Worth: $14.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent
Intro:
... isn’t a bad film, it just doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
When Creed released in 2015, it provided a much-needed shot in the arm for the flagging Rocky franchise, cemented Michael B. Jordan as an absurdly talented, charismatic screen presence, and showcased Ryan Coogler’s propulsive, exciting directing. Bursting with energy, kinetic fight scenes and a genuine sense of emotion, it was a winner of a flick that provided Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa character a perfect end point, a fitting denouement for a beloved hero of the silver screen, who first debuted back in 1976. Of course, the film was a smash hit and that “perfect end point” instead became a new beginning. Thanks, Hollywood.
To be fair, 2018’s Creed II was still a decent flick. Due to a Black Panther-related scheduling conflict, Coogler could no longer direct, but Steven Caple Jr. took over and did a solid job. The story, which continued some dangling plot strands from Rocky IV of all things, strained credulity at times, but some great performances and solid action kept things afloat.
All of which brings us to Creed III, a sequel even less necessary than its predecessor, and one that doesn’t quite justify its existence, despite having quality elements.
Creed III sees Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) coming to something of a plateau in life. Oh, don’t get us wrong, he still loves his misso Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), not to mention the fact that he’s a deadset boxing legend of international renown… but after three years of retirement, he’s beginning to wonder what’s next.
The answer to this existential query appears in the form of Dame Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a childhood friend of Adonis, who has just been released from prison after 18 years. Dame wants to get back in the ring to make up for lost time and soon proves to have a major chip on his shoulder and a ruthless streak. Can it be long before ol’ mate Adonis has to face Dame in the sweet science of smacking the crap out of one another? Well, you know, obviously not, otherwise this wouldn’t be a movie.
Creed III is, among other things, the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan, and while the talented actor shows a decent enough grasp of the fundamentals, it has to be said that there’s something missing at the core of the film. This could also be due to the rather pedestrian script from Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, or perhaps the unfortunate (and confusing) lack of Sylvester Stallone, who doesn’t appear in even a single scene, apparently due to some behind-the-scenes fuckery. The result is a film that hits all the usual Rocky movie beats – new challenger, self doubt, training montage, final fight – without nailing the emotional heft that needs to accompany them.
Creed III isn’t a bad film, it just doesn’t quite live up to its potential. Michael B. Jordan is excellent as Adonis Creed and Jonathan Majors oozes sinister intent and repressed anger. However, their story never reaches a point of true catharsis, where you wave your fist in the air, bellow “fuck yeah” and remind yourself to start going to the gym.
It’s a perfectly entertaining little boxing movie, but as the third film in this initially stellar series of Rocky spin-offs, it’s beginning to feel a little inessential.
