creed 3 movie review

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

The ambition alone is impressive.

For his directorial debut, Michael B. Jordan chose to take on “Creed III,” the latest film in the “ Rocky ” spinoff franchise and the ninth picture overall in the beloved boxing saga. He’s also directing himself in the process, as he returns once again to the titular role of champion fighter Adonis Creed, son of Apollo. And he’s electrifying on both sides of the camera, finding new swagger and emotional depth as the film’s star as well as real confidence and style as its director.

In doing so, Jordan is following in the footsteps of Sylvester Stallone , who directed himself in four of the “Rocky” movies, including 2006’s heartfelt “Rocky Balboa.” But he also has to follow the work of his longtime friend and close collaborator Ryan Coogler , who helmed the original “ Creed .” Jordan has taken all that pressure and expectation and turned it into a film that both honors the series’ legacy while spinning the lore forward. And totally unsurprisingly, he draws powerhouse performances from his co-stars, including a fearsome Jonathan Majors as Adonis’ childhood friend-turned-adversary.

“Creed III” takes a little while to get going, though, as it flashes back to 2002 Los Angeles to establish the shared history between the film’s eventual competitors. We see Adonis “Donnie” Creed sneaking out of his bedroom as a young teenager to watch his big brother figure, Damian “Dame” Anderson, dominate in underground fights. A violent confrontation on the way home one night seals both of their fates, with Adonis going onto greatness and Damian heading for an 18-year prison term. A precisely timed, beautifully placed match cut moves the story ahead 15 years to show us that Donnie now has the boxing career Dame always dreamed of; another jump to the present day reveals that Adonis has retired from the ring and is living a luxurious life in a modern mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

Jordan’s eye for detail is on display as he efficiently reflects the kind of wealth Adonis enjoys with his wife, Bianca ( Tessa Thompson ), and their deaf daughter, Amara ( Mila Davis-Kent ). The minimalist elegance and creamy neutrals—the work of production designer Jahmin Assa and costume designer Lizz Wolf —instantly indicate the tasteful, peaceful persona Adonis now seeks to exude to the world.

Just as Adonis is shaping the next generation of fighters as a behind-the-scenes force at his own Delphi Boxing Academy, singer-songwriter Bianca is penning tunes and working with new talent as a producer. They tell themselves they’re content, but there’s an intriguing tension in the mix as it’s clear they both still long for the spotlight that once defined them, nourished them. Thompson brings an earthiness and sensitivity to this heavily masculine movie, and young Davis-Kent—who is a deaf actress—shines brightly in her first major role, more than holding her own opposite veteran performers with her sparky presence and timing. Phylicia Rashad also returns with a crucial, graceful performance as Adonis’ mother, Mary-Anne. And the frequent use of sign language as a means of communicating within the family is a meaningful, authentic touch.

But their reverie is shattered with the arrival of Dame, who has toughened himself in prison in every way and now seeks the boxing glory he believes is his due. There’s a certain geeky glee in witnessing the spectacle of Kang vs. Killmonger, given the significant villainous presence both actors have had within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Majors, as always, is tremendous. He brings a deeply unsettling energy to the role—there’s something volatile about Dame beneath his seemingly placid exterior. The fact that he isn’t obviously raging all the time is what makes him scarier: He’s watching, plotting, seething, but his imposing physicality ultimately makes him ferocious.

Working with cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau and editors Jessica Baclesse and Tyler Nelson , Jordan the director takes a seemingly simple scene in which Adonis and Damian share an awkward reunion dinner and tells a full, rich story with it. The close-ups, the pacing, the decision to hold on an actor’s face for a beat or two longer than expected—they all convey so much meaning and subtext. The exchange is powerful for what it doesn’t show—for what these characters don’t tell us, for what they hold back strategically but we can sense, nonetheless.

But “Creed III” also gives the people what they want, and that is: multiple training montages. As they sing in “ Team America: World Police ,” “Even `Rocky’ had a montage.” Once it becomes clear that Donnie must get back into shape to fight Dame for the championship—at Dodger Stadium, of all places, a truly inspired location that’s so extremely L.A.—the screenplay from Keenan Coogler (Ryan’s brother) and Zach Baylin (“ King Richard ”) hits all the uplifting beats you’d expect, but tosses in some clever new ones, too. So yes, there’s running through the streets, on the beach, up a hill. There’s punching and sparring. But also: the sight of Adonis pulling an actual airplane through the sheer power of his pectorals. It’s kind of hilarious, but also wildly entertaining.

And when it comes time for the climactic showdown between these two warriors, Jordan makes some dazzling stylistic choices in terms of sound design, camera movements and visual effects. There’s a section where everything just … changes, providing an unexpected emotional resonance and a fresh perspective.

On the surface, “Creed III” may seem to be about hulking, muscular men beating the crap out of each other, and it exists within a genre where it’s often easy to discern between right and wrong, black and white. Adonis is all precision and control in the ring; Dame is rough and raw, fighting as if his life depends on it. But similar to Killmonger’s motivations in “ Black Panther ,” Dame’s quest for vengeance and even dominance is understandable. Watching these titans confront each other within that moral gray area—making themselves vulnerable in the process—is riveting.

Jordan has long since proven himself as an actor of terrific charisma, versatility and humanity; with “Creed III,” he shows he’s just as captivating on the other side of the lens.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Now playing

Brian Tallerico

Simon Abrams

Dad & Step-Dad

Carlos aguilar.

Glenn Kenny

Peyton Robinson

The Animal Kingdom

Monica castillo, film credits.

Creed III (2023)

Rated PG-13 for intense sports action, violence and some strong language.

116 minutes

Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed

Tessa Thompson as Bianca Taylor

Jonathan Majors as Damien Anderson

Phylicia Rashād as Mary Anne Creed

Wood Harris as Tony 'Little Duke' Evers

Florian Munteanu as Viktor Drago

Tony Bellew as Pretty Ricky Conlan

Mila Davis-Kent as Amara Creed

Jacob 'Stitch' Duran as Stitch

Michael B. Jordan

Writer (story by)

Ryan Coogler
Keenan Coogler
Zach Baylin

Cinematographer

Kramer Morgenthau
Tyler Nelson
Joseph Shirley

Latest blog posts

The 2024 Chicago Palestine Film Festival Highlights

Man on the Moon Is Still the Cure for the Biopic Blues

Part of the Solution: Matthew Modine on Acting, Empathy, and Hard Miles

The Imperiled Women of Alex Garland’s Films

an image, when javascript is unavailable

‘Creed III’ Review: Michael B. Jordan Directs and Stars in a Rock-Solid Sequel That’s Closer to ‘Cape Fear’ Than ‘Rocky’

In a sports drama that feels like a thriller, Jonathan Majors once again proves his mettle as Adonis' ominous friend-turned-boxing-foe.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

‘Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver’ Review: An Even More Rote Story, but a Bigger and Better Battle 1 day ago
‘Abigail’ Review: A Remake of ‘Dracula’s Daughter’ Turns Into a Brutally Monotonous Genre Mashup 2 days ago
Why I Wasn’t Scared by ‘Civil War’ 6 days ago

Popular on Variety

From the moment he appears, leaning with louche entitlement against Adonis’s vehicle, Majors plays Dame with a surface amiability cut with a passive-aggressive prickliness that’s there in everything he says. He wants help and support — a leg up and a powerful friend to give it to him. And Adonis is onboard with that; he wants to help. But already we can see the sign of something — that “Creed III” isn’t just going to be a boxing movie. It’s going to be a hostile-tormenter movie, like “Cul-de-Sac” or “The Gift” or the granddaddy of them all, the original 1962 “Cape Fear.”

Dame, like Robert Mitchum in that movie (or Robert De Niro in Scorsese’s 1991 remake), is a convict who feels he was wronged, and he has returned to toy with the man he thinks was responsible. Why, he wants to know, did Adonis not return his letters from prison? (Because, Adonis says, he didn’t receive them.) Oh, and by the way, Dame mentions that he’d like a shot at the title. Is this a dream or a threat, or both?

In “Creed III,” Majors has an imperious squint and a rapid way of talking, as if Dame were throwing away his words to brood on their hidden meaning. His most casual sentence stings like a tiny punch. When he sits opposite Adonis in a diner, relishing his first restaurant meal in years, he’s having a “friendly” chat but he’s also saying, “This conversation isn’t real.” Majors exudes a danger that electrifies the air around him, and his Dame is a master of manipulation. He guilt-trips Adonis into letting him train at the gym, and once he’s got his foot in the door, he becomes the sparring partner of Felix. The film then turns ominous at a record-release party where the sudden return of Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) opens the door to Dame getting his title shot, in a champ-vs.-a-nobody bout that echoes the one in “Rocky.” And who do you think he’s going to want to fight next?

Jordan, working from a script by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin (the story is by Ryan Coogler, who also serves as a producer), shows dramatic finesse in his staging of the Adonis/Dame relationship, showcasing it as a broken brotherhood that speaks to larger disruptions — the tug between loyalty and violence in dispossessed childhoods. “Creed III” is a sports drama that feels like a thriller with an urgent conscience. It’s a far more dynamic movie than the proficient but formulaic “Creed II,” even if it can’t match the soulful filmmaking bravura of the first “Creed.”

Reviewed at Park Ave. Screening Room, Feb. 17, 2023. MPA rating: PG-13. Running time: 116 MIN.

Production: A United Artists Releasing release of a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Chartoff-Winkler production, in association with Proximity Media, Outlier Society. Producers: Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Jonathan Glickman, Sylvester Stallone. Executive producers: Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Nicolas Stern, Adam Rosenberg.
Crew: Director: Michael B. Jordan. Screenplay: Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin. Camera: Kramer Morgenthau. Editors: Jessica Baclesse, Tyler Nelson. Music: Joseph Shirley.
With: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent, Jose Benavidez, Florian Munteanu, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore II.

More From Our Brands

Camila cabello joins lana del rey during weekend two of coachella, this insane hydrogen hypercar prototype is now headed to auction, sprinter gabby thomas says diamond league flosports deal is a drag, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, rupaul’s drag race finale recap: did the right queen win season 16, verify it's you, please log in.

International edition
Australia edition
Europe edition

Michael B Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III.

Creed III review – hugely entertaining threequel packs a mighty punch

The Rocky spin-off series continues to dazzle with another knockout drama with a magnetic turn from Jonathan Majors

F ranchise fatigue is by no means a new ailment – in fact it’s become so commonly diagnosed that many of us have fatigue of the phrase “franchise fatigue” itself. But with all of last year’s 10 biggest films at the US box office being part of a series – and with most of them not being very good – it’s never not something to sigh over. It’s led to a sort of glum acceptance, the type that gets just that bit glummer around the release of yet another thoroughly underwhelming and remarkably pointless Marvel movie.

While shrugs are still being felt across the globe after last week’s lacklustre Ant-Man threequel , next week offers up a much-needed balm, a rare sequel that comes close to restoring one’s faith in the worth and legitimacy of the franchise as a concept, the latest chapter in what might well be the best we have right now.

The joys of Creed III, of which there are many, can still be mostly credited to Ryan Coogler , writer-director of the first Rocky spin-off and overseer of the next two, who also counts himself as one of the select few film-makers to make something genuinely necessary for Marvel with 2018’s standout hit Black Panther (the first and probably only Marvel Cinematic Universe film to boast a best picture nomination). His independent spirit, first showcased in the Independent Spirit award-winning Fruitvale Station, might have naturally shifted for a wider audience but there still remains a depth and sensitivity to his work that we just don’t see enough of within the multiplex. The Creed films have worked just as effectively as boxing spectacle as they have as character-led drama, graceful both in and out of the ring.

Coogler has both story and producer credit here but he’s ceded the director’s chair this time to his star, Michael B Jordan , making his debut behind the camera and making a mightily impressive one at that. As an actor, his passion for the character and the legacy he’s inherited has always shone through (his performance in the first film should have been Oscar-nominated alongside Stallone) and even though his dual role might sound stunty (how many first-time directors start with something so big?), he’s more than up for the job, sleekly taking the baton and sprinting past the finish line to a roar of cheers.

