A sad, shallow sequel. I regret watching it. I hoped it was as good as they tried to sell it, but I knew something was off since they focused so much on the directorial debut, I don't know who wrote the story but it sure as fu*k wasn't Stallone, this has Coogler written all over it, it seems he loves taking money from agenda-pushers, not even the classics are safe anymore, he ruined Black Panther, and now he ruined Creed too, that's 2 franchises ruined by a talentless writer with no integrity. I shudder to think what career-ruining horsesh*t awaits us in the upcoming "Creed-verse", it's so transparent and dare I say dumb that I feel sorry for MBJ, he should abandon this project and stay the fu*k away from Coogler and everyone else involved in this, there's still some hope left for him, but definitely not for universe revolving around something so fundamentally shallow, so bad.

Just don't watch the movie, they skipped everything that made Rocky great, they diluted it to the point where it's not even a proper drink, it's not even water, they split the elements and Creed III can only be described as a pocket of air stuck between the writer's buttcheeks, it stinks. Many would dismiss that as hater talk, but anyone with common sense sees exactly what I see, besides being a fart of a movie, it's also an insult to Rocky and Stallone, he's just too old to care probably, so he's being supportive of MBJ's work, but in reality, we all know what's up. And yeah I said it's a fart of a movie, not a sh*t movie, that's because in order to be sh*t, it needs to actually have substance, and it really doesn't, the whole story can be told in A SINGLE SENTENCE. And that within itself is a story not worth telling. Horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible fu*king movie, please someone tell Coogler to find work somewhere where he can't so royally fu*k things up for so many people. This should not be tolerated. In any other workplace, he'd be canned and sued for damages, but somehow Hollywood is supportingly allowing people like him to ruin franchises, and this isn't the only example, we've all noticed it lately, right? These agendas aren't circumstancial, it's planned, somethin's afoot, something very bad that doesn't even have anything to do with the movie business, but rather with politics. As if I needed an extra reason to dislike this garbage of a movie.

A likeable "underdog" protagonist? Check! A charismatic, seemingly unbeatable antagonist? Check! A cool training montage? Check! A tense final showdown? Check!

The third Creed movie doesn't quite manage to maintain the quality of its predecessors, but it's still thoroughly entertaining. However, there are hardly any innovations. The classic Rocky formula is omnipresent. Every single item on the checklist is meticulously crossed out. As with most of the other parts of the series, this is hardly an issue, though. The formula just works. And even if it is a pity that Sylvester Stallone is no longer part of the franchise, this is quite helpful for the character Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan). At last, he stands on his own.

Jordan does a solid job as both director and leading man. His chemistry with Tessa Thompson also continues to be strong. Mila Davis-Kent as their daughter Amara perfectly complements the family dynamic. The true MVP of "Creed III," however, is Jonathan Majors. He sweeps every scene he's in with his presence. His facial expressions are simply unbeatable.

I didn't like everything, though. For example, the opening of the movie is very bumpy. It also took me quite a while to get used to the look of the film. Especially the first fight seemed visually "off" to me. However, that all improved over the course of the two-hour runtime. The later fight sequences are much stronger, even if the CGI arenas are a bit distracting. The ending then unfortunately seemed a bit anticlimactic, further hurting my overall impression. Nevertheless, I would watch more Creed films without hesitation.

Oohh... So this is a bit of a tough one.

Let's go with treating it as "not a Rocky film" given they make zero mention of Mr Robert Balboa in this.

On the plus side - some interesting cinematography/direction. A bit more emotion from the main two characters versus the previous two instalments. The villain.

On the negative side - transparent plot. Almost everything is shot as a close up on the actors and it starts to grate quite early on. Clearly a lot of vanity from MBJ. Lots of liberties taken with fight choreography, much of which doesn't work and makes it look like a video game. Zero Rocky - zero! Not a mention of his name.

As a film on its own, it's something between fair and good. Given how predictable the story is and the lack of dynamics between the dramatic scenes and the fight scenes - it's all just in your face and spelled out for you - then it isn't very original.

I have a major problem though. For reference, the way this ends feels like the end of the Creed trilogy. But the issue I have is that the Creed series was an extension of the Rocky anthology... And it doesn't end that at all well.

