The Pacing
-The movie is essentially a phase of life drawn down to about 2 hours, and though a tad fast, it really does work with keeping up with the time.
-You have a sense of how much time has passed, with reminders of where they stand, and it leads you to understanding the scope of the months spent in preparation for the main event.
-It works to give you enough of the character moments, without sacrificing the quality of learning about them, and yet still has enough splendor to not just be another sports drama to add to the ranks.
-And you know what... it works in this balance for the most part until they get a tad too symbolic and dramatization for me near the end. Still a great balance between things that works for me.
The Story's Personalization And Character Development -This is a series all about the boxer and not just the fight and it has a lot of history with it to fill and actually give us a character rather than a fighter.
-And the movie again succeeded for me in still having those character developing moments that further explore the history and mentality of Adonis' hard work and the hardships he faces.
-It's a great dive into his psyche and really works towards the goal of expanding him even more past the relationship he had with Rocky.
-And yet it expands the other characters further and does this great emotional bond moment that I absolutely loved in terms of the character interaction.
-The relationship with his daughter, the further evolution with his wife, the mom and trainers, and other components get this attention that was missing in the first two which was nice.
The Acting -Jordan of course is good, he's always been a contender, and this movie is no joke as he continues to push into the elements we've seen before.
-Smart, confident, but honorable, and Creed's new emotions are done well without completely changing it or being to overemphasized, meaning more time to appreciate the character and the moment.
-Thompson gets a little bit of the shaft in this one, but her time on the screen is elegant, poised, and the most parent friendly component that I feel will go well. She's this relatable and strong woman herself, but she isn't a powerhouse, she's so balanced and I loved her involvement in the film, if only a tad more.
-But Majors... wow, Majors is a powerhouse in both physical prowess and acting splendor.
-As the antagonistic role again, Majors has his bad side open, and he again crafts this character that feels real, motivated, and quite honestly also part empathetic to watch.
-He has this dynamic range, and Majors just brings every element to bare, and shows this raw talent to craft this complex ch
The Fights For The Most Part -It's a fighting movie, so I expect some good sequences of boxing action to take place and not just be second thought. This is what most of Rocky did and I expect the legacy to continue.
-And to be honest... it kind of does. While not the most engaging, suspenseful, or unique battles of the business, this third installment does accomplish bringing a good punch fest to the brawl.
-The montages are there to do their usual work, inspirational, building up the mood, and showing more of the characters with these shots of impressive training.
-And there are three fights to this film after that, each one a little more heated than the last, except the last one which is super charged.
-But each fight has a decent moment, lasting about 5-7 minutes, giving you strategy, moves, and that flair of theatrical sports that we love to see.
-The camera work moves ad changes, but doesn't lose too much to the fight. The music at times hits hard to help emphasize the moment, and the strategy works for me and makes it fun to watch if I'm being honest.
-And like most of the Rocky's, at least one fight if not maybe two, has that character prowess that the first Rocky did, and that is hard to match.
DISLIKES:
Predictable: -The movie follows again another piece of the movie legacy we've already got and so you kind of know the formulaic approach to this movie.
=The foreshadowing is heavy in the trailers, and drowning in the movie, so it's not hard to know where this is going and now just hoping the presentation makes up for it.
-Some ways it does, and some ways it doesn't, but overall, if you don't have a problem with recycled plots of the same legacy with a little newness to it, then you won't find this too much of a problem.
You Got To Love The Trash Talk/UFC Fighting Cause It's A Lot -This is the part that does little for me, the trash talking, hype up, and this promotional edge these events grow fat on.
-Creed has had this more than other Rocky like movies, and the theatrics, the blow hard nature, and the crap talking started off engaging, but turned into annoyance after that.
-If you have this culture and think this is needed, again, your wish is granted, but I found the excess in this movie a tad annoying and doing nothing but setting up a predictable turnout that was boring and robbing me of other things.
The Fragmented Story That's Lackluster -This particular dislike is in two forms: Character Set Up and Revisiting the Past -The Character usage is not the worst, but it has so many characters in it that feel underutilized and story elements with it that get this focus and then flop out.
-His daughter for instance has about three story arcs, but she sort of becomes this cute trivial part that needed more.
-Tessa's character has these shining moments, but again feels dropped into the shadow of the fight between both big boys and the baggage they have.
-Even the new trainers have these moments that sparkle than dull throughout the movie, with only a montage to remotely save it, and some other dregs of the past that we get. This part feels a bit like fan service than anything else. Fine if you get hyped for that, but for the story overall, missing the finesse of the first two.
-As for the past, well, we trip around this story and take forever to learn the full events of that night and what set this whole thing in motion.
-And like After Earth, it's simple, easy to piece story, where the relatability does more punching than the actual story element. But I was hoping for something more memorable and unique about this to complete the story than what we got.
-As for the other part with his mom, well that had this amazing moments, but again more could have been done. And had they had Rocky, perhaps those pieces would have fit together well, but the movie does a minimal job of getting this done and so... can't say I was impressed with this.
