Creed III (2023)

 

You can't keep a franchise down, and after the fun and riveting previous entries now lead Michael B Jordan actually took place in the director's seat for this one. And you know what? He did a pretty good job. Sure, he is taking the franchise in another direction than before, which was more of a continuation of the 'Rocky'-storyline, but it works. For the most part.

Adonis has his last fight and continues on as owner of the Delphi Gym, where he is now helping young talent get to the top. But things change when a friend from his youth unexpectedly turns up after roughly 18 years. Damien used to be a contender, but then ended up in prison and is now on the lookout to reclaim his shot at the title. Adonis is conflicted but can't help but feel just a bit guilty for having 'forgotten' his old friend. So eventually Damian gets a title shot after Viktor Drago gets assaulted and breaks his wrist. Damian surprisingly beats the current champion, but then becomes a total dick to Adonis.

But it isn't over yet, as it soon transpires that Damian will use any tactic possible to get back at Adonis and even was behind the assault that left Drago incapable of fighting for a few months. So you all know where this is heading: Adonis has to come back from retirement and set things straight.

It's fun seeing Michael B Jordan in this role, because he has such great knowledge of who the character is and where he is headed. The interplay with Tessa Thompson and their daughter is believable and is the true heart of the story. Also, it is good to see the series has done away with the more cartoony villains that ended up sort of leading the 'Rocky' franchise into more sports fantasy as Damian isn't evil. He is someone who has scars and grew up in prison, thus giving him a totally different outlook an life and making him someone who will go to great lengths to get what he wants, no matter how he gets there. You get that these two guys have a history and turned out very different, but even though Damian does some despicable things, he is not malignant. The best proof of that is the fact that Adonis and him make up at the end of the film.

So there's a lot of focus on relationships, but of course this film has some cool training montages, a staple of the genre. The fights are also well choreographed, though at times it does feel a little less hard-hitting than some previous iterations. The artistic choice for the final fight is commendable, but maybe a little weird for what is in essence still a film about a sport where two people beat the everloving snot out of each other, but at least Michael B Jordan tried something different this time around. 

In short: 'Creed III' is a fun and cool film, but the first one of the series did hit the hardest.

You know that pun was coming.