“Creed III” may be the third film (but reportedly not the last) about Adonis Creed, but it’s also part of the Rocky Balboa saga that began in 1976. Yet this is the first “Creed” film without the presence of Sylvester Stallone’s presence (mention is made) and it is the first feature film directed by “Creed” star, Michael B. Jordan.

Creed III (2023) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you recall (if you don’t see my recap of all the Rocky and Creed films below), when we were first introduced to Adonis (Johnson) Creed, he was in the Los Angeles youth detention center in 1998 in the 2015 “Creed.” He was the illegitimate son of Carl Weathers’ Apollo Creed. His mother was dead by 1998 when his father’s widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) takes him in. “Creed” jumps to 2015, but “Creed III” fills in some of Adonis “Donnie” Creed’s troubled teenage years when he was becoming involved in boxing.

In 2002,  the 15-year-old Donnie (Thaddeus J. Mixon) sneaks out of the house to join his 18-year-old best friend, Damian “Diamond Dame” Anderson (Spencer Moore II), a Golden Globes champion, because Dame is competing in an underground boxing match. Dame wins but on their way home afterward, Donnie meets an acquaintance, Leon, at the local liquor store and gets into a fight. Yet through circumstances that will be explained later, the incident changes the trajectory of Dame’s life.

Donnie has just won a rematch against Conlan (see “Creed”) and retires from boxing to spend more time with his wife Bianca and their deaf daughter Amara. In three years, he’s running Delphi Boxing Academy with his former coach Little Duke and his protege, Felix “El Guerrero” Chavez. Chavez is scheduled to box with Viktor Drago (from “Creed II”) who is the son of Ivan Drago (from the 1985 “Rocky IV”).

Donnie’s past comes knocking at his door and disrupts his beautiful, luxury filled life in the form of Dame, now played by the bad guy of the moment, Jonathan Majors. If you’ve seen “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” you know that Majors can play innocent or even noble before turning into a malevolent force.

But during a record label party, Viktor is injured and Dame begs for a chance to take the spot as a Rocky Balboa-esque underdog. Dame gets his chance, but Dame isn’t just a hothead, he’s a man on a mission and he hasn’t quite forgiven Donnie for things that happened in the past.

Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin’s screenplay (story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler and Baylin)  is a bit of a mystery with some psychological drama included. One character will die. There’s a troubling message about using violence to resolve problems involving Amara (Mile Davis-Kent)  that the script attempts to justify. Yet the reasons behind the bullying Amara experiences aren’t really adequately explained, neither is the reasons behind Mary Anne’s actions that prevent Donnie from staying in touch with Dame, actions which ultimately fuels Dame’s sense of abandonment.

As a director, Jordan works well with cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau and gives us a sense of two different worlds in Los Angeles–one of luxury and one of disadvantage. Yet I never truly believe in the emotional growth of Majors’ character, a failing of the script more than the actor from my estimation. Still, for what it is, a continuation of the boxing saga begun in 1976, and as the first feature film under Jordan’s direction, this is a good though predictable film within the Rocky-Creed saga.

If you weren’t around in 1976, and even if you were, you might not have kept up with the Rocky franchise. So here’s a brief history to give you context. 

Rocky (1976)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Written in three days by star, Sylvester Stallone, the film was set in Philadelphia and is about an Italian American heavyweight fighter named Rocky Balboa who is selected by the 1975 heavyweight boxing world champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), to replace the scheduled opponent for a title bout planned for the US Bicentennial. His original opponent injured his hand and can’t compete five weeks before the match.

On his side, Rocky has his best friend Paulie (Burt Young), brother of the woman he’s dating, Adrian (Talia Shire). Paulie happens to work in the meat packing business and that sets up the famous beef carcass punching scene. Trainer and former bantamweight fighter Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) at Mighty Mick’s boxing gym formulates the strategy and helps build up Rocky’s potential.

Creed is the showman, dressing up as both George Washington and Uncle Sam, and wins by a decision, but Rocky wins Adrian and the fight is  declared “the greatest exhibition of guts and stamina in the history of the ring.”

