“Cinematic masterpiece,” the only thought in my mind as I left the theater with blank credits rolling across the giant screen and my heart pounding from the intensity of the movie I had just watched. 

In his directorial debut, Michael B. Jordan creates a spectacular film in “Creed III,” focusing on the aftermath of boxing champion Adonis Creed, whom he also plays in the franchise. The movie centers around the past relationship between Adonis and his old friend Damien (Johnathan Majors) when the latter shows up years later to pursue his dream of boxing.

There was much anticipation in the weeks leading up to the film’s release due to the absence of the franchise’s original character, Rocky Balboa (Silverster Stallion), who did not return for the third film in the Creed series. It was surreal to watch a movie set in the Rocky universe without Rocky himself; however, the movie did a fantastic job of creating a new story centered around Adonis. 

While the first two movies followed Adonis’ rise to fame and him achieving the title of Heavyweight Champion, this third film told the story of his childhood and plans for retirement. The scenes were painted in well placed flashbacks which allowed the story to unfold using dramatic lighting and audio to emphasize the violence of Adonis’ past. 

The boxing scenes were taken to new levels throughout the course of the film. In an interview, Jordan explained he took inspiration from various anime shows to create more advanced choreography and videography. This allowed the scenes to be much more realistic and dramatic which aided to the entertainment of the film.

Additionally, there was a lot more deaf representation throughout the film with the use of sign language. It was refreshing to see the effects of sign usage in the story due to Adonis’ daughter (Mila Davis-Kent) being deaf. The actress is also deaf in real life, which makes the acting more convincing to the audience.

The movie had an amazing soundtrack and score. The songs reflected the scenes very well, adding to the realistic aspect of the movie. During the dramatic scenes especially, the background songs made you sit forward in your seat and anticipate what was going to happen. 

The storyline of the movie was perfectly executed. I got deeper insight into the characters, especially Adonis, learning the reasons for their actions throughout the film. His relationship with friend turned rival Damien was the backbone of the film and was very well done showing both sides to the story. Although it was his first time directing, Jordan did a fantastic job in creating a sequel to Creed II.

The chemistry between the characters as well as the cinematography in the movie overall created an incredible film that, although not surpassing the previous ones, completed the story that was ten years in the making. I’m unsure if it will have another film in the franchise, but if it doesn’t, this movie does came full circle to an unbelievable end.