Jordan’s Adonis “Donny” Creed has retired, setting down his gloves and focusing on wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) but remaining in the industry, a celebrity unable to truly step out of the spotlight. But as anyone familiar with the Rocky films or just films in general might guess, he’s forced back in the ring when a figure from his past emerges. Childhood friend, the ominously named Damian (Jonathan Majors), has recently got out of a long stretch in prison and is keen to pick up where he left off before he went in, a promising young boxer imprisoned over a misunderstanding. Donny tries to offer help, partly out of guilt, but when Damian reveals himself to be far more dangerous than anticipated, a fight is set.

While the series may never reach the lofty heights of the first Creed movie (a near-perfect balance of heart, head and fist), it’s immensely satisfying to watch sequels made with real purpose and patience. The plot machinations might not ever truly surprise but then they don’t really need to, the pleasure is in watching them play out so smoothly with characters we’ve grown with – top-tier sports movies made in a long, trusty tradition.

What makes Creed III so refreshing is that it also scratches an itch many of us have for mid-budget adult drama and while it might be broad, Imax entertainment, it still delivers the rare sight of big stars grappling with big emotions on a big screen - heightened for sure, but still existing in a realer world than we’ve become used to seeing in this context. While it feels like there are excised scenes that Thompson’s musician-turned-songwriter wife could have benefitted from, the family drama remains compelling, her gentle melancholy over a career cut short by hearing loss and their conflicted parenting over how to teach a child the wrongs and sometimes rights of physically fighting back.

Jordan and Thompson remain a magnetic movie star pairing and the intrusion in their happy marriage often resembles an early 90s domestic thriller. I’d argue that some of this interpersonal tension could have been ramped up somewhat – there are a few rushed moments in a script that feels a little overstuffed at times (some scenes focused on Phylicia Rashad, as luminous as she might be, feel extraneous).

Majors, an actor currently on a high-speed ascent to the A list, makes for a fantastically knotty antagonist, a victim of a harsh system that Creed, through the luck of finding out about his real, privileged family, managed to get out of. The weight of where they both came from and where they ended up sits heavy and there’s a complicated strain between their scenes, brilliantly played by them both but with the showier role, another knockout turn from Majors (even if, like Majors has stated himself , I crave something a little lighter for him next).

There’s a jerky unpredictability to his movements both when fighting and not, a believable social unease with the world outside of a cell and a simmering, dangerous fury that makes him a ferocious opponent. The boxing scenes are, as ever, thrillingly immersive, taking us in and around a series of brutally well-captured punches even if Jordan makes an odd and unnecessary stylistic choice in the finale that proves distracting (his only real first-time film-maker misstep). The two actors are such accomplished fighters, at least to the untrained eye, that their big bout is a sleek, seat-edge triumph to watch.

Stallone might not have returned (he’s unhappy over the direction, calling it ”a regretful situation”) but with two big wins under his belt, Jordan’s Creed is more than up for the challenge without him in his corner.

Creed III is out in UK and US cinemas on 3 March, and in Australia on 2 March

Michael B Jordan
Ryan Coogler
Tessa Thompson

Comments (…)

Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut feels like an experimental remake of Rocky V that finally lets Adonis Creed step outside of his mentor’s shadow.

By Charles Pulliam-Moore , a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.

Share this story

The magic of United Artists’ first two Creed films lied in the way they opened up, updated, and revitalized the Rocky franchise — all while feeling true to and deeply reverent of the original Stallone pictures. Like both of its predecessors, Creed III from first-time director and star Michael B. Jordan never wants you to lose sight of what it means to come from humble beginnings or how having family in your corner can fundamentally change a person’s life. But rather than splitting its focus between two different generations of boxers and keeping Rocky himself in the picture for nostalgic diehards, Creed III taps into the spirit of the later Rocky films by turning Adonis Creed into the ultimate father figure fighting to secure his legacy.

In a movie landscape overfull of sequels purposefully (and inelegantly) designed to still work as standalone features, there’s something very refreshing about the way Creed III dives right back into the story of how Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the unknown fighter, became Adonis Creed , the heavyweight boxing champion, and a household name the world over. After years of watching Adonis fall down, get back up, and lay his opponents out, there’s little doubt of his greatness in the boxing world, and the work he does supporting up-and-coming fighters has all but guaranteed that he’ll be remembered as a hero.

While Adonis enjoys his fame and fortune, most everything he does is really for his musician wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) — two of the only people aside from his stepmother Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) who really know him. Adonis cares for his family and values the life they’ve built together. But there are parts of himself that he’s always kept hidden from them, and as Creed III opens, no one else really understands just how much painful, crushing emotional baggage Adonis has been carrying around. No one, that is, except for Adonis’ childhood friend Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors).

A man in a gray sweatshirt and black sweat pants leaning over a boxing ring to bump fists with a man wearing a black shirt.

The Creed saga’s never been all that secretive about what a difficult childhood Adonis had. But through Damian, Creed III spells out some of the finer, more brutal details of Adonis’ origins with a frankness that sets it apart from the last two movies in terms of how it frames fighting as something that can ruin people’s lives as well as turn them into celebrities. The two have no way of knowing for certain, but Adonis, rather than Damian, might have ended up in jail for almost 20 years while his best friend became a boxing superstar had their childhoods played out a little differently. What they both know, though, is how difficult it is to be honest with one another about their feelings after Damian’s freed, and the men are reunited for the first time in nearly two decades.

Creed III ’s telling a specific story about Adonis at a time when he’s really come into his own as a Man™ — a paragon of idealized masculinity Jordan’s very comfortable in — who truly knows himself in stark contrast to the guileless teen he was introduced as. But co-writers Zach Baylin and Keenan Coogler’s script borrows enough elements from Stallone’s Rocky II and John G. Avildsen’s Rocky V that the movie often feels both like a remake and a fusion that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Adonis wants and knows he needs to be more present in his daughter’s life, especially when her interest in fighting and difficulties with bullies at school lead to her being singled out by teachers. But Adonis’ love for his family is a big part of what pushes him to spend such long hours working in the gym with rising stars like Felix Chavez (José Benavidez), a boxer who simply can’t stop knocking out his sparring partners.

Between Damian showing back up, obligations at the gym, and Amara’s fighting, Adonis is beyond put upon, and Jordan tries to hammer that reality home with a performance that feels much quieter and contemplative than his previous outings in this role. One of the bigger themes running through Creed III is how being a reliable person means getting up every day and constantly fighting to stay on top of one’s responsibilities. Exploring that idea through both Adonis and a now accent-free Bianca is Creed III ’s way of conveying just how much they’ve evolved as a couple, and Thompson, in particular, feels like she’s taken ownership of this role in a way that hasn’t always been the case.

A man in a white button down and black pinstripe dress pants sitting on a sofa with a woman in a brown cardigan, yellow pants, and a black t-shirt. The woman, who’s concerned, is resting her hand on the thigh of the man, who’s upset about something. In the background, a young girl out of focus is watching on.

Like the Rocky movies before them, the Creed films have always been about men from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds beating each other up and then ultimately learning the importance of respecting each other in spite of their perceived differences. Majors’ Damian — a gifted brawler with a penchant for fighting dirty — is a classic Rocky antagonist whose talents and charm are as undeniable as his sudden appearance is suspicious. But rather than simply fixating on what a physically intimidating presence he can be as the old friends become opponents in the present day, Creed III frames the pair as two sides of the same coin, and Majors meets Jordan’s energy with a simmering intensity reminiscent of his performance in Magazine Dreams .

Despite the plot not always making the most sense, Creed III moves with a swiftness and confidence that serves the film relatively well when it’s outside the ring and focused on being a heartfelt drama. Inside the ring during fighting scenes, however, the story’s a little bit more complicated, as Jordan makes a number of bold directorial choices that don’t always work the way he likely intended. In its simpler, early fights, Creed III highlights the physical poetry fighters move with simply by pointing the camera at them and letting the matches play out the way spectators see them. As the fights begin to take on more emotional significance, however, Creed III tries to emphasize how important they are with VFX elements that feel plucked out of Stallone’s Rocky Balboa from 2006 and distinctly at odds with how grounded the rest of the franchise has been.

With Stallone’s Rocky absent from its story, Creed III feels like a pivotal moment in the franchise’s history meant to underscore how much it’s evolved over the course of almost 50 years. Adonis’ feelings about his biological father and respect for his legendary play uncle are still important parts of who he is. But Creed III takes the literal and existential titles that once defined Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa and gives them to Adonis as a way of signifying that this really is his story now and his alone to carry into the future.

Creed III also stars Alex Henderson, Spence Moore II, Wood Harris, Florien Munteanu, Tony Bellew, and Selenis Leyva. The movie hits theaters on March 3rd.

Tesla recalls all 3,878 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator pedal

The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat, meta’s battle with chatgpt begins now, airplay turns the delta emulator into a full-on retro console, emulators are taking over the app store.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Abigail Link to Abigail
Civil War Link to Civil War
Arcadian Link to Arcadian

New TV Tonight

The Sympathizer: Season 1
Conan O'Brien Must Go: Season 1
Under the Bridge: Season 1
The Spiderwick Chronicles: Season 1
Our Living World: Season 1
Orlando Bloom: To the Edge: Season 1
The Circle: Season 6
Dinner with the Parents: Season 1
Jane: Season 2

Creed III Reviews

A dizzying, vicious dance peppered with slo-mo close-ups and visceral sound effects that make a case for why this might be the best boxing movie since Sylvester Stallone’s original outing.

Full Review | Jan 13, 2024

The film takes some risks for a sports movie and although not all of them have a perfect landing, the cast and Dreamville Records executive production bring an electrifying soundtrack that makes everything right.

Full Review | Sep 7, 2023

Michael B. Jordan’s film is a stirring tale of brothers who turn against each other out of hurt and love

Full Review | Sep 4, 2023

The third and best chapter so far focuses on Donnie wanting to retire a champ and blend his business and boxing talents to create Adonis Creed Athletics.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 16, 2023

The heart of this championship series is still there but it is just a step slower.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Aug 9, 2023

But because Creed III plays things as straight as it does and is as "well-behaved" as it always is, what happens instead is that those cheesy training montages end up feeling like obligations rather than joyous celebrations.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 29, 2023

Everyone may have an underdog story, but “Creed 3” reminds its audience that while we may be through with the past, the past is not through with us.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Creed 3 is a KNOCKOUT! The most emotional, ferocious, personal Creed film yet. The best fight choreography in the entire franchise! Completely anime inspired

Creed III is not a complete knockout, but certain moments are. There are gut punches and there are swings and misses. Above all, though, Creed III is an exciting directorial debut for Jordan and a pure, powerhouse showcase for Majors.

Full Review | Jul 24, 2023

"With his eye toward healing, Jordan’s directorial debut is a fantastic technical and emotional achievement in the “Creed” canon and a triumph of the restorative power of Black male softness."

Full Review | Jul 20, 2023

Creed III can go toe-to-toe with the heaviest hitters of boxing cinema.

Full Review | Jul 12, 2023

Hits on its themes of guilt, forgiveness, and responsibility, but is missing that rousing Rocky spirit.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 16, 2023

This is a film series where the characters feel like a warm blanket. It is pleasing to revisit them, and see how their lives have changed and grown.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jun 12, 2023

Unfortunately he didn’t spend enough time on character development, and the audience is stuck with one-dimensional character that don’t have a redeeming bone in their bodies, which is a shame for a franchise that earned it’s love by opening its heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 6, 2023

More than the first two Creed flicks, this one breaks away from the tried-and-true formula.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 6, 2023

Without the presence of Sylvester Stallone, in front of or behind the camera, and without Rocky Balboa in the film, Creed III still manages to tell a Rocky story in which boxing is a metaphor for struggle, and a champ can still become an underdog.

Full Review | Jun 3, 2023

Creed is told to be happy with what he's got. And it's pretty good advice, given how he's recently retired, relatively healthy, and has plenty of money and a loving family. Yet he still allows a handful of playground taunts to bring him back to the ring.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 2, 2023

Creed III comes alive as a result of Jonathan Majors and Michael B. Jordan's emotionally charged performances.

Full Review | Jun 1, 2023

Creed III’s success serves as inspiration in more ways than one. A lot of Black talent was behind this film, from production and execution to promotion, it’s been a busy week for Michael B. Jordan.

Full Review | May 29, 2023

When the film's antagonist plays his scheme close to his chest the film achieves an effective level of drama. When all is revealed the film seems desperate to overdrive itself so it can catch up to its inevitable confrontation in the ring.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 22, 2023

Supported by

‘Creed III’ Review: A Franchise Finds New Fertile Ground

In his tender and gruff directorial debut, Michael B. Jordan again takes the lead, this time alongside Jonathan Majors as a childhood friend who has reappeared.

