Actor Michael B. Jordan showcases a superb eye for action in his recent directorial debut, “Creed III.” The newest installment in the Creed series finally shows it breaking the shell of the Rocky series, and standing on its own two feet. The film stars Michael B. Jordan, as the titular Adonis Creed, and Jonathan Majors, as Creed’s older brother figure Damian Anderson.
It’s a classic story: childhood friends turned to heated rivals, and Jordan paints it with all the colors of a Japanese anime. In a creative choice that clearly has roots in the classic boxing anime, “Hajime no Ippo,” the boxing scenes’ shots go in slow motion as Creed batters his opponent. Jordan has acknowledged these roots in an interview with French YouTube channel, Konbini, where he name checks “Hajime no Ippo,” “Naruto,” and “Dragon Ball” – all titans of Japanese action – as prime stylistic influences.
Playing opposite Jordan is Jonathan Majors, who you most likely will know as Kang the Conqueror in recent Marvel shows and films. In Creed III, Majors plays Damian Anderson, a boxer whose career was cut short by a prison sentence and a relic from Creed’s past. As the two former friends initially hit it off, it becomes quickly clear that Anderson simply wants to beat Creed. Majors plays this role with all the weight and repressed anger of a serial killer. An intense, brooding, scary presence fills the screen whenever he is on it. This, too, is like the anime Jordan draws from, as Anderson fulfills the role of Sasuke to Creed’s Naruto.
After watching this film, it becomes abundantly clear that Majors need not concern himself with movies like “Ant-man and the Wasp: Quantamania,” as he is far and away the best actor in the film and has proven that he is a genuine talent. Michael B. Jordan, of course, is exceptional as well, perfectly embodying the ideal of a modern American super-hero, but with the heart that we all love the first “Rocky” for. The best in the “Creed” series, and maybe the best action film since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, “Creed III” shows what allows something to go from dumb violence to earnest, passionate violence. Run, don’t walk, to see this one in theaters.
