Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut “Creed 3” is a thrilling and heartfelt movie that pays homage to his love of anime. The movie follows Adonis Creed (Jordan) who is thriving in his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy Damien (Jonathan Majors) resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, Adonis is challenged to a face-off between former friends. Each act is an exciting addition to the “Rocky” franchise and Jordan’s directorial debut is a success.
Creed 3’s Homage to Anime
Creed 3 opens with a flashback to Adonis’ childhood, where a Naruto poster on his wall reveals his anime inspirations. Jordan is vocal about his love of anime and it shows in the fight sequences and choreography. He pays homage to anime by slowing down the fight scenes to allow Adonis to analyze his opponent’s body and muscles, a technique reminiscent of Majin Vegeta versus Goku. The fight scenes are thrilling, but the movie also has a lot of heart, mainly in Adonis’ relationship with his daughter.
The Drama in Creed III
The main source of drama in the movie is Adonis’ relationship with Damien, who has a murky past with Adonis. Jonathan Majors is a revelation in this movie, playing a great villain and a great opponent for Adonis. His performance is outstanding and he is the perfect foil for Adonis.
The movie is missing one key element: Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa. Stallone is not in the film and it is unclear why. However, the movie does not suffer from his absence. Jordan’s direction and the performances of the cast make it a great addition to the “Rocky” franchise.
Overall, “Creed 3” is a great movie that pays homage to anime and is a success for Michael B. Jordan as a director. The fight scenes are thrilling and the performances are outstanding. It is a great addition to the “Rocky” franchise and is worth watching.