Share full article

Michael B. Jordan squats in a boxing ring, his arms resting on the middle rope.

By Manohla Dargis

The tears flow as freely as the blood in “Creed III,” the latest entry in the apparently indestructible “Rocky” saga. Once again, Adonis Creed — the tough but tender, gruff but gentle heavyweight boxer played by Michael B. Jordan — must be knocked down so that he can rise higher still. That story line is a metaphor for life, no doubt. It’s also a perfect distillation of this franchise, which has had repeated ups and downs during its staggering 47-year run.

In 1976, the year that Sylvester Stallone ’s Rocky sprinted up the long steps leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gerald R. Ford was president and most of the principal cast of “Creed III” wasn’t yet born. The 2015 release of “ Creed, ” seventh in the series, inaugurated a narrative shift that found Rocky taking on the role of the avuncular trainer, a part he also played three years later in the sequel. Stallone isn’t in this latest chapter. While his absence has obvious resonance, if you were expecting some kind of Hamlet-style anguish or even a hint of misty melancholia about the now-absent symbolic father, forget it. This isn’t the Sly Stallone show; it’s Michael B. Jordan’s, from first scene to last.

For this installment, Jordan has taken over as both the star and the director (it’s his feature debut), twinned roles that he has assumed with seamless assurance. As entertaining as it is predictable, “Creed III” does exactly what you expect, delivering nicely balanced helpings of intimacy and spectacle, grit and glamour. It’s enjoyably old-school Hollywood in how squarely it hits all the familiar genre beats — even as it pragmatically advances the series — yet it’s also very much of the moment in how it grapples with family, friendship and the complexities of contemporary masculinity, its pleasures and its burdens.

Every boxer needs a challenger, a hard body to spar with physically and otherwise. Here, that foe is Damian, a childhood friend of Adonis (Donnie to his pals), a walking wound played as an adult by Jonathan Majors. (In flashback, Spence Moore II and Thaddeus James Mixson Jr. play the characters as adolescents.) After the usual recap — now retired, Donnie is fabulously successful and settled down with his family — Damian appears in a hoodie one day outside Donnie’s gym while leaning on the champ’s Rolls-Royce. It’s an image that’s more biting than any line of dialogue, all the more so because an irritated Donnie doesn’t at first recognize Damian, a scene that Jordan invests with dramatic tension and visceral unease.

That sense of disquiet remains as an enigmatically wary Donnie and an unreadable Damian share a meal and guarded laughs, and the story’s (too) many pieces begin sharply clicking into place. The movie is a continuation of Creed’s story, and a further burnishing of a new big-screen myth — one that is now refracted through Damian and his desire to get back into the ring. A Golden Gloves fighter as a teen, Damian wants to reclaim his boxing glory and resume a trajectory cut short by prison. That’s exactly what happens, more or less, despite Donnie’s reservations, the strong objections of his business partner, Tony (Wood Harris), and some complications with Donnie’s mother, Mary-Anne (Phylicia Rashad).

Like many actors-turned-directors, Jordan does very fine work with the performers, including in his scenes with Tessa Thompson, who again plays Bianca, his lover and now wife. Her character doesn’t have all that much to do (a musician, she has given up performing), but Thompson’s charisma ensures that the character never registers like an afterthought or an appendage to the male protagonist. There’s no question that Jordan is the star, as his ample screen time affirms — the man certainly knows his best camera angles and when to strip down — but what gives the movie interest and heft is how it insistently deploys other characters to complicate and recast the classic figure of the rugged American individual.

Like “Rocky” was for Stallone, the first “Creed” served as a breakthrough for Jordan and for its director, Ryan Coogler, who have become entertainment-world juggernauts. Stallone’s presence in the earlier “Creed” movies ensured that the franchise remained tethered to his legacy, with its sequels and fraught semiotics, even if the titles no longer carried the Rocky name. Instructively, the first “Creed” ends with Donnie and Rocky side by side; the second restlessly cuts between the two, as if asking for you to choose between them. The choice has now been made, and with the shift from Rocky to Creed the franchise has moved to fertile new ground. (Coogler and Stallone remain attached to the series as producers; Coogler also shares the story credit with the screenwriters, his brother Keegan Coogler and Zach Baylin.)

“Nobody owes nobody nothing,” Rocky says in the first film, a philosophical declaration from a white working-class striver who can seem alone even when he’s with other people and whose self-reliance puts him on a continuum with other bootstrapping self-mythologizers. In “Creed III,” Donnie has his share of lonely moments, too, but the story continually puts him into play with other people, including in tender scenes of him caring for his and Bianca’s daughter (Mila Davis-Kent). In contrast to, say, those dead-mom movies in which men take over for absent mothers, Donnie shares parenting duties. He is responsible for — and to — other people and deeply connected to a community that, however anxiously, includes Damian, who isn’t a combative stranger but an old friend, as well as a reminder of a fate escaped.

“Creed III” suffers from the customary franchise bloat, and the ending is rushed and underdeveloped. It’s also bogged down by a tragic subplot that feels expedient (you can sense the next movie being plotted out as it unfolds), but that also gives Donnie a narrative rationale to shed copious tears, which Jordan does with aching vulnerability. There’s art and craft in those tears. There is also, well, a creed. And as emotion floods this movie, Jordan lets loose a torrent of ideas about Black masculinity and community, about how the past haunts the present, the legacy of state violence, the chimera of self-reliance and the existential necessity of love. So, come for the boxing, yes — but bring plenty of hankies, too.

Creed III Rated PG-13 for gun and boxing-ring violence. Running time: 1 hour 56 minutes. In theaters.

Manohla Dargis has been the co-chief film critic of The Times since 2004. She started writing about movies professionally in 1987 while earning her M.A. in cinema studies at New York University, and her work has been anthologized in several books. More about Manohla Dargis

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

As “Sex and the City” became more widely available on Netflix, younger viewers have watched it with a critical eye . But its longtime millennial and Gen X fans can’t quit.

Hoa Xuande had only one Hollywood credit when he was chosen to lead “The Sympathizer,” the starry HBO adaptation of a prize-winning novel. He needed all the encouragement he could get .

Even before his new film “Civil War” was released, the writer-director Alex Garland faced controversy over his vision of a divided America with Texas and California as allies.

Theda Hammel’s directorial debut, “Stress Positions,” a comedy about millennials weathering the early days of the pandemic , will ask audiences to return to a time that many people would rather forget.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘creed iii’ review: michael b. jordan-directed threequel is stronger on style than narrative sense.

In the third installment of the 'Rocky' spinoff, Adonis Creed faces an old friend (played by Jonathan Majors) to protect his title and his pride.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

Share this article on Facebook
Share this article on Twitter
Share this article on Flipboard
Share this article on Email
Show additional share options
Share this article on Linkedin
Share this article on Pinit
Share this article on Reddit
Share this article on Tumblr
Share this article on Whatsapp
Share this article on Print
Share this article on Comment

Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis Creed and Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson in CREED III

Adonis Creed is no longer an underdog, but Creed III needs us to believe he still is.

Full credits

Thr newsletters.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Debi mazar says she regrets turning down ‘the wedding singer’ role: “made a stupid decision”, pam grier says she still has injuries from ‘foxy brown’ because she “didn’t have a stunt double”, ‘space mountain’ movie lands ‘cowboy bebop’ showrunners (exclusive), elliot page developing sci-fi novel ‘the darkness outside us’ as feature (exclusive), drew barrymore says ‘never been kissed’ studio pushed back on her going “too far” with character, ‘rebel moon’ director zack snyder talks the ending of ‘part two,’ cathartic director’s cuts and ‘part 3’.

Search Please fill out this field.
Newsletters
Sweepstakes
Movie Reviews

Creed III review: Not a total knockout, but a strong return

Star Michael B. Jordan takes the directing reins, with Jonathan Majors as his nemesis in the ring.

If there is a sweet science to sports movies, it's simplicity. Formula isn't just a selling point, it's what we came for: Give us long odds and underdogs, adversity and triumph; let the details sweat the rest.

Even Rocky , it turns out, can transcend its own Balboa: Nine films in, Creed III , in theaters March 3, is the first not to feature Sylvester Stallone in any role (the actor has been vocal about his reasons for cutting ties with the franchise). Instead, the movie now belongs on both sides of the camera to Michael B. Jordan , the alternately tender and ferocious actor who returns as boxing's prodigal son Adonis Creed, and also makes his feature directing debut.

That may be, to abuse a sporty metaphor, a few too many balls for one man to keep in the air, and Creed III suffers from a certain lack of heft and specificity in its storytelling structure, a sense that the original bare-knuckle magic is not all there. But it's also often better than the blunt-force melodrama of the last film , which suffered similarly when original Creed director Ryan Coogler departed for his duties on Black Panther and was replaced by the little-known Steven Caple Jr.

Coogler, with his taut auteur dazzle, made something surprisingly fresh and galvanizing out of an age-old story. Jordan's approach here is broader and essentially blood-simple, though still kinetic in its own way: His Donnie is an old champ now, a happily settled family man going out on top in his mid-thirties with his record intact. He still lives in a whitewashed modernist villa overlooking Los Angeles with his singer-songwriter wife Bianca ( Tessa Thompson ) and their young deaf daughter (Mila Davis-Kent), with whom he sweetly banters in ASL; his late father's widow, Mary Anne ( Phylicia Rashad ), drops by regularly for Merlot and moral support.

It's a wonderful life, in other words — the many amenities of which are not missed by Damian "Dame" Anderson ( Jonathan Majors ), his friend from foster care long ago. Dame and Donnie were once roommates in a group home and as close as brothers, but only Dame paid the price after an altercation at a gas station turned suddenly violent years ago. Now nearly two decades later, he's out of prison and ready to reclaim his time, and his lost junior title, in the ring.

And so, in the siren song of so many second sequels come before , just when Adonis thought he was out, they pull him back in. Can he get into fighting shape again and beat his old friend, now his greatest enemy? Should he? Adonis wears snow-white satin to their climactic face-off, and Dame is in all black, a clarity of messaging which generally suffuses the rest of the movie; shades of gray do not apply. The screenplay, by Zach Baylin ( King Richard ) and Ryan's brother Keenan Coogler, hits most of its narrative notes with a straight uppercut, and Jordan and Majors stomp and fume like raging bulls, consumed by their singular purpose.

That largely leaves supporting characters like Thompson's gentle bohemian songstress and Wood Harris, as a harried trainer, to circle these two stars like lesser satellites, trying as best as they can to contain the twinned supernovas at the center (which is to say, not much at all). Majors, already seemingly inescapable this year , brings a wounded menace that suggests the many sedimentary layers of fury and grief underneath; he's less some sneering Iron Curtain meathead á la Rocky villains of yore than a lost soul. It's still Creed's name that's on the movie poster, though, and his championship belt to claim. Would we have it any other way? Grade: B

Creed III Review

03 Mar 2023

“It’s your time.” So said Sylvester Stallone ’s Rocky in the final moments of Creed II . It was true in more ways than one: not only has the franchise torch officially been passed to Adonis Creed on screen, but star Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut with Creed III . The result is a film which proves that while the titular character is indeed indebted to Rocky, it no longer needs the Italian Stallion to be as hard-hitting and emotionally satisfying as the best entries in the franchise.

The script, by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin (from a story they co-wrote with Creed and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler ), mines much of that emotion from Adonis and Dame ( Jonathan Majors ). A 2002-set prologue sets up their relationship – a younger Creed holding the gloves for then boxing prodigy Dame – and hints at their fraught history. When Dame re-enters the picture, Adonis is now enjoying his celebrity and wealth in retirement after living the boxing life his friend dreamed of. The sense of brotherhood between them is always keenly felt, even as each conversation is loaded with tension.

Dame’s hurt comes from a real, honest place, and Majors delivers yet another performance that's dynamic and magnetic in a role that gives him ample room to emote. As formidable as his hulking physique is, it’s in the quieter, subtler, equally intense moments that he truly impresses. Yet arguably, even more compelling than Adonis vs. Dame is Adonis vs. Adonis. He has always been his own toughest opponent, and with Dame reminding him of a past he’s been trying to forget, Jordan unlocks new depths and vulnerabilities that are richly explored.

Michael B Jordan's directing is solid, the boxing sequences drawing on his love of anime.

