--- title: "Creed III: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/creed-iii/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/creed-iii" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 24 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Creed III (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 24 reviews: 17 positive, 5 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like Creed III, and the praise gathers in two places. The first is Jonathan Majors, whose Damian is singled out almost everywhere as the film’s main attraction, menacing and sad in the same breath. The second is Michael B. Jordan’s first turn as director, and in particular the fights, which several reviews describe as inventive, with anime-influenced staging and moments shot from inside the boxer’s head. Many also welcome the absence of Stallone and the decision to build the story on Adonis’s own past rather than Rocky’s. The reservations cluster on the script: a formulaic third act, a sense that two films have been squeezed into one, and a hero too comfortable to pass as an underdog. The spread is wider than the average suggests. Slant calls it a structural mishmash, The New Yorker thinks it needed to be longer, and The Playlist misses the scrappiness of the earlier films. Almost nobody faults the performances. ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2023. Jordan directs and stars in a rock-solid sequel that feels like a thriller with an urgent conscience, far more dynamic than Creed II. He stages brutal fights with imaginative precision and gives his fullest performance yet as Adonis. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/creed-iii-review-michael-b-jordan-tessa-thompson-jonathan-majors-1235529835/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2023. The third Creed is glorious masculine melodrama as much about fighting the world and oneself as an opponent; Jordan shows unabashed appreciation for it in his directorial debut, with Majors delivering a great, arrestingly weird performance. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2023/03/creed-iii-review-glorious-masculine-melodrama.html) ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 4/5. 27 February 2023. Jordan impresses as both actor and director in this Stallone-free entry that emphasizes family and past resentments. The standout is Majors' intense portrayal of the vengeful Damian, elevating the familiar underdog story. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/creed-iii-review/) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Rating 4/5. 2 March 2023. The critic praises Michael B. Jordan's confident directorial debut and the film's bold move away from Rocky nostalgia, highlighting Jonathan Majors' standout performance as the compelling antagonist Damian. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/creed-3-review-michael-b-jordan-b2287390.html) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 March 2023. The review calls the film a thrilling male melodrama with strong emotional core in the rivalry between Adonis and Damian, praising the visceral fight scenes and Jonathan Majors' menacing yet sad performance. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/creed-iii-review-thrilling-melodrama-tough-guys-2180153) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 2023. The film delivers balanced helpings of intimacy and spectacle as Michael B. Jordan makes a seamless directorial debut while starring. It grapples with family, friendship, and contemporary masculinity while hitting familiar genre beats. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/movies/creed-iii-review-michael-b-jordan.html) ## The Telegraph Rating 4/5. The first entry without Stallone is sure-footed and committed to pleasing a crowd, so you don't miss him at all. The fight scenes are a treat, shot and choreographed with real pop-mythic verve, and Jordan shows promise as both filmmaker and star. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/creed-iii-review-boxing-sequel-lands-like-gut-juddering-haymaker/) ## Total Film — Matt Maytum Rating 4/5. 24 February 2023. Jordan keeps the Creed formula feeling fresh in his directorial debut, with inventive boxing sequences and a compelling antagonist in Jonathan Majors that make the film thoroughly entertaining. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/creed-3-review/) ## The AV Club — Murtada Elfadl Rating B. 1 March 2023. Jordan's directing debut isn't a knockout but still packs a wallop with entertaining boxing scenes and visceral intimacy; Majors' performance as the antagonist is the main attraction, rising above obvious backstory choices. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/a-review-of-creed-iii-starring-michael-b-jordan-1850162840) ## Empire — Amon Warmann Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 February 2023. The critic notes Jordan's solid direction and the emotional depth in the Adonis-Damian relationship, commending Majors' magnetic performance while noting some rushed elements in the final act. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/creed-3/) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 March 2023. Jordan's directorial debut is a solid first feature that showcases a knockout performance from Jonathan Majors as the resentful Dame. It experiments with subjective sequences in the ring while cementing Majors as a major star. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-03-01/review-creed-iii-michael-b-jordan-jonathan-majors) ## IndieWire — Kate Erbland Rating B-. 23 February 2023. The film is a cluttered sequel with high stakes, great casting, and brutal fights, but too much going on prevents it from landing every punch; the final bout shows Jordan's directorial skill and the pairing with Majors shines. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/creed-3-review-michael-b-jordan-1234812348/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2023. A thoughtful drama about guilt, privilege and friendship is hinted at but ultimately retreats to formulaic Rocky sequel plotting, though polished and entertaining with strong performances from Jordan and Majors. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/creed-iii-review/5179234.article) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 2023. The film is a solidly by-numbers chapter in the Creed saga. Jordan does a workmanlike job directing, with thrillingly visceral fight sequences, but cheesy montages and a formulaic screenplay prevent it from taking the franchise anywhere new; Jonathan Majors stands out as a formidable antagonist. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/04/creed-iii-review-gloves-are-off-as-the-rocky-prequel-fights-on) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 2023. Jordan delivers explosive energy and captivating performances but the film feels like two movies crammed into one and runs out of time to explore its themes. It should have been longer to properly develop the backstory and character relationships. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/creed-iii-reviewed-michael-b-jordans-directorial-debut-runs-out-of-time) ## Slant Magazine Rating 1/4. 24 February 2023. Creed III comes down to a draw between its flashes of brilliance and missed opportunities; the lead actors convey decades of pent-up emotion effectively, but the film is a structural mishmash overall. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/creed-iii-review-michael-b-jordan-jonathan-majors/) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★★☆. 1 March 2023. By the third film the champ is old and the plot mulls retirement, yet you might be surprised by how good the film is. Majors excels with a gaze heavy with malice and melancholy; Jordan is a reliable anchor on screen and his direction is graceful and ambitious too. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/cda7a7d8-4ccb-4e31-896e-18f64b1dc5f8) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Lovia Gyarkye 23 February 2023. The critic finds the film stronger on style than narrative sense, with lush visuals and glorious fight scenes that delight fans, but notes the shaky foundation and underdog premise fails to convince as Adonis is no longer an underdog. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/creed-iii-review-michael-b-jordan-jonathan-majors-1235332431/) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 3 March 2023. Stallone was wrong about the dark material; his absence is a blessing. The darkness works, and Jordan occupies the director’s chair with aplomb, making bold choices while the backstory forms the film’s beating heart. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/creed-iii-film-review-michael-b-jordan-njpzlzp0g) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating A-. 23 February 2023. Jordan's directorial debut breathes new life into the franchise by centering Adonis's personal history and family dynamics over Rocky, with innovative anime-influenced fight scenes and strong performances, particularly from Jonathan Majors as the compelling antagonist. [Read the review](https://collider.com/creed-3-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 2 March 2023. The critic praises Creed III as one of the best entries in the franchise, highlighting Michael B. Jordan's stylish directorial debut and Jonathan Majors' ferocious, multifaceted performance as the sympathetic challenger Damian. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/creed-iii-review-jonathan-majors-knockout/) ## Polygon — Siddhant Adlakha Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2023. Jordan's stylish directorial debut expands the visual language of the boxing film with anime-inspired fights and choreography while delivering a character-centric tale about confronting the past, anchored by excellent performances from Jordan and Jonathan Majors. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23611236/creed-3-review-michael-b-jordan-jonathan-majors/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2023. The critic finds Creed III a worthy follow-up that keeps the Rocky/Creed streak alive with an emotionally raw story of trauma and intergenerational ties. They single out Jonathan Majors' fascinating, disturbing performance as the manipulative yet sympathetic antagonist Damian for particular praise, while noting Michael B. Jordan's strong directorial debut. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creed-iii-review-michael-b-jordan-jonathan-majors/) ## The Ringer — Miles Surrey Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2023. Creed III succeeds in stepping out of Rocky's shadow through Jordan's directorial debut, which incorporates anime-style fight visuals and centers a personal story with a strong antagonist in Dame played by Jonathan Majors, marking a fresh direction for the series. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2023/03/03/movies/adonis-creed-3-michael-b-jordan-rocky-movies-jonathan-majors) ## Digital Spy — Gabriella Geisinger Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2023. The review calls it a solidly enjoyable follow-up with strong chemistry between Jordan and Majors and effective fight scenes under Jordan's direction, but notes it feels like two films, lacks narrative tension in places, and could have hit harder. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a43138381/creed-iii-review/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 6.5/10. 24 February 2023. The film follows a familiar Rocky formula but is grounded and reflective with solid direction from Jordan, especially in the creative fight scenes. It is predictable and does not fully take flight despite strong performances from Jordan and Majors. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1206822/creed-3-review/) ## The Playlist — Charles Bramesco Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2023. The critic finds the film loses the franchise's scrappy underdog appeal as the hero has nothing left to conquer, turning into a slower, less gritty story. The fight sequences are nimbly visceral and get the job done, though CGI elements mar the finale. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/creed-iii-review-hollywoods-winningest-franchise-is-losing-its-scrappy-underdog-appeal-20230223/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/creed-iii.md