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CREED III

DIR. MICHAEL B JOHNSON

BY VICTORIA LUXFORD

The Creed movies are an outlier in modern Hollywood. Their modest success at the box office might undersell the fact that they’ve done what few franchises have achieved convincingly: passed the torch.

Yes, they aren’t the cultural landmarks that the Rocky films were, but the character has established himself enough to make this third chapter sing, with Creed finally moving out of Rocky’s shadow.

Jordan makes his directorial debut and stars as Adonis, now happily re- tired having done everything there is to do in boxing. Living a contented life as a family man and promoter, his world is rocked by the arrival of old friend Damian “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors).

Dame has spent the last 18 years in prison due to an incident in the pair’s past, and feels Adonis has been living the life meant for him. Resentment and guilt push both men into a feud that can only be resolved in the ring.

The Rocky formula has been repeated hundreds of times over the years, so it’s to Jordan’s credit that he manages to find a new way to tell an old story.

Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin’s script focuses on regret –Adonis wishing he had helped his friend; Dame lamenting the time lost. Taking the story in a direction that deals with mental health as well as pugilism is also interesting, and gives two fine actors a chance to shine.

Majors is on a hot streak, having been