Jordan also finds more for Tessa Thompson 's Bianca to do, the actor accessing the nuance in Bianca’s own life-after-stardom journey. And more focus on the Creed’s deaf daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) gives us a welcome, sweet-but-not-syrupy family dynamic. Just as Creed explored what Apollo handed down to Adonis, so too does Creed III interrogate what lessons, good or bad, Amara may be inheriting from her father, especially when it comes to his predilection for violence. It’s a fascinating idea in a movie which has violence baked into its DNA, if not as fully realised as it could have been.

Indeed, after a well-paced and fresh-feeling opening 90 minutes, the final act feels needlessly rushed, resulting in plotlines and arcs that are short-changed, and at least one decision that feels a little out-of-character. The pivot into franchise convention – with familiar boxing beats we’ve seen from this series and others many times before – does dilute some of the good, patient work that preceded it.

But even with that shift, Jordan’s direction is solid throughout, the boxing sequences drawing on his love of anime — especially evident in the final bout, which features epic slo-mo, Dragonball Z -esque punches and some impressively stylised imagery. Should there be more Creed sequels in future — and on this basis, there’s no reason why there shouldn’t – that’s exactly the sort of freshness that the franchise could do with more of.

Movies | 10 03 2023

Movies | 22 11 2022

Movies | 18 10 2022

Movies | 17 10 2022

Creed 3 review: new Rocky movie punches above its weight without its star attraction

Creed 3 delivers a knockout blow in the sports drama-based ring.

Promotional image of Michael B Jordan as Adonis Creed in Creed 3

TechRadar Verdict

Creed 3 delivers a one-two punch of style and substance to largely break free of the Rocky series' commanding presence. The spiky, three-dimensional dynamic between Adonis Creed and Damian Anderson drives the movie forward in novel ways, while its action is intriguingly anime-esque in its approach. Sly Stallone's absence, coupled with some "seen it all before" moments, though, prevent it from being a top-tier sports drama.

Compelling dynamics

Visually interesting action

Fresh ideas expand scope of Rocky/Creed universe

Lacks Rocky series' heart

Narratively similar to other Rocky/Creed movies

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

- Launches in theaters worldwide on Friday, March 3 - Third film in Creed series - Ninth movie in Rocky-Creed franchise - Stars Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Jonathan Majors - Written by Keegan Coogler and Zach Baylin - Directed by Michael B Jordan

Few film franchises have endured as long as Rocky . In an era where trilogies are the go-to formula for movie studios – outside of Universal’s Fast & Furious franchise, anyway – the Rocky series keeps finding new ways to squeeze more sports drama-based juice out of its straightforward premise.

It helps that the Creed film franchise – a continuation of, and spiritual successor to, Rocky ’s story – has revitalized the stagnant series in recent years. Now, all eyes are on Creed 3 to see if it can both honor Rocky ’s legacy and reshape the series’ future (especially as the first Rocky film is among the best Prime Video movies ). For the first time in its history, Sylvester Stallone’s legendary boxer-turned-coach isn’t part of the cast. Creed 3 also takes creative risks with its storytelling and visual approach. Both are perilous revisions that might alienate longtime fans.

Despite the changes, Creed 3 delivers a serious one-two punch of style and substance that makes for an entertaining knockout of a film. At times, it struggles to escape Rocky’s evidently long shadow, but there’s enough original material to ensure Creed is no longer the young pretender to his former mentor’s throne.

Getting ready to rumble

Adonis Creed and Damian Anderson face off in Creed 3

Creed 3 finds Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) thriving in all aspects of his life. At home, he’s never been closer to wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and daughter Amara (the effervescent Mila-Kent Davis). In the ring, Adonis cements his place as undisputed world champion before retiring to mentor the next generation of prized fighters.

The sudden re-emergence of Adonis’ childhood friend and ex-boxing prodigy Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), though, throws his life out of balance. Released from prison after 19 years, a bitter Damian is determined to make up for lost time and install himself as boxing’s new heavyweight champion by any means necessary. Soon, Damian becomes an antagonistic force of nature Adonis can’t ignore, and there’s only one way they’ll be able to settle their differences: in the boxing ring.

Creed 3 ’s tagline – you can’t run from your past – could also apply to either of its predecessors. After all, 2015’s Creed was about Adonis living up to his family’s name, while its sequel focused on the unfinished business between the Creed and Drago families from 1985’s Rocky IV .

Damian is painted with electrifying glee by the scintillating Jonathan Majors

In Creed 3 , however, the slogan carries arguably greater significance. With Rocky Balboa absent from proceedings – more on him later – the third Creed movie officially marks the beginning of Adonis’ true journey. This is his story and it’s about time that was recognized. With few references to the Rocky films, Creed 3 is akin to a soft franchise reboot that aims to take it in new directions.

Adonis Creed speaks to his wife Bianca in Creed 3

Nowhere is this more evident than Damian’s arrival on the scene. The introduction of a wholly original character, with no perceived ties to any previous Rocky or Creed flick, is a hugely important step forward for the series. Damian’s appearance stirs up a hornet’s nest of guilt in Adonis – the reason behind this shame is revealed as the plot plays out – resulting in, initially at least, Adonis’ loyalties becoming split between Damian, his family, and his work.

Despite Adonis’ clear desire to aid his former best friend, there’s a brittleness about their fraternal bond. Unsurprisingly, it isn’t long before that simmering tension explodes into the foreground, their friendship seemingly becoming forever tarnished. Unexpectedly, Creed 3 pivots from a typical sports drama into a Shakespearean tragedy, with a particularly Hamlet-esque emphasis placed on its narrative and Adonis and Damian’s revenge-filled relationship.

Tortured souls

Damian Anderson leans on some ropes in Creed 3

It’s this relationship breakdown that intriguingly sheds light on Adonis’ character growth since his own introduction in the series. The juxtaposition between Adonis and Damian couldn’t be more stark, with the latter’s cocky and rancor-filled persona reminiscent of who Adonis used to be. Adonis is no saint – he’s still carrying that suppressed rage from previous Creed movies – but, with Damian mirroring the man Adonis was, the latter’s maturation is clear to see.

Damian’s authentic portrayal of a resentful antagonist is painted with electrifying glee by the scintillating Jonathan Majors. The actor recently brought nuanced rage to Kang the Conqueror , the supervillain he played in Marvel ’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania . Here, though, he displays a compelling combination of swagger and pent-up fury that adds a hefty dose of verve and emotional weight to proceedings. The brotherly bond he shares with Jordan’s Adonis is convincing, and captures the awkwardness, unspoken sentiment, and then intense animosity of their continually changing relationship – one that certainly puts Rocky’s mantra of "everyone deserves a second chance" to the ultimate test.

Creed 3 is akin to a soft franchise reboot

As for Jordan and returning co-star Tessa Thompson, the pair are in good form once more, although their relationship operates in the background compared to its Creed predecessors. The addition of newcomer Mila Davis-Kent as the duo’s livewire and effervescent daughter Amara – plus the return of Phylicia Rashad’s stoic matriarch Mary Anne Creed – brings levity and thematic resonance to the fore where necessary, too.

Damian bumps fists with Adonis in Creed 3

Even with the evolutionary traits Creed 3 brings to the table, it’s hard to overlook Rocky’s absence.

At times, the threequel feels a tad hollow without the commanding and heartfelt presence of Sly Stallone’s most iconic character. There are reasons why Stallone hasn’t returned – namely, his ongoing and valid feud with the Winkler family over who owns the rights to the Rocky franchise and its characters – but the rapport Rocky and Adonis shared in the first two films was the heart and soul of the Creed series.

Without Rocky, Creed 3 doesn’t carry the same emotional gut punch we’ve come to expect from the franchise. Yes, Adonis needs to break out of Rocky’s shadow. He can’t rely on Stallone’s character to keep handing out wisdom-filled nuggets on the path he should take, either. However, Stallone’s Rocky is conspicuous by his absence; an elephant in the room that, regardless of the new direction Creed 3 takes the series, should have been fully addressed. If nothing else, it would have formally closed the chapter on Rocky’s story (outside of what happens in Creed 2 ) and allowed the character to walk off into the sunset.

Power moves

Adonis Creed fights Ricky Conlan in Creed 3

Creed 3 suffers from Rocky’s absence outside of the ring, but it doesn’t lose its animalistic edge inside the confines of its square arena.

The movie’s action sequences – whether they’re sparring sessions that get out of control or winner-takes-all matches – are ferocious and bruising. They’re not as brutal or hyperviolent as championship bouts in previous flicks, but the ruthless and combative nature of Creed 3 ’s main battles is nonetheless enthralling.

It’s the visceral, thematic, and anime-style imagery of the movie’s matchups, especially during the climactic showdown between Adonis and Damian, that distinguishes Creed 3 ’s fights from its brethren. Saying any more would spoil the spectacle, but it’s far from the archetypal boxing matches fans have come to expect from Rocky and Creed films. There are only so many times you can shoot such encounters in a similar way before they become stale, repetitive clones of what’s come before. Kudos to Jordan, who makes his directorial debut here, and cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau ( Game of Thrones , The Many Saints of Newark ) for blending real-world boxing with creatively symbolic IMAX-filmed illustrations and Dragon Ball Z-inspired – albeit grounded in realism – choreography.

Our verdict

Creed 3 continues the series’ consistent run as a worthy successor to the Rocky franchise. Largely unshackled from the movies preceding it, Jordan is now the unquestionable star attraction of the series – a perk that allows the actor-director to shape the Creed brand in his image. With a fourth Creed movie and spin-offs already being discussed internally, Creed ’s legacy will only grow from here.

It’s not the best movie in the entire series – Rocky 1 , Rocky 6 , and Creed 1 are superior to it. But, as an artistically inventive movie that thematically explores forgiveness, particularly when it comes to forgiving yourself and making peace with your past, Creed 3 is a creatively robust and enjoyable feature that marks the dawn of a new era for the Rocky-Creed series.

Creed 3 will launch in theaters worldwide on Friday, March 6. All six Rocky films and the other two Creed movies are available to stream on Prime Video now.

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot .

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

How to watch NBA Play-In Tournament 2024: live stream basketball online

How to watch Masters 2024: live stream Augusta golf online from anywhere, day 4

Feel like Prime Video is missing episodes or language options? You're not alone – and Amazon is planning to fix it

Creed III First Reviews: A Satisfying End, and Another Jonathan Majors Knockout

Critics say michael b. jordan's directorial debut hits hard, thanks to its dramatic foundation and imaginative fight sequences, even if sylvester stallone's absence looms over it..

TAGGED AS: First Reviews , movies , news

Here’s what critics are saying about Creed III :

Is Creed III another knockout?

Creed III is an absolute masterpiece of a movie. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Creed is nothing short of a triumph. – Patrick Cavanaugh, ComicBook.com

Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut is triumphant. – John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

It’s a knockout and another terrific movie in a series full of them. I loved it. – Alan Cerny, VitalThrills.com

How does it compare to the other Creed movies?

It’s a far more dynamic movie than the proficient but formulaic Creed II , even if it can’t match the soulful filmmaking bravura of the first Creed . – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

While the series may never reach the lofty heights of the first Creed movie, it’s immensely satisfying to watch sequels made with real purpose and patience. – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

The original bare-knuckle magic is not all there, but it’s also often better than the blunt-force melodrama of the last film. – Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

Rather than give audiences what they expect out of a third Creed film (Clubber Lang redux), Creed III goes smaller and more intimate without pulling a single punch. – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness

It’s the first Creed movie where the emotional weight doesn’t stem from the original Rocky films. – Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

If these films have been about passing the torch, the third one finds both Michael B. Jordan and his character taking the torch and running with it. – Clint Gage, IGN Movies

It’s the weakest of the Creed trilogy. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III (2023)

(Photo by Eli Ade/©MGM)

Is the script worthy of the franchise?

The script from Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin makes great use of the groundwork laid before, enabling the film to move swiftly, landing the emotional beats within the new narrative conflict constructed. – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness

It’s basically the same premise as the dreaded Rocky V . But Creed III is surprisingly grounded, and frequently quiet and reflective. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

The overall story works and all of its pertinent beats make sense, but the dialogue leans into melodramatic tropes, at times, and falls into ineffective formulas. – Patrick Cavanaugh, ComicBook.com

The story is disappointing because it doesn’t fully commit to its themes. – Matt Rodriguez, Shakefire

The narrative — the reason we keep watching Adonis fight in and out of the ring — lets us down. – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Does it feel like more than just another boxing movie?

