The Mosley Review: Creed 3
I believe the Rocky franchise is the longest running and suceessful film franchise that is purely about the sport of boxing. It wasn't always about the fights but rather the man wearing the gloves and his progression as a human being to greatness. An underdog story that has carried on for generations and now comes the chance for the new face of the franchise to carry that torch in their own personal journey. What I've loved about the Creed franchise is how the foundation of the legacy that came before Adonis has informed and shaped his path. We saw his origins in the first film, we saw him fight to build a career and a family in the second film and now we see him live his own life. What I loved in this film is that we get to dig deeper into the past of Adonis and how his past comes back to remind him of what he has risen above. That to me has always been the heart of the franchise and that has stayed consistent in this new entry. The emotional bond that Adonis had with his family was the best part and I loved the immediate connection and sense of failure he felt once he was reunited with his long lost friend. The story then takes off in a fairly quick and sometimes unrealistic way that might take boxing purists by surprise. There is a connective thread in the film that is severed in a death scene that seems to come out of nowhere. It is explained, but it just didn't sit well with me. It wasn't a perfect step into the first round on the titular character's own, but it still was an entertaining character drama that was fun and filled with wonderful performances.
Michael B. Jordan returns as Adonis Creed and he still delivers the same charisma and strength the character is known for. This time around he is more of a business and family driven man that has truly grown up. Tessa Thompson returns as his loving wife Bianca and she continues to deliver her best work as the character. The chemistry between them is by far the best I've seen on screen. They are the perfect example of what a loving couple looks like and I loved every second they were together. The one actress that stole the film for me was their daughter Amara played the by the wonderful Mila Davis-Kent. From the moment she is on screen to the very end of the film, she represented the heart of the film and I loved that she was the driving force behind Adonis' decisions. Their scenes together were amazing and adorable. Phylicia Rashad returns as Mary Anne Creed and I loved that she continued to be the connective tissue to the past and how she reveals the many ways she protected Adonis as a child. Wood Harris was even more awesome and the voice of warning as Adonis' couch Tony "Little Duke" Evers. He would always be right about everything and I agreed with all of his rants. Johnathan Majors continues to shine in his meteoric rise to fame and as Damian "Diamond Dame" Anderson, he was spectacular. The emotional connective thread between him and Adonis was really something fun to explore. They both represent a different side of the same coin and it was amazing to watch play out. The emotional story between them truly comes to a head in the final fight of the film and it was brilliantly portrayed by both actors.
The score by Joseph Shirley was excellent and drives home the emotional core of the film. I liked that he kept the hip hop infused rhythms and beats that Ludwig Göransson began in the original film and created some new sounds for the characters. Visually the film was stunning and the use of the IMAX cameras during the fights was epic and well shot. I do wish that Adonis and Dame would've taken more damage though. These films consistently showed the amount of bruising, welts and swelling from the very violent hits traded between the fighters and I just felt that they really scaled it back too far in this film. It made the fights seem unrealistic. There was a sense of polish that was missing as some of the charm of the franchise has rubbed off a bit. Overall, Michael B. Jordan has done excellent job for a first time director and I loved the personal story his team crafted for Adonis. This was another great entry in the Creed franchise and if they end it here, I will be satisfied. If they make another one, then keep this same energy. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
