Movie Review: Creed 3

The first “Creed” was an absolute knockout. Apollo Creed’s son “Adonis” (Michael B. Jordan) enters the ring, trained by “Rocky Balboa” himself.

“Creed II” is not quite true to the original. “Creed III” shares the difference.

Sylvester Stallone is not in this (creative differences). The story makes up for his absence with a strong enemy. “The Lady” is a former childhood friend of Adonis (Duncanville’s Jonathan Majors) who has just been released from prison.

Creed is a former heavyweight champion who is happily married with his wife (Tessa Thompson) and their daughter. The new champion (real boxer Jose Benavidez) is forced to withdraw from the title fight. Dam is ready to take on anyone, including Creed, to settle the score and get the chance he thinks he deserves. So we get Creed vs. The Ladies at Dodger Stadium.

Jordan is also making his directorial debut with Creed III and is showing great talent. Who knows the characters better than him… except maybe Ryan Coogler, who returns as co-writer.

This one has a lot of heart. The boxing is well choreographed, with Jordan’s particularly imaginative choices in presenting the big fight. A little more nuance in character development would be useful. Majors certainly has a moment… he also starred in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantum Mania and Devotion this year.

Here he is so pumped up that he almost belongs to his weight category. But Adonis never loses, does he? I’ll take these two at the top of the map any day.

(MGM. Rated PG-13. Running time 1 hour 56 minutes. Theaters only.)

When Jason Statham stars in a Guy Ritchie movie, there’s always action.

This time the action moves from the sandy streets of London to locations around the world. Funny things can happen when a studio gives Ritchie a few extra bucks!

In Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, Stathan plays a high-octane, wine-flavored super spy. He is tasked with tracking down an arms sale led by billionaire Hugh Grant.

Sophisticated Cary Elwes organizes a mission. Aubrey Plaza plays a sexy technical. Josh Hartnett, big Hollywood star. Grant’s character is a big fan, so he was brought in to grease the wheel or negotiate.

Richie explains that he wrote the first scene and from there came to the rhythm and tone of the film. It is very funny.

Grant has become a terribly interesting character actor, and don’t make me start with The Plaza. She can do everything. Here she can be both funny and fatal woman. As for the more sophisticated Stathan, he might just have booked a ticket to a James Bond audition. I’m just saying.

(Lionsgate. Rated R. Duration 1 hour 54 minutes. Theaters only)

I was a week late with this, but I still wanted to tell you about it.

How many films have we had about the Brontë sisters? Here’s another, but very well done.

The highly seductive Emma McKee plays a reclusive, rebellious sister who falls in love with her priest father’s assistant, William Weightman, played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen.

I was totally interested in this until I read that the script by budding director Frances O’Connor was fictitious. Yes, there was a real priest named William Weightman, but he actually had his eye on Emily’s little sister, Ann. The thought was, how could Emily Brontë write the passionate novel Wuthering Heights without experiencing it first hand?

Other dramatic licenses are also accepted. In any case, the film may not be a classic, but I recommend it.

(Warner Bros. Rated R. Runtime 2 hours 10 minutes. Theaters only)