Creed III is arguably the first entry in the franchise in which boxing feels like an afterthought, where the audience… will become more intrigued by seeing how these characters and their lives unfold amidst the tension. – Patrick Cavanaugh, ComicBook.com

Going back to its Rocky roots, this film is a drama first, and a boxing movie second. – Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

What makes Creed III so refreshing is that it also scratches an itch many of us have for mid-budget adult drama and while it might be broad, IMAX entertainment, it still delivers the rare sight of big stars grappling with big emotions on a big screen. – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

Creed III isn’t a story about boxing, it’s a story about family — both the ones that we’re born into and the ones that we discover along the way — and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

It’s a hostile-tormenter movie, like Cul-de-Sac or The Gift or the granddaddy of them all, the original 1962 Cape Fear … Creed III is a sports drama that feels like a thriller with an urgent conscience. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

How are the fight scenes?

They’re brutal and exciting to watch as well as thematically meaningful to the characters and the story… [with] an engrossing new visual dynamic. – Clint Gage, IGN Movies

Jordan uses the full power of IMAX to direct some glorious fight scenes. – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Jordan finds new ways to showcase the sport in ways that feel fresh to the franchise. – Patrick Cavanaugh, ComicBook.com

Jordan brings a lot of anime influence into the fights, going for extreme close-ups and slow-motion… This movie delivers that in a way that isn’t exactly what you would expect. – Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

Jordan has said he was influenced by anime in making this film, and that can certainly be felt in the way he shoots these fights, the way these boxers move, and how Jordan shifts the perspective in stunning ways. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

I found myself absolutely locked into the fight sequences, not just because of the execution but due to buying in on the emotional aspects. – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness

The utilization of slow motion and close-up visuals, as well as the sound design, will make viewers feel like they are right there in the arena. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

How is Michael B. Jordan as a director?

As a director, he paces the movie well and stages the boxing matches with a brutal imaginative precision. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

As a director, Jordan crafts the visual dynamics between these two characters with a surprising assuredness. – Robert Daniels, Inverse

Jordan imbues the spinoff/threequel with a cinematic zest the series has never seen before, expanding the visual language of the Hollywood boxing movie in remarkable ways. – Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

It would have been easy for the first-time director to resort to what has been done before, but the creativity with which he shot this film pays off in the end. – Brittany Witherspoon, Screen Rant

The way he imagines that final bout will likely divide some audiences, but this is clearly a man with a vision. – Kate Erbland, IndieWire

This was a good start for Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, but he still has a way to go in perfecting this craft. – Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

Michael B. Jordan on the set of Creed III (2023)

(Photo by Ser Baffo/©MGM)

What about his performance?

Jordan gives what may be his fullest performance yet as Adonis. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Michael B. Jordan gave a wonderful, well-balanced performance as Adonis Creed. I appreciated how he was able to let himself freely explore the emotional depths of his character in a believable way. – Emmanuel Noisette, The Movie Blog

Acting and directing simultaneously is no easy task, but Jordan knocks it out of the park, showing skill both in front of and behind the camera. – Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

Directing and acting in the lead role is no easy task, but Jordan is able to give another powerful performance as Adonis Creed while also capturing strong performances from the cast. – John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

Jordan delivers, though one could tell his energy was split between acting and directing duties. – Brittany Witherspoon, Screen Rant

His performance feels a tad subdued, especially alongside a powerhouse like Majors as Damian. – Jeff Nelson, Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Is Jonathan Majors effective as Creed’s rival?

Unforgettable. – Robert Daniels, Inverse

Majors continues his streak of being the most interesting person on screen no matter what he’s in… [He] makes Dame one of the most original antagonists in the franchise. – Clint Gage, IGN Movies

He creates one of the Rocky series’ most compelling and nuanced characters through the way he carries himself. – Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

Damian is one of the most fascinating and disturbing antagonists in the history of the Rocky and Creed series… Jonathan Majors introduces us to the character’s vulnerabilities and then shocks us with his power. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

The actor imbues Damian with refreshing complexity. In a lesser performer’s hands, the character would have remained a thinly drawn antagonist to Adonis, someone we’d root to be defeated. – Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter

Just the way he carries himself, turns his head, is fascinating and delivers more impact than any physical punch he lands. What a treat it is to watch this superb actor soar in the very commercial movies he has only made better. – Joanna Langfield, The Movie Minute

While Majors does a phenomenal job with what he’s given… more time with Damian would have allowed for positioning his turn from an old friend to rival in a more salient way. – Kate Sanchez, But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Is Sylvester Stallone’s absence an issue?

Creed III does not suffer for it. In fact, it’s because of his absence that Jordan is free to add his most interesting flare. – Clint Gage, IGN Movies

After eight installments with Stallone, his continued appearance in the series was more of a distraction from Creed’s story than a benefit. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

Stallone stepping away may have been the best thing for this franchise. – Alan Cerny, VitalThrills.com

As this is the first film without Rocky, it’s something that’s hard not to notice, especially in the more emotional moments of Adonis’s journey where Rocky would be a reliable support. – Douglas Davidson, Elements of Madness

There’s a scene in this movie where Adonis is at his lowest moment, has no one to turn to, and a nice pep talk from Adonis’s old pal Rocky would have been a nice moment. – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

This film does not need Sylvester Stallone to succeed. However, because this is the third film in a spin-off trilogy part of the Rocky franchise, not having him there feels incomplete. – Meredith Loftus, Next Best Picture

Will it leave us wanting more Creed ?

I’m curious after this if we will see more Creed . I actually hope so. – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

If Jordan continues working behind the camera, another pit stop or two with these characters and their story would be more than welcome. – Siddhant Adlakha, Polygon

If Creed III turns out to be the last Creed movie, it will prove to be a satisfying finale. But if not, it keeps the bar high. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

It could be a satisfying conclusion to Donnie’s story. It could also be the third of what might become five or six films that start to run together after a while. – Clint Gage, IGN Movies

Creed III proves the series need never end, so long as it keeps pushing forward. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

I sure hope Creed doesn’t take the Rocky route and pump out sequel after sequel… If this is the final round for the Creed series, it’s a fitting, if predictable, end. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

Creed III opens in theaters everywhere on March 3, 2023.

Thumbnail image by ©MGM

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.

Related News

All Guy Ritchie Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Best Moments From The Migration Movie

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Hulu’s Under the Bridge : Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone on Respecting Reena Virk’s Memory

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

April 19, 2024

All A24 Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

April 18, 2024

Top Headlines

All Guy Ritchie Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
All A24 Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
Video Game TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer –
MGM: 100 Years, 100 Essential Movies –
25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Jordan directs and stars in intense, moving threequel.

Creed III Movie Poster: Michael B. Jordan in the ring

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Clear messages about compassion, empathy, resilien

Adonis is compassionate, loving, ambitious. He's p

Co-writers (Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler), directo

The sparring and boxing scenes get dangerous: Char

Donnie and Bianca embrace and kiss. In one scene h

Occasional but not frequent use of words including

Visible brands include Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz,

Adults drink cocktails at parties and hard liquor

Positive Messages

Clear messages about compassion, empathy, resilience, perseverance, and determination. Shows the importance of open communication in romantic and family relationships and of forgiveness, both for others and yourself.

Positive Role Models

Adonis is compassionate, loving, ambitious. He's protective of his wife and daughter. Mary Anne is a kind, loving mother who wants to keep Adonis away from the trauma of his past. Bianca loves, encourages, and supports her husband and daughter. She's a successful music producer who doesn't depend on Adonis' wealth. Amara is curious, funny, observant. Dame is disciplined and focused but also mercenary and unkind in how he's willing to get ahead. A wise mentor tells Donnie about another character's negative behavior: "He is telling you who he is. Believe him."

Diverse Representations

Co-writers (Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler), director (Michael B. Jordan), and stars are all Black, as is much of the cast, with exception of some supporting characters (like White German actor Florian Munteanu, who returns as Russian boxer Drago). There's positive representation of deaf and hard-of-hearing people, too: Bianca (played by hearing actor Tessa Thompson) is hard of hearing, and Amara (played by deaf actor Mila Kent-Davis) is deaf. ASL is used throughout by all characters who interact with Amara.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

The sparring and boxing scenes get dangerous: Characters are seriously injured (bloody bruises) and sometimes temporarily unable to continue boxing. A character is punched in the face and sports a black eye. A father's anger (not at his family) during a fraught conversation scares his child. A flashback shows a teen beating up an adult, three adults hitting a teen, and another teen holding up a gun to the same adults.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Donnie and Bianca embrace and kiss. In one scene he tries to distract her from work by cheekily propositioning her after some passionate kissing and makes a joke about how she's trying to get him naked.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional but not frequent use of words including "s--t," "damn," "hell," "coward."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Visible brands include Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Under Armor, Cadillac, Hennessy, Ralph Lauren, Showtime, Carhartt.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink cocktails at parties and hard liquor in private or during one-on-one conversations.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Creed III is the ninth film in the larger Rocky franchise and the third centering on Adonis "Donnie" Creed ( Michael B. Jordan ). This time around, newly retired heavyweight champion Donnie is adjusting to life outside of the ring as a star promoter and gym owner. But his life is shaken when a childhood friend and former boxing role model ( Jonathan Majors ) resurfaces after nearly two decades in prison. Expect violent fight scenes both in and out of the boxing ring as well as strong language (mostly "s--t"), drinking, and a bit of kissing and flirting between a married couple. The Creed films have clear messages about perseverance and compassion, and they offer positive diverse representation both in front of and behind the camera, featuring a mostly Black cast and crew, including the director (Jordan, making his directorial debut), writers, and producers. Plus, deaf actor Mila Kent-Davis plays Donnie's deaf daughter, Amara, and ASL is used throughout the story. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (4)
Kids say (14)

Based on 4 parent reviews

Creed III is such a solid direction to the whole Creed legacy!

The fighting, was top notch., what's the story.

In CREED III, Adonis "Donnie" Creed ( Michael B. Jordan ) is enjoying life after his retirement from professional boxing. He runs a successful boxing gym and is a well-respected promoter and ambassador for the sport. He has built a loving family with his award-winning music producer wife, Bianca ( Tessa Thompson ); their precocious deaf daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent); and Donnie's attentive mother, Mary Anne ( Phylicia Rashad ). Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Donnie's childhood friend and former Golden Gloves champ Damian "Dame" Anderson ( Jonathan Majors ) gets out of prison after nearly two decades and seeks Donnie out. He wants a second chance at what prison deprived him of: a title shot in professional boxing. Plagued with guilt and feeling partially at fault for Dame's arrest and imprisonment, Donnie gives him a place in the gym -- over Tony's ( Wood Harris ) objections -- as heavyweight contender Felix Chavez' (Jose Benavidez) sparring partner. But soon Dame's ambitious demands and Creed's guilt lead to an antagonistic rivalry that can only be resolved in the ring.

Is It Any Good?

This is an intense, moving installment in a franchise that has always centered on family, friendship, and perseverance, and Jordan and Majors are brilliant as friends turned adversaries. Jordan's directorial debut is a seamless continuation of Ryan Coogler 's established story and themes (his brother, Keenan Coogler, is a co-writer), bringing everything closer to home by focusing on Donnie's past trauma and how a childhood friend's incarceration changes him. The flashbacks, featuring Thaddeus J. Mixson and Spence Moore II as 15-year-old Donnie and 18-year-old Dame, provide an integral look at how Adonis' life might have turned out had Mary Anne not adopted him. And although there are several boxing sequences, the heart of this story is once again the character development, with Donnie finally processing painful memories and learning to open up to his amazing wife (Thompson is fabulous as Bianca).

In addition to the main cast, the supporting ensemble continues to captivate, with Harris' Duke and young Kent-Davis stealing scenes and reminding viewers how much of a supportive circle Donnie has around him -- something that Dame utterly lacks. The soundtrack, executive-produced by J Cole, includes propulsive tracks from rapper Bas, Ghanaian recording artist Black Sherif, and Nigerian producer Kel-P. Kramer Morgenthau's cinematography, coupled with Jessica Baclesse and Tyler Nelson's editing, creates tautly framed, emotional, and immersive boxing scenes that, while bloody, convey each fight's high stakes. Majors and Jordan should consider starring in more films together, because their chemistry, natural gravitas, and acting range are unparalleled. Audiences will be impressed with Jordan's nuanced performance and Majors' humanized "heel" turn. The only question left is whether the Creed franchise will continue to put Donnie through the ringer -- or whether it's time to move on to the next generation.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Creed III . Does it seem realistic? Is it necessary? Does sports-related violence impact viewers differently than other kinds of violence?

