4K Blu-ray Review: Creed III

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

“Baby Creed” is all grown up, quite literally, as Creed 3 jumps forward seven years after the events of Creed II, which saw Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) take on the son of the man who killed his father. This is the first time that a Rocky or Creed film has done such a thing, as that places the current Creed timeline in 2025 and has the film beginning with Creed’s retirement match. This is an interesting move, as instead of watching Creed carve out his own legacy as the franchise progresses, we instead join him right at the end, with his own career on par, or possibly even surpassing that of his father, Apollo.

With Jordan already confirming that Creed 4 is a certainty, it’s clear that the jump ahead and retirement aren’t going to stop the man from climbing into the ring. Hell, he does by the end of this film as well, when he’s forced to lace up the gloves once again to take on his childhood friend, Damian (Jonathan Majors). That’s not a spoiler, as it’s really the only outcome these films have, and while he’s older and has his injuries from the previous films listed when he contemplates returning to the ring, Creed doesn’t seem nearly as beaten and broken as Rocky did by Rocky V, when he was forced to step out of the ring by the warnings of doctors – and even he returned for one last go in Rocky Balboa, but I digress.

While Creed and Creed II both involved Rocky, and the legacy of both Rocky and Apollo to move the stories forward, Creed III is the first instance where the story is just about Adonis Creed and his past, and how it’ll affect his future. The time jump also helps explain the absence of Rocky, who is no longer by Creed’s side. Sylvester Stallone has said he’s done playing the character (though I can’t see him not returning one last time before the Creed franchise is complete) so him being up in Vancouver with his son and grandson is likely where he’s spending the majority of his time in 2025.

This works to the film’s advantage, as I absolutely love Rocky and thought his involvement with the first two films made sense and worked to help Creed evolve as the fighter and man he needed to become, while also properly putting a bookend on the character of Rocky. But if they’d gone the same route in this third film then Rocky would’ve felt like a third wheel, as Balboa didn’t want to train Adonis initially, but felt obligated in the first film and soon they became family. Then in the second movie he didn’t want to see Adonis get hurt but realized that he had to stand up to the demons of his own past in order to help Creed conquer his. But this third time out Creed is a veteran boxer who has done it all, so there’s no real need for Rocky to be wedged in. Would they have done it had Stallone not said he was finished? I’m sure they would’ve found a way, but it’s not needed anymore and it wouldn’t really fit the story being told here anyway.

After his retirement at the start of the film, Adonis takes over the gym and starts to build the future of the business under his guidance. Things are going great, with the current Heavyweight champion on his team, but his past is about to catch up with him. That comes in the form of Damian Anderson, Creed’s friend from when they were both at a group home. Damian had dreams of becoming a boxing champion back then, and was the Golden Gloves champion, fighting under the name “Diamond Dame.” But after Creed got in a fight, beating down a man named Leon outside of a convenient store, it was Damian who pulled a gun to protect his friend, and ended up taking the 18-year fall because of it.

Much like the Rocky and previous Creed films, Creed III is less about the boxing and more about the personal journeys of the characters. Sure, they all lead to a big boxing match in the final act, but there’s often much more at stake than the title up for grabs. This time around, with the focus purely on Adonis, we get a better look into his younger years, why he’s so angry and why he’s always been a fighter. We also get to see why he’s so hard on himself, as there’s a level of guilt that’s always weighed on him because of what happened all those years ago when he got away, but his friend didn’t. Now Damian has returned, and he wants what he feels he’s owed: a title shot at the Heavyweight championship. This is unheard of, and Adonis tells him such, but Dame says he just wants a chance at what was stolen from him.

There’s a lot to love here, and much of that is in part to the wonderful direction from Jordan, who is behind the camera for the first time ever. The film looks spectacular, truly capturing the drama and weight of each scene, with some truly unique shots during the boxing matches themselves. Jordan proves himself to be as natural behind the lens as he is in front of it. The focus on brotherhood, betrayal, and family ranks high this time around, and it’s all paced incredibly well. Damian has one goal in mind and it’s a plan he’s clearly been laying out for a long time while behind bars.

That said, this isn’t a hero vs. villain story, but more of a brother vs. brother story, a protagonist vs. antagonist, as it’s clear that while the audience is fully expected to be on Creed’s side going into the main event, it’s also evident that we’re supposed to understand why Damian is doing what he’s doing, and how he’s gone about getting what he wants. It’d be incredibly easy to make him someone like Ivan Drago, where we’re just supposed to hate him and he’s got no redeeming features, but writers Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin, and Ryan Coogler have done a great job of making him a layered foe for Creed to face, where everything isn’t simply black and white.

For those who didn’t get to step in the ring while Creed III was in theaters then the next best thing will be to pick up this 4K release now and watch the fight go down at home. Jordan has done a superb job here of helping Creed step out of Rocky’s enormous shadow and into a spotlight of his own. There are a lot of interesting directions they can now go moving forward for Adonis and I’m eager to see which route they decide to take, and whether or not Jordan remains behind the camera as well. While the future may be unclear, one thing that isn’t is that Creed III is a knockout hit that you’re not going to want to dodge.

Overall Movie Score: 4/5

4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:

The film looks great in 4K Dolby Vision, with the majority of the film feeling as though it’s taking place at night or in darker lit rooms. There’s a very natural feel to everything, which makes sense with the tone of the film, and things pop the most during the boxing matches. The details on the clothing and actors are strong and clear, and as a whole it’s just a sharp, nice-looking film to get emotionally invested in.

On the audio side of things we’ve got a Dolby Atmos track that blasts through beautifully, especially when it comes to the soundtrack and the boxing matches. The Creed films have always had fantastic audio that are highlighted mostly on these two fronts, and the entrances of the boxers before their matches always ring out nicely. The dialogue is clean and clear, and the sound effects blend in perfectly as well. Cheers and punches will be heard all around you during the fights, which is another fun plus that puts you in the arena watching the bout take place.

Special Features

Michael B. Jordan: In the Ring/Behind the Camera – This is a 10-minute behind-the-scenes feature that showcases Jordan as he works both in front of and behind the camera in his directorial debut. It’s fun to see the balance it takes to do both jobs, and we also get to hear from some of the crew who talk about the double-duty aspect of this movie as well.

There’s No Enemy Like the Past: Donnie and Dame – This feature comes in at just over 9-minutes in length and focuses on the characters in the film, how we get to dig more into Adonis’s past, as well as the introduction to the film’s antagonist, Damian.

Deleted Scenes – There are three deleted scenes here which didn’t make the cut for those who like to see what hit the floor in post.

Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents Creed III. Directed by: Michael B. Jordan. Written by: Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin, Ryan Coogler. Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Florian Munteanu, Mila Davis-Kent, Wood Harris. Running time: 116 Minutes. Rating: PG. Released on 4K Blu-ray: May 23, 2023.

Brendan Campbell was here when Inside Pulse Movies began, and he’ll be here when it finishes - in 2012, when a cataclysmic event wipes out the servers, as well as everyone else on the planet other than John Cusack and those close to him. Brendan’s the #1 supporter of Keanu Reeves, a huge fan of popcorn flicks and a firm believer that sheer entertainment can take a film a long way. He currently resides in Canada, where, for reasons stated above, he’s attempting to get closer to John Cusack.