REVIEW: Michael B. Jordan Debuts, Tessa Thompson Glows, and Jonathon Majors Packs a Good Punch In New Film Creed III

Creed III is the latest installment to the franchise of films with Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) starring in and debuting as director, in his first feature film. Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad star alongside the budding director in this action-packed relatable story on missed opportunities, loyalty, and vengeance.

When we last found Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), he was the surprising winner of the heavyweight title, World Heavyweight Champion, following in the footsteps of his late father Apollo Creed, and his mentor, Rocky Balboa. Creed is now retired after defeating past adversaries Viktor Drago and Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler and is running the Delphi Academy training up-and-coming boxing recruits.

Creed’s wife, Bianca, portrayed by Tessa Thompson (Sylvie’s Love, Passing, Lady and the Tramp) has started a new chapter in her life as we witnessed her gradually losing some of her hearing in Creed II. Rather than continuing her budding singing career at the time, she’s producing music now and working with new artists, one portrayed by superstar Kehlani. When we asked Tessa how she balanced the strength and the delicateness of her character, she stated,

“Oh, that’s such an interesting question. I actually was really interested in this time around getting to see a softening from her. I think something that’s always been interesting and I remember Ryan and I would have conversations and the first one was like chipping away at this exterior that was outwardly very, very tough and guarded in a way. I think over the course of the films we’ve seen that soften. I think motherhood is something that has softened her tremendously.

But I felt very grateful because there was an idea that I had to Mike, you know, of him saying to Bianca, that your emotions, for example, come so easy to you, and this idea of her actually being like, no, it’s actually challenging. This is challenging for me. It’s not easy for me. I think so often there is this idea, particularly of Black womanhood, that has to do with strength, that we are the pillars of our community, that we are the backbone of our family. That we lift our men up and that’s beautiful. That is very often true.

Also, it is not hard-earned, and it’s not easy. I really wanted her to have the opportunity to say that. I felt very grateful that Mike felt open to it and I was like, ‘Can I try this?’ And that it gets to exist in the film because, for me, I feel like that feels like an honest portrayal of her that she gets to also unravel some.“

The couple is raising their daughter Amara, (Mila Davis-Kent) who is fully hearing impaired and seemingly wants to follow in her father’s footsteps. Amara is very important to the Creed III storyline as Adonis has partially retired from boxing to stay safe for his family especially after losing his father due to repeated head injuries.

Amara is this perfectly placed symbol of the new generation of sports talent showing a father-daughter relationship, sharing in their love of boxing which is typically seen as a father-son role. Amara represents the story and journey of many female athletes to come and makes the film even more inspiring to a wider audience; the film envelops a core message of the importance of family and everyone having a voice.

Jonathan Majors (Devotion, Lovecraft Country, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) stars as the antagonist Damian “Diamond Dame” Anderson, the estranged childhood friend of Adonis. Where Creed went on to make a legacy for himself, Dame took the fall for an altercation where he was protecting a young Adonis and actually went on to serve many decades of prison time.

Dame shows up at Creed’s boxing academy unbenounced to his longtime friend, who quickly has a flashback and thinks he’s there looking for a handout. Dame rejects his offer and tells him he’s stayed in shape all of these years and wants what essentially Creed has, which is a championship title.

Adonis is overwhelmed with guilt because he knows Dame took the fall for him as a kid and is also clueless as to why he hasn’t heard from him while he was away. His ailing mother Mary-Anne Creed, played by Phylicia Rashad, was withholding Dame’s letters over the years which brings even more guilt rushing in. He then agrees to train Dame and attempts to find him challengers to fight, against the wishes of his trainer Tony “Little Duke” Burton (Wood Harris) who is his longtime trainer.

Creed has no idea that Dame has his own plans to climb his way to the top even if it means pulling him out of retirement and putting his life in jeopardy; Dame doesn’t always fight fair which has everyone up in arms on what will happen next. Majors who is an Emmy, Critics’ Choice, Independent Spirit, and Gotham award nominee gives a stellar performance as the wayward Dames and takes on multiple personalities when the mask is lifted on what he’s really after upon visiting his old so-called friend.

Both Jordan and Majors are at the peak of fitness for these roles and they delivered incredible immersive fight scenes shot from a boxer’s perspective. Jordan directed these scenes inspired by anime and they have a poetic look and feel to them as both fighters throw punches in the ring. It is superb visual storytelling. Photography Kramer Morgenthau and Jordan filmed Creed III with IMAX-certified digital cameras and used IMAX-exclusive expanded aspect ratio, allowing 26 percent more picture, making the Creed franchise the first sports-based film included in the Filmed for IMAX program. 

Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin are behind the screenplay with a story by both creatives and joined by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). The film was produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Elizabeth Raposo, Jonathan Glickman, and Sylvester Stallone. Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Nicolas Stern, and Adam Rosenberg served as executive producers.

Creed III is in theaters now, watch the trailer below.