Living life without your passion poses a challenge for any person, and in his retired life, Creed is forced to find his purpose without boxing. Finding himself in the coaching world, he runs into an old childhood friend, Damian, who is looking for redemption in his unfulfilled boxing career. After he spent his millennial years in prison he was kept from doing what he loved and in efforts to get back Damian brings some old demons back into Creed’s life. As the movie comes to its climax, the obstacles the characters wholeheartedly face add profoundness to Jordan’s creation. Unlike many films, he also challenges ideas of black masculinity in Creed’s relationships throughout the movie as Creed tries to find his bearings in a post-boxing career. The underlying sportline and progression of the plot make viewers wonder—is there going to be a Creed VI?

Just as Sylvester Stallone directed and starred in all of the Rocky movies, Jordan follows in his footsteps by making his directing debut in Creed III. It was a successful beginning to Jordan’s directing career, as the series encompasses the epitome of a man. The character development of Creed continues to surprise viewers forcing them to dismantle typical stereotypes of masculinity. Creed begins to show his vulnerable side to both his wife and his daughter which shows growth for the character, but also makes him more relatable to viewers. 

Moving away from the emotional side of the movie, the action is heart-pounding and fast paced. With boxing comes sweat, blood, and bruises. These scenes instill anticipation and nerves in any viewer as every body-wrenching punch causes an audiovisual effect that ingrains itself into the brain. As the glove hits the ribs, you watch as each pebble-like sweat molecule emerges through the skin into the atmosphere in slow motion, as the characters stumble backward in attempts to contain the blow. The scrutinizing attention to these minor effects brings the movie to life that much more. It can’t be denied that the art of makeup added character and depth to these fights, dramatizing the damage these men encounter while boxing.. The visual effects allude to an image that compares to similar experiences in life, again making this film exceptionally powerful.

Creed’s relationship with his daughter was much more prevalent in the movie than in the trailer, which was a little misleading. Despite that fact, after the movie begins to unfold, it seems writers may have found some new ground with Amara Creed (Mila Davis-Kent) as she makes her first appearance as Creed’s daughter. While this film follows a very traditional sports movie plot, the growing relationship between Creed and Amara is new territory. She has come to find her own interest in fighting as she has watched her father fight all her life, and adding this young, talented character brings a new light to this set foreshadowing a future plot. 

After a long wait, Creed III has come out exceeding expectations. The movie’s acute attention to detail through makeup and audiovisual effects adds depth to a well thought out plot and the meticulous character development allows the viewer to jump in the heavyweight champion’s shoes and truly see what goes on behind the scenes. For anyone looking for a movie with a little action and a lot of heart, this one has your name written all over it.

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