This was the highest-grossing film of 1976 and won three Oscars, including Best Picture. As a result of this film, the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are now commonly known as the “Rocky Steps” in in 1982, a statue of Rocky was commissioned by Stallone for “Rocky III.” This film is really a must-see for its iconic scenes and soundtrack.

Rocky II (1979) ⭐️⭐️

In this outing, Stallone not only stars and wrote the script, he also directs. Rocky is back, with Adrian (Shire), Paulie (Young) and Mickey (Meredith) and is challenged by Apollo (Weathers) to a re-match. Rocky originally declines and retires from professional boxing because he has a detached retina. Becoming a local hero in Philadelphia, Rocky gets a windfall of cash via endorsements and marries Adrian, but mismanages his money. Now  with a child (Robert “Rocky” Balboa) on the way, he agrees to the rematch despite Adrian’s opposition. The result is a brutal 15-round beating in which both men have to struggle, but ultimately Rocky is able to get up, giving him the victory by a knockout. Worth watching? On a slow weekend afternoon, maybe. This film is a predictable workhorse of a film with few surprises but an ending that will leave you satisfied.

Rocky III (1982) ⭐️⭐️

This is the film that gave us the Academy Award-nominated song, “Eye of the Tiger.” That may be the best one can say about it.

By 1981, Rocky has successfully defended his title ten times. He’s a celebrity and is retiring after unveiling a statue of himself on the “Rocky Stairs.” But he’s challenged by a young, cocky fighter, James “Clubber” Lang (Mr. T), who after trash talking doesn’t work, insults Adrian. Rocky accepts the challenge, but before the fight (15 August 1981 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia), Lang causes Mickey to have a heart attack. Rocky still goes into the ring and Mickey dies after, never knowing the outcome, but Rocky has lost, KOed in the second round.

Creed was the guest analyst for the fight and runs into Rocky, offering to train Rocky for a rematch. Rocky leaves Philadelphia for Los Angeles and trains at Creed’s old gym, Tough Gym. Creed and his manager, Tony “Duke” Evers (Tony Burton) train Rocky in a different style of boxing. The rematch takes place in Madison Square Garden, NYC, with Rocky wearing Creed’s American flag trunks (worn during their first match). Rocky wins and, in private, Rocky and Creed have a rematch at Mighty Mick’s Gym. The outcome isn’t revealed until “Creed III.”  Mickey willed the gym  to Robert Balboa Jr., Rocky’s son (Ina Fried).

Rocky IV (1985)⭐️

This is a US versus Soviet Union tale. This was a time when the central government of the Soviet Union was losing power. By 1991, the Soviet Unit recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Ukraine would declare independence. By December of that year, the Soviet Union would be flown for the last time over the Kremlin. Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader from 1985 to 1991. Together with then-President Ronald Reagan, Gorbachev ended the Cold War. Gorbachev was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 and won a Grammy (shared with Bill Clinton and Sophia Loren) for Best Spoken Word Album for Children (“Peter and the Wolf”). When Gorbachev died in Moscow (30 August 2022), he was 91 and President Vladimir Putin did not give him a state funeral.

In the film, Gorbachev represents the enemy, the leader of the opposition in the Cold War. The film begins in 1985 when Soviet boxer Ivan Drago (Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren) comes to the US with his wife, Ludmilla (Brigitte Nielsen),  and trainers. Apollo Creed challenges Drago to an exhibition bout. Rocky and Apollo Creed’s trainer, Duke, help Creed prepare. The bout at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, ends with Apollo Creed’s death.

To avenge his friend’s death, Rocky challenges Drago to a 15-round match in the Soviet Union on Christmas Day. Rocky’s wife disapproves, but she eventually lends her support. Rocky is able to win the respect of the crowd and does win by a KO and even Gorbachev (David Lloyd Austin) stands up and applauds Rocky.

Rocky does mention his son (played by Rocky Krakow), hoping that he’s watching on TV. The wife of Apollo Creed, Mary Anne Creed is played by Sylvia Meals (1943-2011) who also appeared in “Rocky II.” Nielsen was engaged to Stallone during this production, but divorced in 1987.

