reviewed by Julian Lytle
grade: B+
Well, much like Stallone, Michael B. Jordan is taking on the reigns of directing his championship boxer character, but here with Creed III, it’s not pulling from classic boxing matches but from something he’s a huge fan of: Shonen anime.
We return to Adonis Creed as he’s done his last match, is now retired, and has moved into training and fight promotion. He has a wonderful family still with Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent). Success looks good on them, but the past creeps up on Adonis when he least expects it when Damian Anderson, his big homie from growing up, shows up after getting out of prison. Dame doesn’t want a handout but a chance to box off the title before he’s too old. Before he went to jail, he was an up-and-coming fighter who Adonis admired. Adonis brings him to his gym, and things start moving as these former friends end up rivals with something that can only be solved through their hands.
While the film does feel a bit rushed to get from friends to rivals, it’s not something that really hurts the film overall. I don’t think Creed III needed to be 150 minutes or more, and I was satisfied with how the story shook out. Also, all the actors seem perfectly comfortable in their characters, even Jonathan Majors as Dame. Jordan does some good work here in showcasing the actors in the quieter moments and doesn’t try to get too flashy or creative with the camera. He allows things to breathe so that certain moments have the right amount of impact.
The film also makes good use of the IMAX cameras for those fight scenes; things look grand in scale here. For anime fans, you’ll be able to easily pick out Jordan’s influences in how he blocked his fights and in how they look. If you’ve ever seen some Hajime no Ippo and Dragonball Z, it’ll bring a smile to your face. Although none of it takes away or is jarring, borrowing these storytelling techniques was clever as they add in the right amount of emotion I feel for the relationship between Adonis and Dame—peak Naruto and Sasuke vibes.
Originally posted on the Geek Girl Riot podcast on idobi.com