Let me put it this way. You want to watch all. The Rocky films. Do you stop at Creed 2? Can you ignore the existence of Creed 3? No. You watch it, of course you do... And there isn't a single mention of the man. There's a few subtle nods. But his name isn't even mentioned.

And so I'm stumped. It's average. And as an end to the Creed trilogy, I'd have to give it more time to sink in but I'm thinking it may be a little worse than 2 and a lot worse than 1.

As an end to the Rocky anthology though, it's nothing short of a disgrace.

Life for Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), is going well. He has a loving
wife (Tessa Thompson), and daughter (Mile Davis-Kent), and has retired
from boxing after defeating an old rival and ensuring his legacy.

Creed spends his time with his family and developing young fighters at his
gym and is prepping the current champion for his next big match against
Viktor Drago.

An unexpected figure from Creed’s past arrives in the form of Damian
Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a friend of Creed’s troubled youth has
just completed eighteen years in prison.

Damian was the current Golden Gloves champion when he was arrested and
believes he is due his title shot and Creed is the one who can make it
happen.

Creed tries to teach his friend that a person without a single professional fight does not get a magical title shot and with his large
the gap from the ring he would need to grind it out to get a shot.

When an incident occurs just before a scheduled fight and without any
established fighters available to make the date of the fight, Creed gives
his friend a shot and sees that his brutal style of boxing is not what he
would endorse.

Upon winning the title Damian lets it go to his head and gloats at how Creed
had the life he should have had and blames Creed for his past issues and
for not visiting him or staying in contact.

Naturally, this puts the two former friends on a path of no return with a
climatic boxing match being the solution.

“Creed III” does not have the benefit of Sylvester Stallone but you can
still get whips of his character’s influence on Creed and Jordan does a
very solid job Directing the film. He produces strong character moments
which help define the struggles and motivations that each of them faces and
the boxing sequences are very engaging and will have you cheering along.

Majors does a great job in what could have been a routine bad guy
performance. He gives Damian a drive and purpose but also shows the path
that Creed could easily have followed had fate not gone as it did and how
watching someone get everything you dreamed of while you are in prison can
turn even the best of a man cold and bitter.

The film satisfies from start to finish and the character moments and
boxing blend to make not only a very enjoyable film but one that shows
that there is plenty of life in the franchise.

4 stars out of 5

When it comes to boxing movies, it can sometimes feel like there are few stories left to be told. What works so well about “Creed III” is that instead of being a laser-focused sports story, co-writers Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin‘s script leans heavily into a sincere family drama. It’s also a solid directorial debut from actor Michael B. Jordan, who reprises his role as the title character.

Adonis Creed (Jordan) has retired from sparring in the ring. After amassing dozens of titles, he’s now a devoted husband to Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and father to Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), a loving son to Mary-Ann (Phylicia Rashad), and runs a successful boxing gym where he works with the latest and greatest talent in the sport. Things are going well until his former childhood friend Damian (Jonathan Majors) resurfaces after nearly two decades in prison, and a long-buried incident (which is eventually revealed) causes tension between them. Eager to prove himself and get the boxing career he always wanted, Damian asks Adonis if he can help get him a shot in a fight. Feeling guilty, he agrees. Damian is a skilled but dirty fighter, which creates even more problems. Things go from bad to worse, with an eventual title fight between the two men.

The fight scenes are well directed and exciting, even if they are predictable. The film expects the audience to know the general rules of boxing so if you have no idea what’s an illegal or legal hit, you may be in over your head. (I have next to zero knowledge of the sport but I still enjoyed the fight scenes).

The film’s strongest element is the robust character development, which has always been a huge part of the franchise. Learning the painful history between Adonis and Damian makes their narrative of friends turned adversaries even more compelling, and there are genuinely touching moments featuring Bianca, Amara, and Mary-Ann. The chemistry and talent of the cast are both terrific.

That being said, there is a lot of story here. A lot. It makes much of the film feel too hurried as Jordan rushes through scene after scene. It’s good that the movie isn’t draggy, but this is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type of project. And although the characters and their relationships are detailed, parts of the script feel hollow and of course, predictable.

For the third film in a franchise, “Creed III” is far better than reasonably expected. Despite a few stumbles, the strong performances, the compelling story, and themes of perseverance and the importance of family make this one a winner.
**
By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS**