YOU CAN’T RUN FROM YOUR PAST.

A now retired Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) meets an old friend (Jonathan Majors) who’s out of prison and feels an obligation to help him, little realizing that he’s being set up.

It’s amazing how, in his directing debut, Jordan can borrow every familiar beat and cliché from Ryan Coogler’s first entries in the series (not to mention Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky movies) and still manage to craft a film that has one hooked. The story feels grounded; unlike his old friend, Adonis has always been privileged and guilt is a heavy burden to carry.

Majors is effective as the manipulative challenger and the final bout has its innovative moments.

2023-U.S. 116 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Michael B. Jordan. Story: Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, Zach Baylin. Cast: Michael B. Jordan (Adonis Creed), Tessa Thompson (Bianca), Jonathan Majors (Damian Anderson), Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad. Voice of Barry Pepper. 

Trivia: Co-produced by Jordan, Ryan Coogler, Sylvester Stallone and Irwin Winkler.