Parent-child relationships are a key part of this film. How did that part of the story affect you?

Discuss the movie's representation of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Is it positive? Why is representation important?

Who do you consider a role model in the movie? What character strengths do they demonstrate throughout the story?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 3, 2023
On DVD or streaming : March 31, 2023
Cast : Michael B. Jordan , Tessa Thompson , Jonathan Majors
Director : Michael B. Jordan
Inclusion Information : Black directors, Black actors, Female actors, Latino actors
Studio : United Artists Releasing
Genre : Drama
Topics : Sports and Martial Arts
Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Perseverance
Run time : 116 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : intense sports action, violence and some strong language
Award : Common Sense Selection
Last updated : June 23, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Creed Movie Poster Image: Creed and Rocky in the ring

Black History on the Screen: Dance, Games & Sports

Great sports movies, related topics.

Perseverance
Sports and Martial Arts

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission.

The Glorious Masculine Melodrama of Creed III

In Creed III , Jonathan Majors has the body of a god and the face of a man who’s just barely holding back tears. It’s a juxtaposition that the movie, directed by its star, Michael B. Jordan, takes its time setting up. Majors’s character, Damian “Diamond Dame” Anderson, first arrives onscreen tucked protectively inside a hoodie. He’s fresh off an 18-year prison stint and looks tender and raw and like someone who needs a few cushioned layers between himself and the outside world. Adonis Creed (Jordan) — Donnie to his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), and to pretty much everyone else who doesn’t just call him “Champ” — assumes that his childhood friend has come to him for help. And yet when Dame works out alone in the grim by-the-week motel room he’s been living in, running through a ritual of curls and push-ups with single-minded determination, there’s nothing fragile about him. When he finally steps into the ring, he unveils muscles that look like they were chiseled out of granite. He’s no supplicant. He’s Donnie, if Donnie hadn’t been scooped from the foster-care system as a boy and brought to Bel Air by his adoptive mother, Mary-Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad).

It isn’t easy to play someone who’s essentially an incarnation of survivor guilt. But Majors — who got sucked up into the Marvel engine so quickly after his breakout in The Last Black Man in San Francisco that we’ve barely had a chance to get to know him as a performer — is shaping up gloriously to be another intense, immersive technique mumbler in the vein of Marlon Brando and Tom Hardy. He really does play Dame as though the guy were a tulpa manifested by Donnie’s tamped-down traumas and fears about his own legitimacy. In fights, he moves with a lurching unpredictability, as though he’d built his body himself instead of being born into it. And he always looks alone, even when he’s surrounded by hangers on. It’s a great, arrestingly weird performance that might have unbalanced a more subdued movie, but in his directorial debut, Jordan shows an unabashed appreciation for masculine melodrama. His film, which was written by Zach Baylin and Keenan Coogler (whose brother Ryan Coogler retains a story credit), gives a grandeur to the relationship between Donnie and Dame, who were like siblings as kids together in a group home, got separated by incarceration, and reunite as men uncertain whether they want to hug or fight one another.

The Rocky movies have always been about doing a bit of both, balancing sentimentality and brutality. This is a series that kicked off as the gritty story of a lovable schmuck trying not to lose too badly when he gets a shot at the champ, and then turned around in the sequel and let that schmuck not only win the rematch, but win by way of a narrowly averted double knockout. The Creed s are Rocky movies, even if Sylvester Stallone, who’s currently at war with producer Irwin Winkler over the rights to the franchise, refused to appear in this latest one. Ryan Coogler gave us one of the greatest blockbusters of the past decade with 2015’s Creed , one that gently rebuked aspects of Stallone’s mythmaking while building on it with evident affection. But Creed II , which Stallone co-wrote, couldn’t figure out a satisfying mix of the serious (Donnie and Bianca have a baby) and the ridiculous (Donnie fights the son of Dolph Lundgren’s character from Rocky IV ). Jordan may not have Coogler’s filmmaking talent, but he has a feel for the high drama of his film’s central conflict, as well as anime influences that work surprisingly well in a property that is as much about fighting the world and oneself as it is about fighting an opponent.

In Jordan’s gutsiest stylistic swing, the background of a fight fades away, leaving the ring floating in the dark in silence as the two boxers circle one another. As they throw punches, one of the corners is replaced by an artifact from the abusive home Dame and Donnie once shared, and while they grapple, the ropes are replaced by the bars of a prison cell. The figurative becomes literal, but hey, there’s never been a need for subtlety here — Donnie is battling with the man he could have, and sometimes feels like he should have, been. Creed III ’s greatest achievement is demonstrating that there’s more story to be told about Donnie, who after two films had been looking pretty thoroughly explored as a character. It’s doing what so many films have to in this age of IP and pulling timeline acrobatics to extract new drama from the spaces between old installments, but it does so with unusual care. Dame isn’t just a figure from Donnie’s past, but a reminder of the hardships and advantages Donnie’s come from, and of the prison pipeline he was almost shunted into. With his mansion in the hills, his nice suits, and his thriving post-retirement career as a promoter, Donnie’s hovering above the streets he once fled through. The drama isn’t about whether he’s going to win when he inevitably gets back in the ring (he pulls a plane across the tarmac in his training montage and everything). It’s about whether, when faced with a glimpse of who he could have been, he’s willing to believe he deserves what he has.

More Movie Reviews

Zack Snyder’s Screensaver Space Opera Comes to an Uneventful End
What If We Didn’t Know Abigail Was a Vampire Movie?
David Dastmalchian Deserves to Be a Star
jonathan majors
movie review
michael b. jordan
tessa thompson
sylvester stallone
new york magazine

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

Lower case letters (a-z)
Upper case letters (A-Z)
Numbers (0-9)
Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Cast & crew
User reviews

Adonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight. Adonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight. Adonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight.

Michael B. Jordan
Keenan Coogler
Zach Baylin
Ryan Coogler
Tessa Thompson
Jonathan Majors
502 User reviews
244 Critic reviews
73 Metascore
28 nominations

Adonis Creed

Bianca Creed

Damian Anderson

Tony 'Little Duke' Burton

Mary-Anne Creed

Amara Creed

Felix Chavez

Laura Chavez

Viktor Drago

Adonis Creed (15)
(as Thaddeus James Mixson Jr)

Damian Anderson (18)

'Pretty' Ricky Conlan
(as Anthony Bellew)
(as Patrice 'Boogie' Harris)
(as Ann 'Mitt Queen' Najjar)

Lorenzo 'Nightmare' Jones

Conlan's Trainer

Damian's Trainer
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

'Creed III' Stars Answer Our Burning Questions

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Mila Davis-Kent is deaf in real life.
Goofs Adonis tells his daughter that he used a straight right hand to knock Danny "Stuntman" Wheeler out in 'Creed II.' The punch was actually a left hook.

Damian Anderson : Here... help yourself up for once.

Crazy credits In the opening title, Leo the Lion is seen roaring in the MGM logo but is not heard. Rather, hip-hop music is playing all through the logo sequence.
Connections Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Most Anticipated Franchises Returning in 2023 (2023)
Soundtracks Adonis Interlude (The Montage) Performed by Dreamville feat. J. Cole

User reviews 502

Mar 8, 2023
How long is Creed III? Powered by Alexa
What is given as the reason in this story for Rocky's absence?
March 3, 2023 (United States)
United States
Official Site
American Sign Language
Tay Đấm Huyền Thoại 3
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Chartoff-Winkler Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$75,000,000 (estimated)
$156,248,615
$58,370,007
Mar 5, 2023
$276,148,615

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 56 minutes
Dolby Digital
IMAX 6-Track

More to explore

Cinephile Corner

Movie Reviews, Rankings, Film News and More

Creed III Movie Review: Michael B. Jordan Directs a Satisfying Send-Off for the Boxing Spinoff Trilogy

Creed iii stars michael b. jordan, tessa thompson and jonathan majors and is directed by jordan.

Review: Creed III continues the win streak for the franchise, relying on emotionally potent performances by Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors.

Creed III is the latest movie in the Rocky franchise. It is the third movie to star Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, and serves as the movie star’s directorial debut. Jonathan Majors and Tessa Thompson also star.

I didn’t get the chance to write about Creed III during its theatrical release for various reasons, but I recently squeezed a viewing of it in at home and felt relatively the same about it after seeing it for a second time – It’s a really satisfying and mindless experience. I’m not sure it does a whole lot outside of being a relatively safe blockbuster, but it at least marks the arrival of Michael B. Jordan as a director.

And that’s because many of the best elements in Creed III revolve around Jordan’s style and visual ideas. It’s been documented frequently that Creed III has major swaths of anime influence due to the director’s fandom, and it works really well during the choreographed fight scenes. It pulls you out of the safe zone that you usually get by watching a movie in the Rocky universe – that the same plotlines are generally unearthed in each subsequent movie.

It’s actually quite astonishing that the Rocky franchise can continue to churn these out given that they have the same premise. They build up a new big bad, set some superficial stakes, and inevitably end with a boxing match usually won by protagonist. But the emotionally resonant acting styles of the leads (Sylvester Stallone in the original saga, Michael B. Jordan here) make for compelling stories alone.

Luckily for Creed III, the movie is able to double-down on this emotional weight by adding Jonathan Majors to the fold. He’s outstanding in this, balancing the forces of being both personable and sympathetic with a gnarlier side hellbent on gaining back what is his from Adonis.

Creed III digs deeper into Adonis Creed’s ( Michael B. Jordan ) past, revealing a tough childhood riddled with instances of being marginalized by race, wealth, and social status. His childhood friend Damien is a boxing prodigy but loses it all in order to protect Adonis from the possibility of going to jail for a street fight.

Flash forward to present day, where Adonis is a boxing champion and worldwide mogul. Damien (now an adult, played by Jonathan Majors ) seeks him out for an opportunity to get back on his feet. Seeing the world pass him by, Damien relies on cheap fighting tactics to quickly rise to the top – leading to a final showdown between the two to settle the original score planted decades prior.

That’s a general synopsis for the story, which attempts to flesh out a more rounded character at the center of this trilogy. Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Major’s friendship in the story holds it together, because while they’re destined to fight in the boxing ring, the real fight starts from the very beginning as the two are constantly outdueling one another for screen presence.

Reviews for Films from the Rocky Franchise

Rocky Movie Review and summary Classic Film Balboa Sylvester Stallone Apollo Creed Carl Weathers

It’s a two-hander that sits with some of the best in this expansive universe. Stallone and Carl Weathers may still be the best because they were offered multiple films to build upon one another, but there’s something to the charisma of both Jordan and Majors to elevates this movie whenever the two of them are on screen.

Tessa Thompson reprises her role as Bianca – music icon and Adonis’ wife – and she’s as multi-dimensional here as she is on the previous two installments. She’s not given nearly as much to do this time around (because the movie emphasizes Adonis as much as ever) but she excels at the few lines that offer Creed III a deeper emotional punch.

There are a few underbaked ideas, from Adonis and Biance occasionally scolding their daughter Amara ( Mila Davis-Kent ) for choosing violence to settle disputes, to the paper-thin concept that Michael B. Jordan is portraying a weathered boxing champ. You have to suspend your belief a bit in order to sink into this world, but it’s not hard to when the camerawork and lead performances are this captivating.

And the final boxing match between Adonis and Damien will surely turn away some viewers. The movie shifts during the closing rounds, focusing deep within the character’s backstories and experiences to craft one of the most unique sequences in any of the Creed movies. I thought it worked, but that might be because I tend to reward points to auteurs trying to break the mold set before them. It’s certainly a unique stylistic choice, but I remember it taking my breath away when I saw it in theaters.

And who knows if there will be more Creed movies. This seemed to close the book on Michael B. Jordan’s character, but there’s a repeatability with this formula that I’m sure they’ll revisit down the line.

