Creed 3 is actually the ninth film in the iconic Rocky franchise, which began with 1976’s Rocky. Despite being nine films in and the absence of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, the third Creed film might actually be one of the best films in the franchise, bringing the spinoff franchise into its own and out of the shadow of its legacy.

No Rocky, No Problem

If the first two Creed films were about how Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis ‘Donnie’ Creed picked up the torch from Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, Creed 3 is the character proving that he can stand on his own. We already explored how Rocky’s legacy affected Adonis in the previous two films, especially the second film which also featured the return of iconic franchise villain, Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago. Creed 3 is completely Adonis’ own film, exploring how his past has come back to haunt him in the form of Jonathan Majors’ Damian ‘Dame’ Anderson.

It’s a testament to Michael B. Jordan’s talent as Creed 3 is his directorial debut. Creed 3’s plot and narrative mostly follow a similar formula to the previous films in the franchise, but he manages to inject enough emotional and personal stakes, as well as stylistic flourishes of his own, to make Creed 3 a great film. Yes, the training montages are still there, and yes, the falling and rising again tropes are still there, but those aforementioned elements make the film still feel fresh and lively.

Despite the absence of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky, the emotional crux of the movie lies between Adonis and his family members. He’s a father now to his growing daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), a husband to his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and a son to his ageing mother, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad). That’s not even mentioning the complex relationship he has with Jonathan Majors’ Damian ‘Dame’ Anderson. I say complex because despite what the trailers have shown, it’s more than just another typical sports film rivalry.

Jonathan Majors killed it as Kang The Conqueror last month in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania, and he kills it again in Creed 3 as the main antagonist. It’s also great to see the growth of Adonis across three films.

He’s a lot more mature now and less impulsive than he was when Rocky started training him in 2015’s Creed. Despite being almost two hours long and featuring some grounded drama, Creed 3 never once feels boring and the pacing is almost perfect.

Michael B. Jordan is an anime fan. He’s admitted it many times in many interviews and the influence of that can be seen in Creed 3. With him in the director’s chair, he adds a different stylistic flair to the movie’s fight choreography and the way that they are shot. It feels like watching an anime battle, as each punch and movement are focused on.

The fights in Creed 3 feature anime-style close shots of different parts of the body during fights, as well as lots of slow-mo effects when these instances happen. As a result, the fights look brutal and dynamic, as well as exciting, as each one gradually escalates to its climax in the style of shonen anime battles.

Killmonger Vs Kang

If there’s anything that Creed 3 proves, it’s two things. Firstly, Michael B. Jordan is an incredible talent whose directorial debut is starting with a bang. Secondly, the Creed spinoff franchise can thrive and move forward even without the direct involvement of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky.

Most franchises, let alone spinoff franchises, fizzle out after the third entry, but there’s probably still enough to justify several more Creed films. Creed 3 just made sure of that.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100

We attended an early screener of Creed 3 courtesy of Warner Bros. Malaysia. Creed 3 is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 2 March 2023.