Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut in “Creed III” and he successfully impressed critics. A “promising debut for (Michael B. Jordan), who shows here that he’ll never let his own star ego get in the way of a film,” wrote The Associated Press.
“Creed III” also has new-star-of-the-year Jonathan Majors, who some viewers might recognize as Kang from “Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Critics praised Majors for his performance. Film critic Ann Hornaday with The Washington Post was impressed with Majors’ ability to “create a character who manages to be sympathetic even at his worst.”
Fans are impressed with the movie as well. “Creed III” boasts a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes — surpassing the 89% audience score earned by “Creed.”
First reactions to ‘Creed III’
- “An improvement on 2018’s ‘Creed II,’ the new film doesn’t quite match the sheer exhilaration of Ryan Coogler’s fantastic 2015 original, yet with the unbeatable combination of Jordan’s eye for filmmaking and Majors’ phenomenal acting, it comes pretty close,” wrote USA Today.
- Empire praised Jordan’s directorial debut, “Giving the gloves to Michael B. Jordan both in front of and behind the camera leads to satisfying results, and the year of great Jonathan Majors performances continues.”
- “Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors face off in a boxing story told with style, taste and respect for the audience,” said The Washington Post.
- “‘Creed III’ is a sports drama that feels like a thriller with an urgent conscience,” Variety shared. “It’s a far more dynamic movie than the proficient but formulaic ‘Creed II,’ even if it can’t match the soulful filmmaking bravura of the first ‘Creed.’”
- The Guardian wrote, “What makes Creed III so refreshing is that it also scratches an itch many of us have for mid-budget adult drama and while it might be broad, Imax entertainment, it still delivers the rare sight of big stars grappling with big emotions on a big screen”
- “Strangely enough, maybe the least compelling element of director-star Michael B. Jordan’s well-paced and sure-to-be crowd-pleasing ‘Creed III’ is the boxing,” wrote the Chicago Sun-Times.
- “There has never been a bad “Rocky” movie before, and thank goodness ‘Creed III’ keeps the streak alive,” lauded The Wrap.
‘Creed III’ release date
“Creed III” comes to theaters March 3, starring Jordan, Majors and Tessa Thompson.