Michael B. Jordan officially makes his directorial debut in the successful trilogy, Creed III, starring, well, himself. In a previous write up of the preceding Creed II, I sang Jordan’s praises mainly because I’m a big fan of his both on and off screen, the guy just looks like a solid dude who always delivers equally solid work. Starring in a specific role is one thing, directing and starring is another and a whole different ball game altogether. Doing that in an already successful movie franchise is beyond brave… Jordan basically took the go big or go home saying quite literally. So how did he fare post-Stallone? Keep on reading to find out.
For those of you who have forgotten, Creed is inspired by the classic Rocky franchise which has always symbolised legacy. Jordan’s character Adonis Creed’s journey has been one of proving himself, making his own name and consequently stepping out from shadows cast by previous generations. It’s then fitting that the latest installment does that and more by not featuring Sylvester Stallone which I’m sure was or is a symbolic step forward. Jordan directing also takes that to the next level.
Stylistically there’s a lot to like about the Creed franchise and judging by its previous success, the same seemingly applies to many other people. I do have to admit though that I briefly worried about ‘franchise fatigue’ the first time I heard about it but those thoughts were quickly squashed the minute I saw and found out more about this new installment. With the addition of Jonathan Majors (who I’m quickly becoming a massive fan of and plays a pivotal role in the current Marvel Universe) you get the feeling the ante has gone up a couple of notches. It goes without saying but Jordan and Majors in a movie always sounds like a great idea and just feels right. Creed III finds both gentlemen on opposing sides which further adds to the overall intrigue.
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter who has nothing to lose.
To echo most of the reviews that have come out so far, Creed III is a really good and for the most part that’s (unsurprisingly) thanks to the onscreen synergy Jordan and Majors share throughout. The direction Jordan chose to take and some of the decisions make it look like he’s a veteran director who has seen and done it all. It automatically leads to a general excitement of what his next project will be but we can worry about that when (not if) it happens as apparent here. Having said that, I don’t particularly think this version is as good as the first two, it does however conclude Adonis’ journey in a cool way.
The movie’s pacing and intensity is executed expertly, coupled with a solid storyline and great actors (who in addition to the aforementioned main protagonists, also include the returning Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad and Florian Munteanu), you get a fantastic package. It’s easy for one to think of this as just another one of those cliched boxing movies and yes it is, particularly and not surprisingly the fight scenes but Creed III also tells a story of pain, regret, reconciliation, friendship and family. If anything, that’s something to especially look forward to in addition to all the heart pumping fight scenes.
It officially drops today (03 March 2023) across most local cinemas, make sure to add it to your planned viewing, it’s more than worth it.