This is a great film for firing up animosity against the Soviet Union/Russia, but, in that respect, is a plodding product of safe nationalism.

Rocky V (1990) ⭐️⭐️

Stallone wrote and stars in this film, but John G. Avildsen directs. Balboa is again struggling financially because his accountant failed to pay taxes and used his money on bad real estate deals. Rocky, due to health reasons, can no longer box, but he agrees to train Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison) at his old gym, Mighty Mick’s Gym, which he reopens. Tommy does defeat the heavyweight champion, Union Cane, but Tommy gives credit to fight promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), instead of Rocky. Washington manipulates Tommy into fighting with Rocky to make him a real champion. Rocky does get involved in a street fight.  From brawling in the ring to street fighting? Skip this.

Rocky Balboa (2006) ⭐️⭐️

Directed and written (and starring) Stallone, this film has the 60-year-old Rocky a widower. His wife had died from cancer four years before the start of the film. He runs a small, but successful Italian restaurant named after her, but his relationship with his son is troubled.

Paulie (Young) still supports him, but wants Rocky to stop living in the past. Somehow, Rocky accepts a charity exhibition match against the much younger Mason “The Line” Dixon (real light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver), the currently undefeated but very unpopular heavyweight champion. Rocky’s son, Robert (Milo Ventimiglia), comes to support his father. Dixon wins by a split decision, but Rocky is okay with that having reconciled with his son and having come to terms with his grief. This can be skipped unless you’re a die-hard Stallone or Ventimiglia fan.

Creed (2015)⭐️⭐️⭐️

Written by Ryan Coogler (with Aaron Covington) and directed by Coogler, this spin-off is the start of the Creed series, but involves Stallone’s character.

We first meet Adonis “Donnie” Johnson (Alex Henderson) as a troublemaker in the Los Angeles youth detention center in 1998. His mother has died, but Creed’s widow, Mary Anne (now played by Phylicia Rashad), takes the boy in. Although he has a stable office job, in 2015, Donnie (Michael B. Jordan)  travels down to Mexico and in Tijuana participates in amateur boxing at a bar. He leaves his job and attempts to get a spot training at the Los Angeles Delphi Boxing Academy which is managed by the son of Apollo’s trainer, Tony “Little Duke” Evers Jr. (Wood Harris). During this, he loses his 1967 Ford Mustang to Danny “The Stuntman” Wheeler.

Donnie goes to Philadelphia and gets in touch with Rocky Balboa. Donnie begins training at the Front Street Gym and becomes romantically interested in his neighbor, singer/songwriter Bianca (Tessa Thompson).

When the world light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew) is looking a jail time, his handlers decide to have one last fight. They want Donnie as long as he uses his father’s surname, Creed. Donnie at first refuses, but, as the title suggests, eventually agrees. Rocky, however, is fighting his own battle, this time with cancer.

Donnie gives makes a deal to fight as long as Rocky is willing to fight cancer. Conlan wins by a slit decision, but the HBO announcer declares, “Ricky Conlan won the fight, but Adonis Creed won the night.”

For this film, Stallone won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and was nominated for an Academy Award. If you’re going to follow the Creed trail, this is where you begin.

Creed II (2018) ⭐️⭐️

Starting in 2017, or two years after Adonis Creed lost to Conlan, Adonis Creed now has won six consecutive bouts with the latest a victory over Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler (former professional boxer Andre Ward) to claim the WBC World Heavyweight championship and reclaim his Ford Mustang.

Donnie marries Bianca and they leave Philadelphia for Los Angeles.

Elsewhere, in the Ukraine, to be exact, Ivan Drago (Lundgren) has fallen on hard times, but with the help of fight promoter Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby) , he hopes to have a fight between his son, Viktor (German-born Romanian actor Florian Munteanu), and Donnie. Preparing for the fight with Tony “Little Duke” Evers, he wins but only because Viktor was disqualified for an illegal move. Suffering mentally, Donnie is drawn back into his family when Mary Anne reaches out to Rocky, who agrees to train him and Rocky becomes the godfather of his daughter with Bianca, Amara, who is born deaf.

