Cast:
Michael B. Jordan (Adonis "Donnie" Creed), Tessa Thompson (Bianca Taylor-Creed), Jonathan Majors (Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson), Wood Harris (Tony "Little Duke" Evers), Mila Davis-Kent (Amara Creed), Florian Munteanu (Viktor Drago), Phylicia Rashad (Mary Anne Creed), José Benavidez Jr (Felix Chavez), Selenis Leyva (Laura Chavez), and Anthony Bellew ("Pretty" Ricky Conlan) Directed by Michael B. Jordan.
Review:
"Creed is the first character I'm coming back to play three times. I've been daydreaming about the opportunity and had a clear vision of where I want this character to go moving forward. I'm looking forward to sharing the story with everybody."
You know, I was quite curious to see another one of these films, because they have managed to cultivate riveting entertainment that maintains interesting drama within its perspective in boxing (for the most part) ever since the original Rocky in 1976 (as inspired originally by the fight between Chuck Wepner and Muhammad Ali) and the spinoff in Creed that was done in 2015 (and its sequel in 2018). I cannot imagine which is the biggest surprise, the fact that Rocky became a franchise that exceeded its underdog foundations or the fact that there are now as half as many Creed movies as there are Rocky movies without a lingering sense of repetition being apparent. Now, once again, the respective star of the boxing series have gone on to direct a film themselves. Jordan, who has acted in television and film since 1999, is in his directorial debut with this film, one that he has stated took influence in certain shots from anime. The screenplay was done by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, while the story was done by Ryan & Keenan Coogler, and Baylin.
This is the first of these films to not feature Sylvester Stallone, but one never finds themselves dwelling on that fact for too long. Sure, the level of predictability for a boxing film is about where you would expect, but the film manages to maintain the consistency that has defined these Creed features that have seen riveting sequences of boxing to go with solid performances that are carried most significantly by Jordan. It does this while being the shortest of the series at 116 minutes, which is basically enough time to carry an enjoyable experience within family drama and the drama of old friends who basically are talking their feelings out by fighting (at one point, their match is shown with an empty crowd, which also serves as a way to counter the usual montage to pass the time of a fight). Jordan has managed to accomplish the feat of making this character quite compelling within the meshes of what you could call a (semi)mid-life crisis in trading a boxing suit for an actual suit (he is compared to Don King at one point, although at least one won't find similarities in "manslaughter" or "alleged fraud"). only to find the past coming back to reflect upon him. He pulls off a tremendous performance that showcases a towering level of confidence needed to keep the focus firmly where it belongs in fresh drama that highlights the progression of where this character has gone in these films and what road are still important to touch upon. Him and Thompson are each trying to convey the dilemma that comes with finding new outlets to channel their energy into (as one expects with anybody growing in age), and they make for useful chemistry in making this pursuit matter more than just a diversion. This goes double for the conversations spent between them and their on-screen daughter in Davis-Kent (as told through sign-language that is subtitled). The supporting cast do just fine, with Rashad providing warmth as one would expect, while the others handle the usual expectations to go alongside moments spent in flashback, which is conveyed with suitable execution that doesn't seem tacked on.
Of course, you need a quality boxing adversary. Majors steps up to that challenge with relative ease, one who turns the pursuit of victory with nothing to lose that makes for the chaotic underdog trying to make a second-act comeback. The troubled core that comes through with him and his pursuits make for a suitable presence to counter Jordan, ones who are intertwined in more ways than one when it comes to stubborn determination. People who are into sports films that take the time to show folks at their craft in the art of training montages will naturally be right at home here, which at one point sees training done by towing a plane. Admittedly, you could draw a thin comparison between previous films in the Rocky series, mostly with the third and fifth film, since each film sees the lead actor try to cope with the idea of stepping away from the ring...only to fight again anyway (hey, if it worked for 45-year-old George Foreman...). The final fight proves electrifying as one expects, establishing that one really can't make boxing boring if they actually show perspective to go alongside choreography and a convincing execution (the other fight shown is also quality stuff in its own direction). The fact that seven out of nine of these combined films are pretty good with at least two quality standouts is a testament to the power of fair writing to accompany entertainment value that make for fun sports films, and I can't wait to see what could happen next.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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