Fewer Fights Than Others With Lacking Splendor -Again, Creed 1 had plenty of fights with spectacle, intensity and edge, to really usher in a new legacy for Rocky and he to explore.
-Creed II had fewer fights, but more bit and splendor leaving an awesome finale for fight lovers to enjoy and get that knockout hit to the mix.
-And then this one... Well it has fewer fights than the first, but less splendor than number two, so that means we get this sort of meh feeling to the whole inclusion.
-Don't get me wrong, the choreography is super, but the reliance on CGI and the quicker finishes to try to drive a predictable and lackluster story means that we get this okay compromise that tries to do a lot for a potential last film.
-Sure, fight fans know that things end quickly, but in the movie world, a little more optimization over efficiency goes further in my book.
-Thus, these fights are good, but are they great and reaching the potential they could have? Not quite in my book.
The End Fight's Metaphorical Interlude -The end fight in particular is what I'm talking about. Rocky 1 and 4 knew how to add that element of intense fighting, and Rocky 2 and 3 even did better with this and added that heart.
-But this one... kind of does and doesn't. The opening moments show promise, a buildup and this amazing start to yin-yang dancing that they do in hopes of opening up something.
-Then comes this metaphorical mindset. It's poetic, it's symbolic, and it's a way of boxer mentality for those that like it and adds that personal touch.
-Yet, at the cost of it comes condensed fighting, awkward CGI integration that didn't need to be there, and what felt like anime power up yelling before the dance commenced.
-These theatrics, while great on a character level, sort of dulled the splendor of the final fight and I didn't quite enjoy that.
Verdict: Where do we stand then on Creed III? Truth is, this feels like Rocky V done better, with taking the focus out of the ring for the most part and trying to do more with the character development than the fighting, but not completely dumping the fight. There is such great use of the character moments, a good pace to expand past fighting and really get this relationship built between the contenders. The character utilization is decent, but the acting flourishes and really adds an element that works for me in this film and I wanted more of. And for most of the fights, the splendor, the power, and the choreography are there and for many will have them clapping in the theater at those finishing moments. However, is this the best of the trilogy? I can't say for certain it is. The movie is again trying so much to tell a lot of things in a short time and while a better compromise does not accomplish the task for me. More time with the story, better integration of characters, and less aggressive theatrics/music would have been better for me, but may be what the crowd wants. And as for the fights, the predictability with how fast things sometimes moved meant they were okay, but not the spectacle we've gotten, especially the last fight at times. Overall though, a solid movie worth a trip to the theater and certainly one of the better experiences throughout the year so far.
My scores are: Drama/Sport: 7.5 Movie Overall 7.0.
-You have a sense of how much time has passed, with reminders of where they stand, and it leads you to understanding the scope of the months spent in preparation for the main event.
-It works to give you enough of the character moments, without sacrificing the quality of learning about them, and yet still has enough splendor to not just be another sports drama to add to the ranks.
-And you know what... it works in this balance for the most part until they get a tad too symbolic and dramatization for me near the end. Still a great balance between things that works for me.
The Story's Personalization And Character Development -This is a series all about the boxer and not just the fight and it has a lot of history with it to fill and actually give us a character rather than a fighter.
-And the movie again succeeded for me in still having those character developing moments that further explore the history and mentality of Adonis' hard work and the hardships he faces.
-It's a great dive into his psyche and really works towards the goal of expanding him even more past the relationship he had with Rocky.
-And yet it expands the other characters further and does this great emotional bond moment that I absolutely loved in terms of the character interaction.
-The relationship with his daughter, the further evolution with his wife, the mom and trainers, and other components get this attention that was missing in the first two which was nice.
The Acting -Jordan of course is good, he's always been a contender, and this movie is no joke as he continues to push into the elements we've seen before.
-Smart, confident, but honorable, and Creed's new emotions are done well without completely changing it or being to overemphasized, meaning more time to appreciate the character and the moment.
-Thompson gets a little bit of the shaft in this one, but her time on the screen is elegant, poised, and the most parent friendly component that I feel will go well. She's this relatable and strong woman herself, but she isn't a powerhouse, she's so balanced and I loved her involvement in the film, if only a tad more.
-But Majors... wow, Majors is a powerhouse in both physical prowess and acting splendor.
-As the antagonistic role again, Majors has his bad side open, and he again crafts this character that feels real, motivated, and quite honestly also part empathetic to watch.
-He has this dynamic range, and Majors just brings every element to bare, and shows this raw talent to craft this complex ch
The Fights For The Most Part -It's a fighting movie, so I expect some good sequences of boxing action to take place and not just be second thought. This is what most of Rocky did and I expect the legacy to continue.
-And to be honest... it kind of does. While not the most engaging, suspenseful, or unique battles of the business, this third installment does accomplish bringing a good punch fest to the brawl.
-The montages are there to do their usual work, inspirational, building up the mood, and showing more of the characters with these shots of impressive training.
-And there are three fights to this film after that, each one a little more heated than the last, except the last one which is super charged.
-But each fight has a decent moment, lasting about 5-7 minutes, giving you strategy, moves, and that flair of theatrical sports that we love to see.
