Creed III Review: Knockout the Ego

 Movies 

Creed III Review: Knockout the Ego 

By Dylan Barbee

SPOILER WARNING

Release Date: 3/3/2023

Micheal B. Jordan marks his directorial debut with Creed III, the ninth installment of the Rocky series and the first movie without an appearance from Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). However, Creed III is able to stand on its own two legs in the ring without Slyvester Stalone as this film signals the clear passing of the torch from Rocky Balboa to Adonis Creed (Micheal B. Jordan). 

After winning the WBC World Heavyweight Championship against Viktor Drago in Creed II, Adonis decides to retire and enjoy the life he has built for himself with his family in a luxurious mansion in the Hollywood Hills. He still dominates in the boxing world as he coaches several skilled young fighters acting as the mentor Rocky once was for him. Adonis’s mindset changes though when he comes across an old childhood friend, Damien Anderson (Jonathan Majors). 

As kids Adonis and Damien were raised in a shelter home where they were physically abused. Damien was a big brother figure to Adonis when they were growing up together and when Damien started boxing, Adonis would carry his gloves and equipment. During a flashback scene at the beginning of the film a teenage Adonis (Thaddeus J. Mixson) sees a man who physically abused him at the shelter home when walking into a liquor store and decides to start an altercation. This altercation results in a gun being pulled by teenage Damien (Spence Moore II) which causes him to face an eighteen year prison sentence. Adonis was never caught as he chose to run away from the police.

In present day, Damien has just been released and reaches out to the now respected boxing veteran Adonis Creed in hopes that he can help him accomplish his dream of being a boxing prodigy and reclaim the glory he once experienced as a young fighter. Feeling guilty about what happened the night of Damien’s arrest, Adonis gives in. However, Damien ends up being a crooked person both inside and out of the boxing ring ruining Adonis’s reputation even after he advocated for Damien. This leads to an intense Adonis Creed vs. Damien Anderson main event match in the film’s last act. 

When it comes to the acting performances, I have no complaints. I was impressed by Jonathan Majors performance as he was able to portray his character as a hardheaded and troubled individual who was envious of the life that Adonis was living. Also, not only was Micheal B. Jordan an excellent director behind the camera but while in front of the camera he was effectively able to portray how Adonis Creed dealt with the heavy burden of guilt. Both Adonis and Damien grew up under similar circumstances but ended up having completely different fates due to Adonis’s choice to run and that’s a concept I like about Creed III.

Everything about this film was intimate and personal. When it came to Adonis's life in the boxing world the incredible camera work showed beads of sweat flying across the air and the harmful impact of a punch to the face when fighting inside the ring. When outside the ring, Adonis teaches his deaf daughter how to box through sign language and finally opens up to his wife about the things from his past he feels ashamed of.

There were a few subplots I felt were vague and could’ve been better throughout Creed III’s one hour and fifty-six minute runtime especially when it came to Adonis and Damien abrupt falling out and the film’s ending. Both of these moments should have been more thought out considering they are crucial to the Creed III’s storyline as a whole. Adonis and Damien’s beef with one another escalated quickly causing their relationship changing from childhood best friends to boxing opponents to feel unnatural. Unfortunately, the ending was rushed as round 3 in the main event fight between Creed and Anderson quickly turned into the start of round 13. It kind of felt like a moment where Micheal B. Jordan and the film’s producer Ryan Coogler just wanted to get the movie over with. 

Despite a rushed ending and some underdeveloped ideas, Creed III serves as not only an entertaining boxing movie but also as an emotional take on contemporary masculinity as well as reminding us to put our egos aside and choose forgiveness instead. 

Rating: 7/10