And so it has come to this. The 9th film in the never-say-die ‘Rocky’ franchise. Do I even really need to write a review for this? ‘Creed III’ is the perfect example of a film that is entirely critic proof. By this point, I think we’re all familiar with this story.
Who hasn’t seen at least one ‘Rocky’ film in their life? Who hasn’t sat with their blood pumping and heart racing while the epic montage shows us a passage of time as the hero gets stronger by the day? Who hasn’t sat on the edge of their seat, biting their nails as the epic final battle plays out? Who hasn’t pumped their fists in the air in triumphant glory as the final bell rang? Who hasn’t felt that classic Bill Conti score pulsate through their bones in ecstasy? The staying power of this franchise has always been thanks to that never-say-die spirit that all of these films revel in and ‘Creed III’ is no different.
Picking up a few years removed from the previous film. Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) is now retired from the world of boxing and spending time with his wife (Tessa Thompson) and child in his lavish Hollywood Hills mansion. When Damian (Johnathan Majors), a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, resurfaces after serving time in prison, he's eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. Damian hooks up with Adonis and immediately badgers him for a title shot. Eventually, tensions boil between the two childhood friends as a bitter history reveals itself, setting up for the obligatory final showdown between the two raging bulls.
‘Creed III’ feels a bit like a potpourri as it rehashes elements from the original film, ‘Rocky III’ and, surprisingly, ‘Rocky V.’ Role reversals are the name of the game here. Adonis has gone from being the underdog looking for his shot to becoming the big shot. Meanwhile, Damian is the underdog, at odds with the world as he desperately seeks to prove himself. It’s a stand-out performance from Johnathan Majors that steals the show from a rather subdued Michael B. Jordan. It’s not the usual good vs. bad formula, but rather a tale of two men facing their childhood demons head to head in one epic showdown of almost anime proportions.
So, after 9 films of men slugging it out against each other, how can you possibly keep this visually arresting when just about every trick in the book has been played before? When there’s nowhere else to go, why not dare to go completely anime with it? Taking over directorial reigns from Ryan Coogler is first time director Michael B. Jordan, who manages to visually impress with an incredibly stylistic finale that isolates the two men from the crowd and really heightens the tension. I never thought I’d see the day when ‘Naruto’ would be informing the final fight scene of a ‘Rocky’ film, but by god, that day has come and to its credit, it somehow works without becoming a parody of itself.
It’s not without its flaws. The editing is a little haphazard. It does feel as if it were a longer film cut down significantly in the editing room to get to a 2 hour runtime. Some subplots are entirely lost along the way. It feels as if it's trying to juggle too much all at once. The third act kind of rushes by all too quickly and doesn’t do a particularly great job setting up the tension for the final fight. It really does feel like it was significantly edited down and winds up feeling a little haphazard in pace.
Also, the lack of Sylvester Stallone is both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, it’s clear they wanted Creed to finally step out of Rocky’s shadow and become his own man. The plot doesn’t necessarily call for an appearance by Rocky, especially when it already runs the risk of being overcrowded. But at the same time, Rocky is the heart and soul of this franchise and his lack of presence is noticeable, but that’s a minor gripe.
‘Creed III’ is exactly what you expected it to be and there is nothing particularly wrong with that. It exhibits all the themes we’ve come to expect from this franchise. The will to fight against adversity, the will to prove one's self worth, the will to fight the demons that haunt us and the will to fight for love. These are the common themes that make a good ‘Rocky’ film and ‘Creed III’ continues proudly in that tradition without much in the way of fault. Like the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.
-Daniel M
0 comments:
Post a Comment