Ding Ding! Round 3! Will Michael B. Jordan be able to maintain and carry the franchise in his role as both director and star in the latest instalment of the biggest boxing franchise in the world? Or will it be a case of lights out before the battle has begun?
With 6 Rocky films and 2 Creed outings, there should be an expectation that we're just going to be seeing the exact 'same' movie in a slightly rejigged order. Well, I'm here to tell you that though there are no major surprises, the combination of a well written script and Michael B. Jordan's directing chops serves to make this film feel fresh - annnnd I will go out on a limb and say that it is the most perfectly balanced Rocky/Creed film in the series. Yes I said it. In fact, if MBJ continues to direct like this, he could become the Clint Eastwood of our time - where he is in good, standout genre films, but has a much better penchant for directing - but hey - it's early days yet.
As with the other Creed films there are no real villains, there are just the rigours of life that lead characters to make certain choices with pugilistic repercussions. Here, the collision course for our two main characters was set from childhood once again making 'the enemy' an altogether different type of foe.
The execution of the entangled relationships is done exceptionally well because it's not only our leads that are in the mix. Yes, Jonathan Majors is 100% committed as Damian Anderson, there is not a flinch or physical gesture that lands by accident in his performance, his character portrayal has been calculated to the dot and in the future he will win an OSCAR. But, the support from Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad and Wood Harris is also essential, they are not just present for casting decoration, they are here to give direction and illuminate the doorways and paths for Adonis to choose or avoid and when he chooses wrong, that's where the cinema lies.
The execution of the entangled relationships is done exceptionally well because it's not only our leads that are in the mix. Yes, Jonathan Majors is 100% committed as Damian Anderson, there is not a flinch or physical gesture that lands by accident in his performance, his character portrayal has been calculated to the dot and in the future he will win an OSCAR. But, the support from Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad and Wood Harris is also essential, they are not just present for casting decoration, they are here to give direction and illuminate the doorways and paths for Adonis to choose or avoid and when he chooses wrong, that's where the cinema lies.
The boxing choreography is the best I've seen in the entire franchise, yep another bold claim and the anime influence and use of narrative concepts never before seen in any Rocky/Creed movie really highlights the emotion of the final fight bringing the past and the present crashing together. At the same time, it is just plain satisfying to see a director pushing the artistry of filming a finale that we have technically seen a million times before and the sharpness but semi-grittiness of the bouts could easily rival that of a good martial arts film.
Don't worry, Creed III doesn't get too avant-garde or stray away from what we want from these movies, but the fact remains - that I haven't got a single complaint it.
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