Genre: Action , Drama , Sports

Watch Creed III on VOD

Join our newsletter

Creed III Movie Cast and Credits

Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed

Tessa Thompson as Bianca Taylor

Jonathan Majors as Damien Anderson

Phylicia Rashād as Mary-Anne Creed

Mila Davis-Kent as Amara Creed

Wood Harris as Tony ‘Little Duke’ Evers

Director: Michael B. Jordan

Writers: Ryan Coogler , Zach Baylin , Keenan Coogler

Cinematography: Kramer Morgenthau

Editor: Tyler Nelson

Composer: Joseph Shirley

New Sports Movie Reviews from Cinephile Corner

Air Review: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Team Up to Tell the Story of Michael Jordan’s Shoe Deal With Nike
Uncut Gems Movie Review: The Safdie Brothers Crown Themselves with Adam Sandler Sports Thriller
The Iron Claw Movie Review: Zac Efron Bulks Up in Devastating Film Documenting the Von Erich Family Curse
Next Goal Wins Movie Review: Taika Waititi’s Sports Film Misses the Net

Creed III movie on Letterboxd

Creed III movie on IMDb

Movie Reviews

New Movies Classics Best New Movies All Reviews

About Us Newsletter Sign Up

Lists and Rankings

Director Rankings Best Movies of 2023 Best Movies of 2022 Best Movies of 2021 All Lists

Movie Genres

Action Adventure Animation Comedy Crime Documentary Drama Family History Holiday

Genres (cont.)

Horror Musical Mystery Romance Sci-Fi Sports Superhero Thriller War Western

Design by ThemesDNA.com

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

DVD & Streaming
Drama , Sports

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 3, 2023
Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed; Tessa Thompson as Bianca Creed; Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson; Wood Harris as Tony 'Little Duke' Burton; Phylicia Rashad as Mary-Anne Creed; Mila Davis-Kent as Amara Creed; Jose Benavidez as Felix Chavez

Home Release Date

March 31, 2023
Michael B. Jordan

Distributor

United Artists

Movie Review

Adonis “Donnie” Creed has decided to fight his last fight. At least, in the ring anyway. He’s stepping down as the reigning boxing champ and taking up a new battling helm as a fight impresario. He’ll be setting up world-class fighters, not being beaten and pummeled by them.

And that suits Donnie just fine. He can relocate his family and business to a much more spotlight-ready area and keep his pretty face pretty. It’s a win-win.

Of course, no matter how fine your suits are, or how big and spectacular your home, you can rarely clean out all the old skeletons from your proverbial closet. And Donnie has a few of those.

One of those past connections is a guy by the name of Damian “Dame” Anderson. He’s a close friend who was once a Golden Gloves Champ. He and Donnie used to run around and get in trouble together when they were teens. But Dame had aspirations to hit the big time, too. He was set on being a pro boxer … until he got popped for a big crime and sent off to prison for 18 years.

Well, it just so happens that Dame is out now and still hoping for a shot. He’s kept himself in top shape. So while, yeah, he’s a bit long in the tooth to be starting a pro career, he does have a friend in the biz.

And that friend owes him one.

From Donnie’s perspective, it’s all kinda impossible. How can he push this guy who’s never fought a single pro fight as an adult? But there are reasons why Donnie, well, can’t say no to Dame. Things Donnie has done in the past. Things he’s kept hidden.

Maybe there’s a page he can pull from Rocky Balboa’s book. I mean, Rocky got his break as a two-bit unknown when Donnie’s father fought him in Philly for publicity back in the day, right? Maybe Donnie can set something like that up for Dame. If Dame holds up and lasts a few rounds, then he might get some attention from the fighting community. If he goes down in flames, well, he had his shot.

What Donnie doesn’t realize is that Dame isn’t one to wait patiently while a friend cracks the door open for him. Dame’s itching to kick that door down. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to grab what’s “rightfully” his. And if that means a little dirty fighting inside or outside the ring, then so be it.

Dame feels like Donnie owes him. And Donnie is ultimately going pay. In more ways than one.

Positive Elements

We see Donnie making positive choices to support his wife and daughter. And Donnie goes the extra mile to help Dame, too. Even though their relationship grows contentious, Donnie works hard to set things right. Not surprisingly given this storytelling franchise’s pedigree, redemption and forgiveness play big roles in this boxing drama, too.

Spiritual Elements

Sexual content.

Donnie and his wife, Bianca, flirt sexually with each other. They begin kissing and then sink to the floor before the camera cuts away. We also see Bianca dressed in nightwear that includes a t-shirt and short shorts.

During the boxing matches, attractive women—wearing either bikinis or formfitting outfits—carry cards that announce the next round. Donnie, Dame and other heavily muscled fighters spend lots of time shirtless.

Violent Content

As would be expected in a film of this stripe, well-choreographed fights feature bone-crunching battles. Slow-motion body blows ripple through each boxer’s flesh, and punches send blood spewing. This close combat yields minor cuts, bleeding wounds and angry bruises, mostly on the brawlers’ faces. One particularly brutal moment, for instance, features Dame pulling out his mouthpiece during a fight and spitting out several bloody teeth, too.

The de rigueur training montages can also be surprisingly jarring. Not only are boxers bashed and bloodied while sparring, but Donnie’s beat-himself-into-shape prep mode includes grueling uphill runs, pulling heavy objects (such as a small prop plane), pounding his fists bloody on a tree, etc. Amid those activities and others, Donnie collapses in exhaustion as he struggles to rebuild his fighting stamina.

We see some moments of violence outside the ring, too. Someone gets punched in the face, leaving an eye and brow bloody. A boxer is hit with a club at a party and has his wrist broken.

As a teen, Donnie jumps and pummels a guy who used to beat him and Dame when they were just boys. Donnie gets dragged off the man by a group of guys who punch and kick him. Then Dame steps up with a drawn gun.

A kid at school bullies Donnie’s daughter, and she punches the other child in the face. Then Donnie begins to give her some self-defense lessons.

Crude or Profane Language

The dialogue and songs in the soundtrack include about a dozen s-words, two f-words and 10 n-word variants, along with several uses each of “h—,” “a–” and “d–n.” We also hear one or two misuses of God’s name.

Drug and Alcohol Content

People drink champagne, hard alcohol and wine at a couple different celebrations. Bianca drinks wine with Donnie’s mom while watching TV. Dame and Donnie have a couple glasses of cognac. And Donnie’s home bar sports a full array of alcohol choices. Donnie’s mother takes some prescription drugs.

Other Negative Elements

Dame taunts Donnie publicly, calling him a coward in front of a TV audience.

This third entry in the Creed franchise no longer includes a role for the aging Rocky Balboa, but his well-worn Rocky movie formula is still intricately woven through the Creed III fabric. That means that while there’s less North Philly heart and circus-like spectacle, things still feel as familiar as an old pair of heavy bag gloves.

In short, current muscled-up lead Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) must pound himself back into fighting shape to take on a foe he never wanted to face and to protect the family he loves. (Cue the trumpets and a muscle-flexing mountaintop roar.) It’s the kind of tale we’ve come to expect from this series.

On a more granular level, viewers will find some very well-choreographed fight scenes. They’ll enjoy redemptive character moments, too, as Creed draws his family in close and reaches out to heal his relationship with Dame.

However, there are also some rather odd story logic stumbles here; a spit bucket full of foul language; and, of course, a whole lotta painful-looking pummeling that you’d never want your kids to recreate in the backyard.

Put all that up on the cinematic weigh-in scale and I’d say fans of this prizefighting franchise will think this pic goes the distance. But it ain’t a knockout.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

Latest Reviews

Spy x Family Code: White

Villains Inc.

Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

Screen Rant

Creed 3 ending explained: who wins & what it means.

Creed III explores a new era of Adonis Creed's life. We break down the ending of the film, including what come next in Creed 4 & potential spinoffs.

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Creed III

Creed III sees Adonis Creed still on top, coming out of retirement to fight childhood friend Damian “Diamond” Anderson. Directed by Michael B. Jordan, who also returns as the title character, from a screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, Creed III explores Adonis Creed’s past, and the next stage in his life.

Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) was taken aback when Dame (Jonathan Majors) reentered his life. After revealing what he was really after — and the lengths he would go to get it — Dame challenged Adonis to a fight. Dame wanted to prove that he was the best of the best, and Creed wasn’t about to let him win. The boxing match is heavily charged because there is so much history between the childhood friends. After 12 rounds, Creed wins and reconciles with Dame; there are no hard feelings between them. Creed III ends with Adonis in the ring with his daughter and Bianca briefly before they walk away together.

Related: Creed III Review: Jordan’s Directorial Debut Is Convincing & Confident

Why Dame Wanted To Fight Adonis In Creed 3

Damien reached out to Creed after getting out of prison, but it wasn’t to rekindle their friendship. He was past all that. Rather, it was a set-up so that Damien could have personal access to Creed’s life — his home, his gym, his family. Jonathan Majors’ character was targeting the other man’s weaknesses. Dame even hired an inmate to attack Drago so that he wouldn’t be fit to box against Felix, Creed’s boxer. That gave Damien the opportunity to fight for the first time since he went to prison.

Damien wanted to reclaim what was lost during his time away, and he blamed some of that on Creed, who ran away and seemingly abandoned Dame when he needed him the most. Getting back in the ring gave Dame a chance to exact revenge on Creed, facing him in a way that he couldn’t back then, simultaneously getting his name out there in the boxing world to kickstart his career. Ultimately, Dame had a bone to pick with Creed, using him like a rung on the ladder on his way to the top. His Creed III plan allowed him to settle old scores and get back into boxing in one fell swoop.

Viktor Drago Spinoff Setup In Creed 3 Explained

Vikto Drago and Adonis Creed fought each other at the end of Creed II . In Creed III , however, Drago and Creed are allies. Though their relationship isn’t fully explored in Creed III , they must have grown closer in the years between the films. Drago and Creed show an ample amount of respect for one another in the Creed franchise’s third installment, and Creed III sets up a Viktor Drago spinoff. Now that he and Creed are friends, what’s next for Drago?

He’s still boxing, and he seems to be in a better place now, less angry, so a Drago spinoff movie could give the character the focus he has not received in the Creed movies so far. There’s a lot more to the boxer than meets the eye, and a spinoff movie could finally explore his history, the Drago family drama and so much more. If nothing else, Creed III certainly implies that audiences haven’t seen the last of Viktor Drago, especially now that he’s in LA. He could even duke it out with Damian Anderson in the Creed spinoff. Anything is possible.

Related: 6 Reasons Creed 3's Reviews Are So Good

Why Rocky Doesn’t Attend Mary-Anne’s Funeral In Creed 3

Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa isn’t in Creed III at all, despite appearing in the first two Creed films. Interestingly, Rocky Balboa isn’t even mentioned after Creed’s mother, Mary-Anne, dies following her second stroke. Considering they knew each other well and Rocky would always check in on her, it seemed odd that he wouldn’t show up to her funeral or give Creed a call. It’s possible Rocky was away for a fight and couldn’t reach LA in time for the funeral. It could be that he reached out to Creed offscreen. Either way, there could have been an excuse made regarding Rocky’s notable absence at Mary-Anne’s funeral instead of keeping audiences guessing.

The Reason Mary-Anne Kept Damian’s Letters A Secret

Before Mary-Anne Creed passed away, Creed discovered she had been hiding Damian’s letters, which Adonis was angry about. Ultimately, Mary-Anne didn't want Adonis to continue being attached to Damian, who she felt was a bad influence. Mary-Anne wanted her son to move on, to build a new life for himself that was free from his painful past. Creed III really reflected upon Adonis’ past , and the connections with Mary-Anne and Damian solidified that. While Adonis was furious, Mary-Anne felt she was doing the right thing to protect her son. It was something she felt he couldn’t appreciate at the time, even though it proved Adonis could indeed grow without Damian by his side.

Why Adonis Beat Dame In Creed 3's Final Fight

When Adonis Creed became the world champion, there wasn't much more he could accomplish in the boxing world. However, when Dame challenged him to defend his title on live television, Adonis had no choice but to take his old friend up on his offer. To be sure, Creed could have refused, but he was never someone who backed down from a fight, and he had a lot to prove to not just Damian, but to himself as well.

Creed had to win the anime-influenced boxing match for many reasons — to defend his championship title, to defend his pride, and to prove to himself that he is not someone who runs away from a fight as an adult. Fighting Dame proved all these things, and winning the match showed Dame that Creed was undefeated, the best at the game. Creed had to prove to himself that the title he won was something that was earned, and that it wasn’t some sort of fluke just because Dame was excellent at boxing. After all, Creed had worked hard for the life he had, and it would have looked bad if he’d lost against Dame.

