Plot: What’s it about?
The Rocky franchise ran from 1976 to 2006. And in its three decade run, I think it’s safe to say that it carved out quite the niche about the “boxing movie.” Granted, the more critically-acclaimed boxing film, Raging Bull, came out during that time as well but let’s not lose focus so quickly. The torch has now been passed to Michael B. Jordan’s character of Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo (Carl Weathers) from the first few Rocky films. We know this, of course, and now that we’ve arrived at the third installment, Michael B. Jordan has decided to step behind the camera and helm this one. I suppose it’s only fitting since Sylvester Stallone directed a few of the Rocky movies. However it might be argued that no one knows the character of Adonis Creed better than Jordan, so again – it’s somewhat of a no-brainer that he’d lend a hand to the production side of things. Without further ado – Creed III.
At the forefront of the film we find Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) retired. He runs a gym where he trains other boxers and his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), has had a shift in her career. She’s no longer a performer, but produces and writes music for other artists. Bianca and Adonis’ focus is on raising their daughter (who has a hearing impairment), Amara (Mila Davis-Kent). Adonis finds Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) at his gym, a figure from his past, who’s fresh out of prison after 20 years. His time behind bars cut his boxing career short and he wants another shot. Adonis trains him, but Damian wants more – he wants to jump straight to the title match overlooking that it’s a process and not about the destination. Clearly there’s some tension between the two and, wouldn’t you know it, the only way to truly solve the issue is to let these two titans duke it out in the ring.
There’s a lot to like about Creed III, and there’s a lot to like about the first two as well. It’s a suiting and fitting way to continue to pay tribute to Stallone’s Rocky movies, which epitomized the 80’s. The Creed films have a more human element to them, though the showboating and glitz and glamour of the Rocky films isn’t totally gone. More to the point, I was pretty impressed by the direction of Michael B. Jordan. If he ever wants to stop acting and move to directing, I think this film cemented that as a possibility. Granted, this isn’t totally unheard of as some actors have gone onto great careers behind the camera. To be blunt, if you enjoyed the first two films, this one delivers essentially the same as those and in true form – each has its own unique style and flare. Likely my words will fall on deaf ears as with any third installment, the audience will know if they’re a fan or not even before the opening credits roll.
Video: How’s it look?
There’s a more realistic look and feel to this one as the cameras bob and weave inside the ring to give the viewer a more realistic “feel.” Warner’s 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image look stunning and when compared to its Blu-ray counterpart, makes it a no-brainer to go for the 4K version. Darkness prevails in a majority of the scenes and having never been to a boxing match, only have to go what I’ve seen from the films. Creed III, of course, is a new to the format film and takes advantage of the increased resolution and HDR that the 4K image offers. Detail, colors and contrast all looked great to me. It’s not a perfect transfer, but with a fast-moving film like this, any faults I encountered were a thing of the past soon thereafter.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Again, looking back on the Rocky films and even the first two Creed movies, it’s a wonderful thing when a top-notch Dolby Atmos track is included. This franchise has always had a way of making a boxing match feel like a battle in World War II. The thud of the glove hitting the skin – it’s amazing. Vocals, naturally, sound terrific, though Stallone (even when he’s not in Rocky persona) is getting more and more difficult to understand in his later years. It’s one of Warner’s better-sounding discs and viewers will certainly not be disappointed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Michael B. Jordan: In the Ring/Behind the Camera – If you wanted to get into the mind of Michael B. Jordan and see what his motivations were for directing – look no further.
- There’s No Enemy Like the Past: Donnie and Dame – A history of the character played by Jonathan Majors is profiled.
- Deleted Scenes – Nothing much to see here, these were cut for time/pacing.
The Bottom Line
Creed III follows in the footsteps of its predecessors and does a fine job of it. Fans of the first two (or the Rocky films) will be at home here. Warner’s disc looks and sounds great, though a bit scant on the supplements.