-The camera work moves ad changes, but doesn't lose too much to the fight. The music at times hits hard to help emphasize the moment, and the strategy works for me and makes it fun to watch if I'm being honest.
-And like most of the Rocky's, at least one fight if not maybe two, has that character prowess that the first Rocky did, and that is hard to match.
DISLIKES:
Predictable: -The movie follows again another piece of the movie legacy we've already got and so you kind of know the formulaic approach to this movie.
=The foreshadowing is heavy in the trailers, and drowning in the movie, so it's not hard to know where this is going and now just hoping the presentation makes up for it.
-Some ways it does, and some ways it doesn't, but overall, if you don't have a problem with recycled plots of the same legacy with a little newness to it, then you won't find this too much of a problem.
You Got To Love The Trash Talk/UFC Fighting Cause It's A Lot -This is the part that does little for me, the trash talking, hype up, and this promotional edge these events grow fat on.
-Creed has had this more than other Rocky like movies, and the theatrics, the blow hard nature, and the crap talking started off engaging, but turned into annoyance after that.
-If you have this culture and think this is needed, again, your wish is granted, but I found the excess in this movie a tad annoying and doing nothing but setting up a predictable turnout that was boring and robbing me of other things.
The Fragmented Story That's Lackluster -This particular dislike is in two forms: Character Set Up and Revisiting the Past -The Character usage is not the worst, but it has so many characters in it that feel underutilized and story elements with it that get this focus and then flop out.
-His daughter for instance has about three story arcs, but she sort of becomes this cute trivial part that needed more.
-Tessa's character has these shining moments, but again feels dropped into the shadow of the fight between both big boys and the baggage they have.
-Even the new trainers have these moments that sparkle than dull throughout the movie, with only a montage to remotely save it, and some other dregs of the past that we get. This part feels a bit like fan service than anything else. Fine if you get hyped for that, but for the story overall, missing the finesse of the first two.
-As for the past, well, we trip around this story and take forever to learn the full events of that night and what set this whole thing in motion.
-And like After Earth, it's simple, easy to piece story, where the relatability does more punching than the actual story element. But I was hoping for something more memorable and unique about this to complete the story than what we got.
-As for the other part with his mom, well that had this amazing moments, but again more could have been done. And had they had Rocky, perhaps those pieces would have fit together well, but the movie does a minimal job of getting this done and so... can't say I was impressed with this.
Fewer Fights Than Others With Lacking Splendor -Again, Creed 1 had plenty of fights with spectacle, intensity and edge, to really usher in a new legacy for Rocky and he to explore.
-Creed II had fewer fights, but more bit and splendor leaving an awesome finale for fight lovers to enjoy and get that knockout hit to the mix.
-And then this one... Well it has fewer fights than the first, but less splendor than number two, so that means we get this sort of meh feeling to the whole inclusion.
-Don't get me wrong, the choreography is super, but the reliance on CGI and the quicker finishes to try to drive a predictable and lackluster story means that we get this okay compromise that tries to do a lot for a potential last film.
-Sure, fight fans know that things end quickly, but in the movie world, a little more optimization over efficiency goes further in my book.
-Thus, these fights are good, but are they great and reaching the potential they could have? Not quite in my book.
The End Fight's Metaphorical Interlude -The end fight in particular is what I'm talking about. Rocky 1 and 4 knew how to add that element of intense fighting, and Rocky 2 and 3 even did better with this and added that heart.
-But this one... kind of does and doesn't. The opening moments show promise, a buildup and this amazing start to yin-yang dancing that they do in hopes of opening up something.
-Then comes this metaphorical mindset. It's poetic, it's symbolic, and it's a way of boxer mentality for those that like it and adds that personal touch.
-Yet, at the cost of it comes condensed fighting, awkward CGI integration that didn't need to be there, and what felt like anime power up yelling before the dance commenced.
-These theatrics, while great on a character level, sort of dulled the splendor of the final fight and I didn't quite enjoy that.
Verdict: Where do we stand then on Creed III? Truth is, this feels like Rocky V done better, with taking the focus out of the ring for the most part and trying to do more with the character development than the fighting, but not completely dumping the fight. There is such great use of the character moments, a good pace to expand past fighting and really get this relationship built between the contenders. The character utilization is decent, but the acting flourishes and really adds an element that works for me in this film and I wanted more of. And for most of the fights, the splendor, the power, and the choreography are there and for many will have them clapping in the theater at those finishing moments. However, is this the best of the trilogy? I can't say for certain it is. The movie is again trying so much to tell a lot of things in a short time and while a better compromise does not accomplish the task for me. More time with the story, better integration of characters, and less aggressive theatrics/music would have been better for me, but may be what the crowd wants. And as for the fights, the predictability with how fast things sometimes moved meant they were okay, but not the spectacle we've gotten, especially the last fight at times. Overall though, a solid movie worth a trip to the theater and certainly one of the better experiences throughout the year so far.
My scores are: Drama/Sport: 7.5 Movie Overall 7.0.