Creed III: A turning point for the franchise

Creed III poster. Photo: collected

'Creed III' is the very first movie in the 'Rocky' franchise without Rocky. The popular film franchise is nearly 50 years old, and Creed III is the ninth instalment in the series. Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa has been in all of the films as a main or a supporting character. Rocky played a significant role in Ryan Coogler's 2015 reboot of the franchise 'Creed'. The new story focuses on the son of Apollo Creed, Adonis Creed.

Creed III is all about Adonis and it feels like a turning point in the franchise, intended to emphasise how much it has changed over the years. It was really a courageous move by Michael B Jordan (who also directed this instalment) to deliver such a nail-biting drama without the popular star character. 

Jordan does a great job as a first time director, the fight sequences are thrilling and visceral, and his weakness for cheesy montages are right on brand with the tone of the franchise.

He delivers a captivating blend of explosive energy and melodramatic intensity; and sharpens the conflict with keen attention to performance of his cast. As a big fan of anime, Jordan also pays tribute to some of the most popular and recognisable titles. The fight scenes are significantly influenced by top-notch anime like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Hajime no Ippo, and My Hero Academia. 

The overall movie inspires you to brew a storm of feelings as it builds towards its conflict. The tension between past and present, the power of the past to influence the present, is the movie's main theme.

Creed III follows the story of two childhood friends who are reunited after nearly two decades, only to lock horns in the ring! 

Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) and Damian (Jonathan Majors) are not just childhood friends, but they're more like brothers. One night, Adonis gets into a dispute with a man outside a convenience shop and Dame draws a gun during the fight, and eventually ends up in prison.

Damian counts his days behind bars, while Creed climbs up in the boxing world. 

Like any other sports film, 'Creed III' sets out to settle all conflicts in the ring. However, it takes longer to introduce the antagonist, unlike other previous Rocky or Creed films. It allows viewers to understand Dame's frustration towards Adonis and also demonstrates that Creed was just as responsible in shaping who Dame would become.

Eighteen years later, as World Heavyweight Champion, Creed is enjoying retirement, leading a quiet life as a responsible family man. Damian returns from prison, still in shape. He was supposedly the better fighter, with a future brighter than Creed's. But he never got the chance to prove his worth. 

The excellent chemistry among the cast is the strongest aspect of the movie. Michael B Jordan, Phylicia Rashad, and Tessa Thompson are phenomenal in their roles. Thompson is, once again, a distinctive presence who delivers her every line of dialogue and gesture with a lot of depth. 

But Jonathan Majors's performance steals the show. The weight of his abused spirit is subtly evident in his eyes, his endured indignities and his pain feels very real. His presence feels very thrilling. 

Screenwriters Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin explore both these men's perspectives, and there is no traditional good vs. bad here. They tell the story of a very personal struggle between close friends.

Creed III is the first film in the franchise, and the first ever sports film in history, to be shot on IMAX cameras. Six-time Emmy nominee Kramer Morgenthau continues to show his brilliance in Creed III as the cinematographer. The shots feel very immersive, almost like you're in the ring. 

The face-off is nail-biting! Creed has to risk it all – his fame, his fortune – while Damian has nothing to lose.