Creed III is a punchy, thrilling drama — and it doesn’t even need Rocky

Sylvester Stallone has been in eight Rocky movies but he’s nowhere to be seen in this ninth instalment.

Creed III is in cinemas now. Picture: Eli Ade/MGM

As the ninth movie in the Rocky franchise, there’s a pretty set formula for Creed III to follow.

While it doesn’t veer too far from the playbook, Creed III is a solid punch, one which balances emotional resonance and thrilling action in the ring – because of course there is a climatic fight, it wouldn’t be a Rocky movie without one.

Creed III is also the directorial debut of star Michael B. Jordan, who has learnt the craft at the hands of Ryan Coogler who helmed the first two. Jordan was clearly watching and listening, because this is a confident first-time feature.

Jordan marries the legacy of the franchise, and its established style and tone, with his own character-driven sensibilities. Creed III is slick, weighty and accomplished.

Michael B. Jordan also directed Creed III. Picture: Eli Ade/MGM

The story takes place a few years on from the previous film and Adonis “Donnie” Creed is now retired from the ring. He has a thriving business empire while at home, everything with Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) is peachy keen.

Donnie is a devoted dad, husband and businessman.

Naturally, when everything is going well, something has to come along and shake things up – there would be no movie without it. The conflict comes in the form of Damian “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors), a childhood friend of Donnie’s.

Dame has been in prison for the past two decades, having been nabbed in circumstances in which Donnie is complicit. That latent guilt leads to Donnie welcoming Dame back into his life, putting him up and setting him up in the ring at his gym.

When they were kids, Dame was the more successful fighter, so when he sees Donnie’s incredible life and everything he has, that resentment threatens to boil over.

Majors, a significant talent who has already impressed in projects including Lovecraft Country, Da 5 Bloods and is now the villain in the Marvel movies, plays Dame with a quiet, wily menace. He’s like a Shakespearean villain.

Frenemies. Picture: MGM

You know he’s up to something but, just like Donnie, you can’t quite call him out on anything in particular. Until it explodes and Dame’s seething fury can no longer be denied.

Majors is a perfect match-up against Jordan, two incredible artists of the same generation whose equal gravitas makes any scene they’re in together a delight to watch. Their spark is combustible.

And anytime Thompson is on screen, she radiates. It’s a shame she’s not used more in this instalment.

Creed III is undoubtedly a Rocky movie. It has the requisite training montages, the big fight which actually makes you consider watching a real-life boxing match (and then you remember that those are far less interesting, less cinematic and don’t have attractive actors), and emotional beats, albeit less cheesy than some previous chapters.

Creed III may be the first Rocky movie without an appearance from Sylvester Stallone but it proves that it’s fine to move on from the original icon. It didn’t need him.

Rating: 3.5/5

Creed III is in cinemas now