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James Mottram

4/5 stars
Michael B Jordan makes his ambitious directorial debut with Creed III, the Rocky-inspired boxing franchise he has spearheaded since starring in the 2015 original.
If anything suggests just how ballsy Jordan is, it’s that Sylvester Stallone’s one-time champion pugilist Rocky Balboa does not appear in the film, and his name is only referenced once.
Can you make a Rocky spin-off without Rocky? It seems you can. Creed III bobs and weaves smartly through its thrilling run-time.
Jordan returns once more as Adonis, the son of Rocky’s old rival Apollo Creed. Now he’s married to singer-turned-producer Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and father to their young girl (Mila Davis-Kent).
Retired from the ring, he’s running a slick-looking gym in Los Angeles and arranging lucrative fights for his boxers.


Then, out of the blue, his old friend Damian (Jonathan Majors) pitches up. As teenagers, they were tight, until an explosive incident sent Damian to prison for a long time.
A former boxer too, Damian wants Adonis to use his sway to get him a shot at the title.
“If Apollo Creed can take a chance on some underdog, why can’t you?” he says, referring to Rocky’s title shot back in the day.

You just know these two sparring partners are going to come to blows, but it’ll take time to get to that. At first, Adonis feels guilt for Damian’s jail time, and is duty-bound to help ‘Diamond’ Damian Anderson get his chance at a title fight.
Creed III’s secret weapon is Majors, who has just been seen as Marvel’s newest villain Kang the Conqueror in the recent Ant-Man film. An actor of considerable intensity, he brings a live-wire energy to Damian, and the dynamic between him and Jordan is electric.
A pity that Thompson’s character once again gets sidelined, with her progressive hearing issue barely alluded to. But the inclusion of sign language in the film, as Bianca and Adonis communicate with their child, who is deaf, adds texture.

Of course, the film misses Stallone’s presence – the actor brought real gravitas to the older Rocky in the earlier Creed films. But Jordan understands what makes a good boxing film.
The obligatory training montage sizzles (complete with a joyful moment at the Hollywood Sign), while the fight scenes have a real stinging quality to match anything in the original Rocky films.
Now Jordan has completed the trilogy on a high, let’s hope he’s not tempted to get back in the ring for one more slugfest.
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Creed III movie review: Michael B Jordan directs and stars in third and possibly final instalment of Rocky-inspired boxing series

Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed in a still from Creed III. Photo: Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

From left: Michael B Jordan as Adonis Creed, Mila Davis-Kent as Amara and Tessa Thompson as Bianca in a still from Creed III. Photo: Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson in a still from Creed III. Photo: Eli Ade/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

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Paul Rudd (left) as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang in a still from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo: Marvel Studios.

Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in a still from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (category IIA). Jonathan Majors and Evangeline Lilly co-star, while Peyton Reed directs. Photo: Marvel Studios.

(From left) Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Kathryn Newton as Cassandra “Cassie” Lang, and Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/Wasp in a still from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Photo: Marvel Studios.

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A still from Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

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Michael B Jordan’s third instalment of the Rocky series may not include Rocky, but it has all the other elements, including a snappy training montage
Jordan plays Adonis, the son of Rocky’s old nemesis Apollo Creed, who runs a gym and sets up fights, and is visited by an old friend who wants a shot at a title


Michael B Jordan directs and stars in the third, and possibly final, instalment of the boxing film series. He plays Adonis, the son of Rocky’s old rival Apollo Creed, who now runs a gym and sets up fights.


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Review | Creed III movie review: Michael B Jordan directs and stars in third and possibly final instalment of Rocky-inspired boxing series