"Creed III" is So Good That it Made Me Laugh AND Cringe in My Seat

 

by John Zenoni

I absolutely love the new entry in the Adonis Creed boxing saga, ‘Creed III.’ Michael B. Jordan, in his directorial debut, does a great job as director as well as returning in the starring role. Adonis Creed has taken a step back from boxing in order to focus on spending time with his family, including tending to his mother, played wonderfully by Phylicia Rashad. We learn that, as a youth, Creed had a good friend he loved like a brother, but both made a bad decision one evening, that saw Creed elude the police and jail, while his friend, Damian (played by Jonathan Majors, who gives an excellent performance), was captured and ended up serving 18 years in prison. It just so happens that Damian was a boxing prodigy who was on his way to a great career as a boxer. Upon release from prison, Damian finds Creed and they reconnect, with Damian hoping Creed will help him get a shot at a title fight. The friendship seems to be a good, genuine thing but the film takes a twist that sees the two eventually facing each other in the ring.

This is a movie that made me laugh, get emotional and cringe in my seat during the boxing sequences, as they were so good. I definitely would enjoy seeing more of Creed in future films.