Of course, there will be some tough training, but this time in the California desert. The rematch is in Moscow and Viktor takes a beating and Ivan Drago decides to throw in the towel in order to protect his son from permanent damage. Bianca goes into the ring to celebrate with Donnie, Little Duke and the rest of the Creed crew.

Afterward, Rocky goes to Vancouver where his son has gone to escape his father’s shadow. There, Rocky makes amends with his estranged son, Robert (Ventimiglia), and meets his grandson, Logan, for the first time. Adonis and Bianca visit Apollo’s grave as Adonis accepts to legacy of the Creed name.

My husband kept questioning this match up because Adonis Creed and Viktor Drago wouldn’t seem to be in the same division by weight.

For continuity, I am posting the review of Creed III here so you don’t have to go back to the top:

Creed III (2023)⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you recall (if you don’t see my recap of all the Rocky and Creed films below), when we were first introduced to Adonis (Johnson) Creed, he was in the Los Angeles youth detention center in 1998 in the 2015 “Creed.” He was the illegitimate son of Carl Weathers’ Apollo Creed. His mother was dead by 1998 when his father’s widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) takes him in. “Creed” jumps to 2015, but “Creed III” fills in some of Adonis “Donnie” Creed’s troubled teenage years when he was becoming involved in boxing.

In 2002,  the 15-year-old Donnie (Thaddeus J. Mixon) sneaks out of the house to join his 18-year-old best friend, Damian “Diamond Dame” Anderson (Spencer Moore II), a Golden Globes champion, because Dame is competing in an underground boxing match. Dame wins but on their way home afterward, Donnie meets an acquaintance, Leon, at the local liquor store and gets into a fight. Yet through circumstances that will be explained later, the incident changes the trajectory of Dame’s life.

Donnie has just won a rematch against Conlan (see “Creed”) and retires from boxing to spend more time with his wife Bianca and their deaf daughter Amara. In three years, he’s running Delphi Boxing Academy with his former coach Little Duke and his protege, Felix “El Guerrero” Chavez. Chavez is scheduled to box with Viktor Drago (from “Creed II”) who is the son of Ivan Drago (from the 1985 “Rocky IV”).

Donnie’s past comes knocking at his door and disrupts his beautiful, luxury filled life in the form of Dame, now played by the bad guy of the moment, Jonathan Majors. If you’ve seen “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” you know that Majors can play innocent or even noble before turning into a malevolent force.

During a record label party, Viktor is injured, and Dame begs for a chance to take the spot as a Rocky Balboa-esque underdog. Dame gets his chance, but Dame isn’t just a hothead, he’s a man on a mission and he hasn’t quite forgiven Donnie for things that happened in the past.

Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin’s screenplay (story by Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler and Baylin)  is a bit of a mystery with some psychological drama included. One character will die. There’s a troubling message about using violence to resolve problems involving Amara (Mile Davis-Kent)  that the script attempts to justify. Yet the reasons behind the bullying Amara experiences aren’t really adequately explained, neither is the reasons behind Mary Anne’s actions that prevent Donnie from staying in touch with Dame, actions which ultimately fuels Dame’s sense of abandonment.

As a director, Jordan works well with cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau and gives us a sense of two different worlds in Los Angeles–one of luxury and one of disadvantage. The film is beautifully shot and paced, yet I never truly believe in the emotional growth of Majors’ character, a failing of the script more than the actor from my estimation. Still, for what it is, a continuation of the boxing saga begun in 1976, and as the first feature film under Jordan’s direction, this is a good though predictable film within the Rocky-Creed saga.

“Creed III” premiered in Mexico City in February and was released in the US on 3 March 2023. “Creed” and “Creed II” are currently included in Prime Video for streaming.

Rotten Tomato ranking of Rocky-Creed films

1. Creed
2. Rocky
3. Creed III
4. Creed II
5. Rocky Balboa
6. Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago (2021)
7. Rocky II
8. Rocky III
9. Rocky IV
10. Rocky V

My ranking:

1. Rocky (If not for this, nothing would have followed)
2. Creed
3. Creed II
4. Creed III
5. Rocky Balboa
6. Rocky II
7. Rocky III
8. Rocky IV
9. Rocky V