Never Ending Movie Carnival
Never Ending Movie Carnival
Creed III movie review: An earnest Michael Jordan lends the requisite emotional heft and intensity to the film.
What: Creed III - Michael Jordan lends the requisite emotional heft and intensity.
Creed III movie synopsis
Actor and titular protagonist Michael B Jordan steps into the director's shoes and carves the trajectory of the famed boxer who is thriving in both his career and family life after dominating the boxing world. He is leading a prosperous life and his Gym/academy is also flourishing with budding boxers until his childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison. Damian is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring and he approaches Creed for help.
Creed, who has had a disturbing childhood incident regarding Damien, reluctantly agrees to his proposal. But things turn ugly and to settle his score and redeem his self-respect, Adonis Creed must put his future on the line to battle Damian - a fighter who has nothing to lose. What ensues is a pulse-pounding face-off between former friends which is more than just a fight.
This is the first film in the Creed franchise which doesn’t have Rocky Balboa’s iconic shadow and deserves an applause for Jordan’s punchy and meticulous direction that touches myriad aspects – the emotional heft, his family comprising his wife, Bianca played by Tessa Thompson and his speech-disabled but feisty daughter, Amara played by Mila-Davis Kent and his own predicament enshrouded with guilt and familial tension. Writers Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler and Zack Baynin infuse nuances into the plot that encompass human virtues and vices in the form of Creed’s determination to return to ring and Damien’s jealousy around what Creed has achieved. It has a simple premise of up Manship with two fighting for it – who are essentially the two sides of the same coin.
My only quibble was the accent that got difficult to comprehend and the absence of subtitles. But the powerful bouts glossed over these shortcomings. The action choreography is deadly and brings in an unmistakable authenticity to the fights. The punches are palpable, the bruises and blows feel real. Jordan fleshes Creed with a brutish realism and gets as brutal as it can. It’s an arduous job to be both in front of the camera and behind it and Jordan surprises us with an unflinching dedication! Majors, as Damien, is good at being the guy who’s been stripped of his freedom but is still polite over how lavishly you’ve been enjoying yours.
Final words
Let’s be honest – Creed is no Rocky Balboa. But comparisons like this are futile. He has a territory of his own now. Maybe, he is a legend in the making and he is doing a stupendous job out of it, I am going with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Creed III.
Pls Note: Genre: Drama, Sports. Duration: 1 Hour 50 Mins. Certified UA.
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee