We were invited to the press screening of the third installment of the Creed franchise by Warner Bros. A directorial debut by Michael B. Jordan. To put into words how brilliant Creed III is does not actually do the film justice. Everything from the production, to the cast, to the screenplay was nothing short of poetry. A masterpiece, that has only extended the rational behind the success of the Creed franchise to date. The film was raw and powerful, with finite emotional elements that made the story feel incredibly relatable.
Photo credit: Eli Ade
Creed III follows the next chapter in Adonis Creed’s legacy. After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), who has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.
Tessa Thompson reprises her role as Bianca Creed, who compliments Michael B. Jordan (Adonis Creed) perfectly. Jonathan Majors is phenomenol in his role as Damian. Herein lies the brilliance of these actors. Jordan explains how he wanted the characters in his film to face their disagreements while making a statement about humanity and its nuances, with empathy.
“How we handle and communicate our emotions is a part of our exploration of our inner self. In “Creed III,” the film shows the different roads, relationships and interactions of two men that made different choices, lived different lives and found themselves in the same ring.”
Photo credit: Eli Ade
The director was keen for his film to reflect lessons he has learned in life. Lessons about being kind to one another, but mostly kind to ourselves. Jordan explains how most of us have not been taught how to do that. “I wanted my film to also tackle the issues of toxic masculinity and what happens when you don’t face your past, when you don’t talk about and work through your trauma and pain”. The film is about forgiveness, Jordan goes onto explain. About challenging yourself and proving to yourself that your existence is legitimate, that you deserve your blessings. Moving with grace for yourself and for others. Believing that you are who you say you are, and all that you’ve done actually matters.
