‘Creed III’ Movie Review: Michael B. Jordan’s film is a thrilling addition to the Rocky series.

Michael B. Jordan in Steel from ‘Creed III’ | Photo credit: YouTube/MGM

This is a sensational addition. Rocky Sequel to the series 2018 Belief IIand the ninth episode of the series, Faith III It is the first film that has not been screened. Sylvester Stallone As Rocky Balboa.

First to second Faith The film stars Tessa Thompson as Creed’s musician love-now wife, Bianca, Felicia Rashad as his stepmother, Mary Annie, Wood Harris as the trainer, Little Duke, and Florian Montiano as the tough boxer, Drago. , reprized their roles.

Three years after hanging up his gloves, Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is in a good place, living in a beautiful apartment with Bianca and their eccentric daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent). With the endorsement and guidance of a new generation of boxers, Creed’s life seems set until the past knocks inside Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors).

Along with the boys in the foster home, the two are close with 15-year-old Donnie (Thaddeus J. Mixon) sculpting 18-year-old Damian (Spence Moore II). Damian was a boxing prodigy ready to shine in the ring until one evening when everything goes terribly wrong and he is sent to prison.

Once he gets out of jail, Damian comes to collect what he believes is owed to him by Donnie. Jordan, in his feature film directorial debut, has crafted a complex sports film that, in addition to its captivating fight sequences (cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau’s frames to Mark R. Miscione’s fight choreography) is a breathtakingly brutal ), is a beautiful meditation on brothers, rivals. The past, the need for self-forgiveness and the importance of letting go.

Majors is brooding as Damian, channeling the anger of hurt and betrayal, of becoming a contender, of being someone, instead of what he thinks he is. Donnie must find another way to solve problems away from the ring – though he turns to boxing to settle his differences with Damian.

Boxing usually serves as a rough and ready metaphor in movies, and rightly so. Faith III as well as. While everyone loves an underdog story, I Faith III, both men are underdogs. Donnie retired three years ago and may have mellowed out being a stay-at-home dad. Although Damian never fought or trained professionally, his time in prison taught him how to fight to win. It may not be pretty, but it gets the job done. Watch the adrenaline-fueled training montage sequence — where’s Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’?

One finds oneself rooting for both boxers and whatever the outcome, our joy for the winner will be replaced by grief for the loser. And that’s what draws us into this stirring story of brothers turned against each other by pain and love.

Creed III is currently playing in theaters.