, just watch the Creed movies and you will have all the motivation you need. Creed and Creed II are currently streaming on HBO Max and Prime Video, you can thank me later.