The first reviews are in for Creed III — and it seems critics agree round 3 is worthy of the title of “best Creed sequel.” Press reactions to the first screenings of the trilogy capper hit the internet Thursday, with most critics praising the heavyweight performances of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors. In Jordan’s directorial debut, retired heavyweight champion of the world Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Jordan) — the son of legendary boxer Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) — steps back into the ring to settle the score against old friend-turned-foe, hungry fighter Damian “Dame” Anderson (Majors). So how does Creed fare without Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in his corner?
Below, you can see excerpts from the earliest reactions and read ComicBook‘s spoiler-free Creed III review here.
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ComicBook.com: “With Creed III,the franchise has pulled off what Adonis aimed to accomplish, as we’regiven a movie that fully steps out of the looming shadow of both Balboaand Stallone that shirks the constraints of a typical sports drama tolean more fully into the heart of our lead character, instead usingthose depictions of athleticism to heighten the tension.”
The Hollywood Reporter: “Jordan uses the full power of IMAX to direct some glorious fightscenes. The ace music supervision amps our sense of the stakes of eachmatch long before the athletes enter the ring. Montages of Adonis andDamian training not only recall the ones in [Ryan] Coogler’s Creed;they also give viewers a chance to bask in the aesthetic glory of ourleads. Jordan borrows from his love of anime to — along with his stuntteam — choreograph the encounters as one would a modern dance. We get tosee the ring from each fighter’s perspective, to live in their mind asthey plan their next moves. These flourishes will surely delight many fans of the franchise, evenas the narrative — the reason we keep watching Adonis fight in and outof the ring — lets us down.”
Entertainment Weekly: “Creed III suffers from a certain lack of heft and specificityin its storytelling structure, a sense that the original bare-knucklemagic is not all there. But it’s also often better than the blunt-forcemelodrama 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.”
The Guardian: “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 closeto restoring one’s faith in the worth and legitimacy of the franchise asa concept, the latest chapter in what might well be the best we haveright now … While the series may never reach the lofty heights of the first Creedmovie (a near-perfect balance of heart, head and fist), it’s immenselysatisfying to watch sequels made with real purpose and patience.”
Polygon: “In his directorial debut, Jordan, a self-professed anime and manga fan,imbues the spinoff/threequel with a cinematic zest the series has neverseen before, expanding the visual language of the Hollywood boxingmovie in remarkable ways … Jordan’s approach sometimes works against the saga’s previously grounded nature, but Creed IIIhas enough visual panache to plaster over its occasional narrativeinelegance. But its strongest suit is its creators’ desire to weave acharacter-centric tale that doesn’t repeat the beats of the Rockymovies, the way Creed and Creed II follow the broad structure of Rocky and Rocky IV.”
ComingSoon: “While Creed III ischecking boxes with the training montage, the family drama, and theuplifting ending, it’s a formula that remains as inspiring as it waswhen Rocky Balboa took on Apollo Creed in 1976.”
Starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Mila Kent, and Phylicia Rashad, Creed III is playing only in theaters March 1st.
