The relationship between the Rocky movies and Creed’s spin-off is interesting, but Creed III clearly learned from the mistakes made by movies like Rocky III and beyond. Rocky was a groundbreaking sports movie that saw the hero go through an incredible journey to overcome challenges and become the best boxer in the world. Then, when the sequel, Rocky II, came out a few years later in 1979, it continued to build on that legacy and add to the film’s epic scale. However, things went off the rails soon after.
Meanwhile, the spin-off franchise, Creed, which follows the incredibly talented young boxer, Adonis Creed, has managed to maintain a consistent tone across the first three films that helps to ensure future success. However, both franchises still have a lot in common. But with some minor adjustments, Rocky could have potentially avoided the steep downturn in quality as the series progressed.
Creed Avoided Rocky’s Mistake Of Becoming Too Cartoonish In The Third Movie
Rocky Had A Weird Tonal Shift By Rocky III
The biggest issue to come out of the Rocky movies began with Rocky III. Unlike the serious and technically brilliant fighter, Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang was a caricature of a hot-headed boxer. Played by Mr. T, who went on to build a successful career as part of the team of misfits in The A-Team. His character there was a comical version of a big tough guy, and Clubber Lang proved to be fairly similar. Both are incredibly energetic, loud, and aggressive, but they also have a sense of bravado that seems to be for show.
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In addition, the movie sees Rocky become a completely different person as he spends much of his time and energy posing for cameras. Overall, the movie just seems like a significant departure from earlier entries, with the hero becoming a shade of his former self, and the story going around in circles. Fortunately, Creed III did not fall into the same trap, and it made a concentrated effort to increase the tension and drama in the third entry.
The Rocky Franchise Took Years To Recover From Rocky 3’s Drastic Tone Change
Rocky Became A Parody Of Itself For Years
That isn’t to say that Rocky didn’t have good moments in the subsequent films. Ivan Drago from Rocky IV remains one of the most notorious films in sports movie history, but the reputation of the franchise was no longer flawless. Like Rocky in Rocky III, it suffered its first knock-out, and that would forever stand out on their record. The movies became more focused on a battle between villains and Rocky as the hero, with thin stories that failed to push the deeper narrative forward.
Creed III
did not fall into the same trap, and it made a concentrated effort to increase the tension and drama in the third entry.
The beauty of the original movie was the fact that the movie balanced this montage of a boxer learning his craft, overcoming defeat, and training to become a champion, but this happened alongside personal struggle and growth. The relationship with Adrian helped to round out Rocky as a human, not just an athlete. And with both of these narratives playing out simultaneously, it made everything feel more complete and meaningful. Creed started with this type of storytelling, and it hasn’t taken its foot off the brake since the beginning.
It’s Difficult To Imagine Creed Ever Becoming As Cartoonish As Rocky
Creed Has Laid A Better Foundation For The Future Than Rocky
Thanks to the focus on the dramatic side of the story in Creed, Donny’s journey to becoming the champion has been full of heart, growth, and overcoming challenges. Having never known his father as a man, Donny turned to others for coaching, and he found close friendship and family with his father’s former rival, Rocky Balboa. The romance between Donny and Bianca continues to be a pivotal part of the story, and by bringing rivals like Viktor Drago, the son of the boxer who murdered Apollo Creed during a fight, and his childhood best friend, Damien Anderson, the movies maintain their dramatic tone.
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Of course, Rocky went through some challenging storylines with close friends dying, and the passing of his beloved Adrian, but the movie’s frequently stepped over the line into goofy or cartoonish territory. Creed keeps pushing to make each new entry harder hitting than the last, not only in terms of well-choreographed, meaningful fight scenes, but stories that put the hero to the test inside and out of the ring. Creed III did a great job at maintaining that tone, and it’s hard to see the franchise spinning out of control like the franchise that preceded it.
Creed III marks the directorial debut of Michael B. Jordan, who returns as his Rocky character Adonis Creed. In the sequel to 2018’s Creed II, Adonis’ life is going well both inside and outside the ring. But when Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors) is released from prison, he makes an enemy of his childhood friend. Tessa Thompson returns as Adonis’ wife, Bianca, along with Phylicia Rashad as his mother, Mary-Anne Creed.
- Release Date
- March 3, 2023
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Writers
- Zach Baylin , Keenan Coogler
- Runtime
- 117 Minutes
- Budget
- 75 million