Jonathan Majors Shines & Michael B. Jordan Delivers a Knockout In “Creed III” Directorial Debut
Michael B. Jordan has taken his talents to the next level with Creed III, making his directorial debut in a film he also stars in and produced. The critics are calling his effort championship belt worthy.
Jordan brought back some of the stars from the Creed franchise (most notably Tessa Thompson as Bianca Creed and Phylicia Rashad as his mother, Mary-Anne Creed), said goodbye to Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, who doesn’t appear here), and added one of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood in Jonathan Majors. Majors plays bruiser Damian Anderson, a man with a long, unhappy connection to Adonis Creed (Jordan), who shows back up in Adonis’s life after 18 years in prison with a serious bone to pick with the champ. They were once childhood friends, but one fateful night tore them into opposite directions—Adonis went on to become a boxing champion, and Damian did his fighting and training in prison. In Creed III, Damian is looking for payback.
Let’s take a quick peek around the web to see what the critics are saying about Jordan’s debut directorial effort in the third film in the Creed franchise.
The New Yorker‘s Richard Brody writes, “Jordan, as director, delivers a captivating blend of explosive energy and melodramatic intensity; he sharpens the stark lines of conflict with keen attention to performance… and a controlled, storm-like feeling of moods building to crises.”
The Los Angeles Times’ Katie Walsh writes, “What Jordan does best as star, director and producer is showcase Majors’ heavyweight performance, cementing him as one of our brightest stars. Taking over a behind-the-scenes role is a part of the “Rocky” legacy, and Jordan takes the reins with ease.”
Review: Michael B. Jordan is the one to fly now with ‘Creed III’ https://t.co/USPcvoWlpZ
— LAT Entertainment (@latimesent) March 2, 2023
Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson writes, “Jordan keeps the film clear of head and light on its feet. As Creed III glides and grunts to its close, the series feels anything but spent.”
The Creed movies remain good!https://t.co/LWcu8FJOLG
— Richard Lawson (@rilaws) March 2, 2023
Manohla Dargis writes in The New York Times, “And as emotion floods this movie, Jordan lets loose a torrent of ideas about Black masculinity and community, about how the past haunts the present, the legacy of state violence, the chimera of self-reliance and the existential necessity of love. So, come for the boxing, yes — but bring plenty of hankies, too.”
The Washington Post‘s Ann Hornaday writes, “Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors face off in a boxing story told with style, taste and respect for the audience.”
Empire Magazine‘s Amon Warmann writes, “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.”
And Lindsey Bahr at the AP says, “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: Majors steals the show, and Jordan is there to capture it.”
Are you ready to step in the ring this weekend with Jordan and Majors? We know we are.
Creed III is in theaters now.
Featured image: Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis Creed and Jonathan Majors as Damian Anderson in CREED III A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film Photo credit: Eli Ade © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