Related: When Will Creed 3 Release On Streaming?

How Creed 3 Sets Up Creed 4

There’s not much in Creed III that suggests Adonis will be back for another round, but Creed 4 was confirmed by Michael B. Jordan . In addition to the potential of a Viktor Drago spinoff, Creed III suggests a spin-off with Jonathan Majors’ character, who has only just begun his boxing career. With Creed III seeing Adonis retired, it’s possible Creed 4 could follow his daughter, Amara Creed, as she begins her boxing career.

Creed III confirmed Amara was really into boxing, and had even seen all of her father’s matches. Since the Creed movies have included time jumps, it’s possible Creed 4 could take place several years after the third film, with Amara, as a teenager, training with her father for her first match. Adonis wants to give back and dedicate his time to training others, so why not start with his own daughter? Amara could learn how to properly fight from her father, and how to better express her feelings from her mother Bianca. There’s a lot of potential here, and it would be a nice way to continue Adonis Creed’s story .

Creed 3’s Ending Meaning Explained

Creed III is about facing one’s past, standing up to it and taking accountability for one’s actions. Throughout the film, Adonis is faced with guilt, fear, and anger. In addition to finally taking responsibility instead of running away like he did as a child, Creed had to work through his feelings instead of taking out his anger in unhealthy ways and remaining closed up. The Creed movies have long been about Adonis coming to terms with his father’s legacy and death, and shaping a path for himself on his own terms.

But he’s had to wade through a lot of heavy emotions to do so. Adonis really steps up at the end of Creed III , showing Damian that he is not the person he used to be; he’s grown up, and he can sort through the emotions he was previously unable to convey in words. Creed recognizing that he could have been there for his friend when he wasn’t, as well as apologizing for it is true character development. Creed is all the better for facing his past and being able to truly move on. It brings his story full circle.

More: Tessa Thompson Interview: Creed 3

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

Nashik Times
Aurangabad Times
Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

Edit Profile
Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Rajkumar: Chin fillers made me feel confident

Rajkumar Rao on plastic surgery rumours: I've got fillers on my chin and I'm glad I did it, because it made me feel confident - Exclusive

Rajat Kapoor: OTTs have not been very kind, it is a lie that digital platforms are the saviours

Is Salman’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2’ script ready?

Is Salman Khan’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2’ script ready?

Abhishek-Aishwarya's photos that spell LOVE

Anniversary special: Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's photos that spell LOVE

PC-Nick set to return to their USD 20 mn home

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas to return to their USD 20 million LA home after restoration

Why Kunal Ganjawalla hid THIS from his wife

Did you know Kunal Ganjawalla hid from his wife that he had sung ‘Bheege Hont Tere’ because of its lyrics?

Movie Reviews

Silence 2: The Night Ow...

Amar Singh Chamkila

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

Kung Fu Panda 4

Godzilla x Kong: The Ne...

Swatantrya Veer Savarka...

Madgaon Express

Ae Watan Mere Watan

Movie listings.

LSD 2: Love Sex Aur Dh...

The Legacy Of Jineshwa...

Do Aur Do Pyaar

Luv You Shankar

Mamu Makandaar

30 Hours Survival: Gau...

Detective Nysa

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan...

Hina Khan inspired Spring Style Book

Amala Paul shows what pregnancy glow looks like

Lok Sabha election 2024: Kollywood stars who made headlines

Nayanthara commands attention in gorgeous cotton silk saree

Soundarya Sharma dazzles in a traditional lehenga suits

In pics: Stunning looks Kalyani Priyadarshan

Nayanthara to Aditi Rao Hydari, best photos of the week

Esha Kansara elegant looks: A must-see!

Karisma Kapoor's corset top with pleated skirt is the summer staple you need in closet

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

Movie Reviews /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Creed III Movie Review : A captivating face-off powered by knockout performances

Times Of India

In-depth Analysis

Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.

Creed III - Official Trailer

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Visual Stories

10 relationship tips to borrow from our grandparents

Rashmika Mandanna ups the glam bar in a stunning black sequin gown

8 most stunning images captured by the James Webb Telescope

Entertainment

Sarah Jane Dias enchants in a sparkling glitter saree

Cool escapes: 10 destinations that are perfectly pleasant in June

10 biotin sources in food for thick and long hair

Sunny Leone shines in bright neon attire

8 types of khichdi for a healthy gut

10 best Korean beauty products under INR 999

News - Creed III

Jonathan Majors in court to begin jury selection in New...

Michael B Jordan's 'Creed III' punches its way to top o...

Hardest thing but felt most alive: Michael B Jordan on ...

After Ben Affleck, Ranveer Singh spotted chatting up wi...

Jonathan Majors being eyed as Michael B Jordan's oppone...

Creed III: Sylvester Stallone not to reprise his role o...

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

LSD 2: Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2

Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar S...

Kaam Chalu Hai

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

COMMENTS

Creed III movie review & film summary (2023)
Creed III. The ambition alone is impressive. For his directorial debut, Michael B. Jordan chose to take on "Creed III," the latest film in the " Rocky " spinoff franchise and the ninth picture overall in the beloved boxing saga. He's also directing himself in the process, as he returns once again to the titular role of champion ...
Creed III
Sep 7, 2023. Sep 4, 2023. After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing ...
'Creed III' Review: Michael B. Jordan Directs a Rock-Solid Sequel
Music: Joseph Shirley. With: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent, Jose Benavidez, Florian Munteanu, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Spence Moore ...
Creed III review
Jordan's Adonis "Donny" Creed has retired, setting down his gloves and focusing on wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) but remaining in the industry, a ...
Creed 3 review: Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut moves fast and
Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut feels like an experimental remake of Rocky V that finally lets Adonis Creed step outside of his mentor's shadow. By Charles Pulliam-Moore, a reporter ...
Creed III
Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jun 6, 2023. Without the presence of Sylvester Stallone, in front of or behind the camera, and without Rocky Balboa in the film, Creed III still manages to ...
'Creed III' Review: A Franchise Finds New Fertile Ground
March 2, 2023. Creed III. Directed by Michael B. Jordan. Drama, Sport. PG-13. 1h 56m. Find Tickets. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an ...
'Creed III' Review: Michael B. Jordan Steps Behind the Camera
Rated PG-13, 1 hour 56 minutes. If we take its claims at face value, Creed III is a rousing success, a slick, cool and inspiring narrative about boxing's prince trying to defend his title and ...
Creed III review: Sequel stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors
Creed III. review: Not a total knockout, but a strong return. Star Michael B. Jordan takes the directing reins, with Jonathan Majors as his nemesis in the ring. If there is a sweet science to ...
Creed III Review
Creed III Review. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has successfully moved on from a life in the ring to a life as a gym owner and boxing promoter. But his past comes back to haunt him when ...
Creed 3 Review
Posted: Feb 23, 2023 7:00 pm. Creed III opens in theaters on March 3, 2023. The Creed wing of the Rocky franchise has always been about legacy. Adonis Creed's journey has been one of stepping ...
Creed III Review: Jordan's Directorial Debut Is Convincing & Confident
A convincing and confident debut from Jordan, Creed III is a good addition to the long Rocky franchise/spinoff series. The film contains a standout performance from Majors, even though the script barely does him any justice. Yet, the actors push through the overused storyline to create entertaining and emotionally compelling performances that ...
Creed 3 review: new Rocky movie punches above its weight without its
Creed 3 fights its way into theaters on March 6 - here's our spoiler-free review of the Rocky movie series' latest entry.
Creed III First Reviews: A Satisfying End, and Another Jonathan Majors
Continuing the Rocky franchise with its ninth installment, Creed III also rounds out the spin-off Creed trilogy, and critics are saying it's one of the best movies in the whole series. The first round of reviews celebrates Michael B. Jordan's return as Adonis Creed as he makes an accomplished debut in the director's chair, and while Jonathan Majors is notably the highlight of the sequel ...
Creed III
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score ...
Creed III Movie Review
Creed III Movie Review. 1:08 Creed III Official trailer. Creed III. Community Reviews. See all. Parents say (4) Kids say (14) age 12+ Based on 4 parent reviews . Charlie H. Adult. March 5, 2023 age 12+ Creed III is such a solid direction to the whole Creed legacy!
'Creed III' Review: Glorious Masculine Melodrama
In Creed III, Jonathan Majors has the body of a god and the face of a man who's just barely holding back tears.It's a juxtaposition that the movie, directed by its star, Michael B. Jordan ...
Creed III (2023)
Creed III: Directed by Michael B. Jordan. With Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris. Adonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight.
Creed III Movie Review: Michael B. Jordan Directs a Satisfying Send-Off
Movie Review: Creed III continues the win streak for the franchise, relying on emotionally potent performances by Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors. ... Luckily for Creed III, the movie is able to double-down on this emotional weight by adding Jonathan Majors to the fold. He's outstanding in this, balancing the forces of being both ...
Creed III
Movie Review. Adonis "Donnie" Creed has decided to fight his last fight. At least, in the ring anyway. He's stepping down as the reigning boxing champ and taking up a new battling helm as a fight impresario. He'll be setting up world-class fighters, not being beaten and pummeled by them. And that suits Donnie just fine.
Creed 3 Ending Explained: Who Wins & What It Means
Creed III explores a new era of Adonis Creed's life. We break down the ending of the film, including what come next in Creed 4 & potential spinoffs. ... Mae Abdulbaki • Movie Reviews Editor (1457 Articles Published) Mae is a writer and editor. She previously wrote about a variety of entertainment for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The ...
Creed III Movie Review: A captivating face-off powered by knockout
Creed III Movie Review: Critics Rating: 4.0 stars, click to give your rating/review,Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut is visually and emotionally immersive.
Creed III
Chris Stuckmann reviews Creed III, starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad. Directed by M...
Creed 3 Review #creed3 #creed #creed2 #nospoilers #moviecritic #movie
You may like. 54 Likes, TikTok video from moviesandthebeast (@moviesandthebeast): "Creed 3 Review #creed3 #creed #creed2 #nospoilers #moviecritic #movie #review #movies #moviereview #reviews #moviereviews #movierate #movierating #movieratings #movierecommendation #movierecommendations #movienight #movienights #film #cinema #moviesandthebeast ...

Movie Reviews

Christy Lemire

Now playing

Brian Tallerico

Simon Abrams

Dad & Step-Dad

Glenn Kenny

Peyton Robinson

The Animal Kingdom

Creed III (2023)

Writer (story by)

Cinematographer

Latest blog posts

The 2024 Chicago Palestine Film Festival Highlights

Man on the Moon Is Still the Cure for the Biopic Blues

Part of the Solution: Matthew Modine on Acting, Empathy, and Hard Miles

The Imperiled Women of Alex Garland’s Films

‘Creed III’ Review: Michael B. Jordan Directs and Stars in a Rock-Solid Sequel That’s Closer to ‘Cape Fear’ Than ‘Rocky’

Owen Gleiberman

Popular on Variety

Reviewed at Park Ave. Screening Room, Feb. 17, 2023. MPA rating: PG-13. Running time: 116 MIN.

More From Our Brands

Creed III review – hugely entertaining threequel packs a mighty punch

Comments (…)

Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut feels like an experimental remake of Rocky V that finally lets Adonis Creed step outside of his mentor’s shadow.

Share this story

Tesla recalls all 3,878 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator pedal

More from The best entertainment of 2023

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

Creed III Reviews

‘Creed III’ Review: A Franchise Finds New Fertile Ground

Explore More in TV and Movies

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

site categories

Lovia Gyarkye

Related Stories

Full credits

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Creed III review: Not a total knockout, but a strong return

Related Articles

Creed III Review

Related Articles

Creed 3 review: new Rocky movie punches above its weight without its star attraction

TechRadar Verdict

Getting ready to rumble

Tortured souls

Power moves

Our verdict

Most Popular

Creed III First Reviews: A Satisfying End, and Another Jonathan Majors Knockout

Is Creed III another knockout?

How does it compare to the other Creed movies?

Is the script worthy of the franchise?

Does it feel like more than just another boxing movie?

How are the fight scenes?

How is Michael B. Jordan as a director?

What about his performance?

Is Jonathan Majors effective as Creed’s rival?

Is Sylvester Stallone’s absence an issue?

Will it leave us wanting more Creed ?

Related News

Movie & TV News

Top Headlines

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools