1000 feelings, from emotional fights, cruel moments, and love of brotherhood, to the bitterness of treason. That is the newest addition to the Rocky franchise, Creed III, released on March 2.

Creed III is the ninth movie of this franchise, which tells the story of the final career moments of Adonis Creed, Apollo’s son. This movie had very few expectations because the critics thought this would just be another movie where the main character is challenged over some dumb reason that does the classic training session and beats the antagonist. But, the movie got a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, blowing away the conventional wisdom. Critics say the movie doesn’t follow the conventional “formula” the other Rocky films have.

The most significant pull factor this movie has is the emotions it transmits. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat. For starters a big highlight is the choreography of the fights, movements are so quick and coordinated that you forget that it is all acting. The plot is well elaborated since you have a backstory, side stories, plot twists, and redemption. In one scene the audience is stressed out because they understand the challenges Adonis is facing in his fatherhood. In the other scene, spectators are filled with rage because of the antagonist. Although this is not an Oscars-worthy movie, this movie is a must-watch for audiences who enjoy films that transmit a lot of emotion. 

Throughout the whole movie, the story is delightful, but there is a big plot hole that may be confusing or bad for the audience. The antagonist of this movie is a completely new character. But the thing is, how the showdown is set is just lazy writing. At first, the antagonist, Damian, is introduced as a trustworthy childhood friend. As the movie progresses we see a sudden change in the antagonist. The main fight setting was just lazy writing in comparison with other Rocky Movies. For example, in Rocky IV the main fight was set when the antagonist, Ivan Drago killed Anonis’ father and Rocky’s best friend, Apollo, in an exhibition match. For the movie to be more enjoyable, instead of repeating the backstory over and over again, Warner Bros could have shown sooner the intentions of Damian, for the main fight to be even more hyped. 

The absence of Rocky in this movie was well-received and gave continuity to the story. Way before this movie was released we knew that Hollywood boxer, Sylvester Stallone was not going to be in the cast. The franchise needed to be continued, so the perfect solution was to stop relying on Balboa. This worked wonders since now this franchise is not only about Baloba’s legacy. Instead, they rely on legacies from the 3 main fighters from the 80’s saga wich where, Apollo Creed, Ivan Drago, and Rocky. Creed III might be the last movie starring Adonis Creed as the main fighter. Although The plot is still open for Ivan’s son, Viktor Drago to take the spotlight as the new heavyweight champion.

As we have seen in Creed I what is next for this franchise is to set a new challenger for the heavyweight championship with now Adonis on the corner. Since the plot remained wide open this was well received by the public. The fans can expect more movies to come out in the future and see what other characters not only react to the certain situation but also what the new characters bring to the table.

Casting professional boxers like Middleweight champions, Canelo Alvarez and Jose Benavidez Jr. portraying Felix Chavez was a genius idea. Not only the choreography of the fights drastically improved. These details bring more realism to the movie now that the audience can count on professional ESPN Knockout commentators such as Max Kellerman and more professional boxers. Due to this touch on realism fans were even more excited to see their real-life idols step into the franchise’s ring.

What is innovative is that this time the professionals take part in more significant roles than just a cameo, making the movie all more exciting. Small details like this are what make a movie exciting, selling even more entrances especially if the audience regularly watches Boxing.

In conclusion, Creed III is a stupendous movie, enjoyable for all ages, that will get you to the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end. For audiences who just want to watch a fun and entertaining movie, this one is a must-watch. This movie premiered in Colombian cinemas on March 3, 2023, and is expected to remain on the big screen until June 2023.