I’ve always had a soft spot for the “Rocky” and “Creed” franchise, as those are the films I grew up on. While some have been more impactful than others, as a whole the franchise does something well that modern movies have all but forgotten. Movies today, especially films in the Marvel universe, have this problem where they try to write for screenshots, laughs, and witty clips that can appear on a Twitter post for views. Even in seemingly tense situations, the suspense can be dissipated immediately with the insert of a random joke meant to generate laughs.
An example of this was Marvel’s most recent “Thor” movie, “Love and Thunder.” This film had so much potential to bring suspense and thrill to a beloved character in the Marvel universe, but the opportunity was squandered by constant barrage of lines meant for laughs and unfunny gags. There was no room to breathe. No space.
The first scene of “Creed III” dictates the tone for the rest of the movie, and it was clear that there would be no gags and no lines inserted merely to generate a quick laugh. The entire movie is filled with moments of suspense, emotion, and heart. The movie provides space for the audience. There is time for the viewer to take in every scene as if they were living it themselves. In contrast to other modern movies that constantly provide action to keep the attention of the audience, “Creed III” does almost the opposite and provides silence in scenes that deserve it, to let the audience not only breathe, but also ponder on what is actually happening. There were several moments in the film when nobody was talking and there was no action, but through this silence we as the audience were able to better comprehend the gravity of the situation. The silence contributed to the unsettling feeling that the movie provided.
In a world in which most movies are writing for laughs and postable quotes, “Creed III” brings a refreshing tone that is reminiscent of blockbusters in the past that were not part of some gigantic franchise, but were instead intended to captivate the audience. Blockbuster films are known for taking time to build up and give the audience space to think about the events unfolding on screen. “Creed III” does the same while also making sure to build further on the characters and the trials and tribulations they are involved in. This is especially true for the main character, Adonis, who throughout the film becomes a character that deals with not only physical conflict, but mental conflict as well. Although his character had been well established in the previous movies, in this one, we see a side of him that was kept hidden away not only from the audience, but from the characters on screen as well.
Learning more about Adonis Creed and his struggles with the allotted space that the movie gives the audience makes the film seem much more personal and emotional for the audience, as we can sit in those moments rather than bounce around from one sequence to the next.
Even towards the end of the movie, the final boxing match almost felt like a duel between Jedi. At times it felt a little over the top, but one thing it did do was provide space. There was no dialogue — it was a battle between enemies that had important repercussions for how the movie would end.
I’m not saying that every good movie has to have some specific amount of space in it. I’m saying that in Hollywood, good films are hard to come by and “Creed III” is a good film. It excels in areas that are completely overlooked by movie tycoons, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you should (after binging the first two, of course).