By Bryce Tinsley ‘23

“Creed III” is the newest part of the “Creed” series, a sort of spinoff from the earlier “Rocky “movies. It follows Adonis Creed, son of legendary boxer Apollo Creed, who was Rocky Balboa’s rival turned friend.

The director and starring actor, Michael B. Jordan, had big shoes to fill, trying to follow in the footsteps of names such as Sylvester Stallone, who also directed himself in the “Rocky” series. From a directing standpoint, Jordan had to try and push the story forward while honoring the legacy of the other films, which he did spectacularly.

Looking at it from Jordan’s other role as the star actor, he also vastly exceeded already high expectations.

The story of the movie takes too much time to kick off, but it is worth the wait.

Jack McGuffage said, “I thought it was kind of dragging along, and at first it was almost hard to watch.”

Flashing back to Los Angeles in 2002 to shed light on the relationship between Adonis and his childhood friend Damian Anderson, we see Adonis and Damian at an underground fight. Damian wins the fight and tells Adonis he wishes to be a professional boxer. On the way back from the fight, a violent confrontation shapes the rest of their lives.

The movie jumps 15 years into the future, showing Adonis living Damian’s dream of professional boxing, and Damian serving 18 years in prison. Another jump shows Adonis retired, living a luxurious life in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills.

Jordan did an amazing job showing the wealthy life Creed was enjoying with his wife and deaf daughter. It really showed the peaceful lifestyle that Creed was trying to live.

Their peaceful lives are uprooted with the return of Damian, fresh out of prison and ready to finally get his boxing dream. Creed knows he has to fight his childhood friend and starts getting back in shape in a very “Rocky-esque” montage.

In the final showdown, Creed is fighting like his old self – precise and controlling. In the other corner, Damian fights as if his life depended on it. Damian’s quest for vengeance is captivating, but he is fighting an uphill battle

With “Creed III”, Michael B. Jordan shows how good you can truly be on either side of the camera. Christian Potoczny said, “The movie was crazy, definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while.”