Where I Watched it: HBo MAX

English Audio description Provided By: Deluxe

Narrated By: Ron Snow

not my first time on this film. But, with Creed 3, I wanted to go back around to the other Creed films and take a good hard look at them. I actually think I saw this without audio description the first time around, and now I’m getting the wonderful narration from Ron Snow that really is important to a boxing drama. This is definitely a genre that needs audio description, because even with the best sound design, and the most obvious dialogue, the fight sequences are underwhelming if you don’t know who just punched who where.

But the Creed films have mostly been propped up by an actual plot and some nostalgia. There’s heart within these films, and it’s not just as simple as wanting to win a title because…. It’s there to be won. There’s all this history between Adonis and the father he never met. The parallels in his life, as he finds himself looking at becoming a father, while also staring at a fighter with nothing to lose, the progeny of the man who killed his father. Yes, this is the brillliant idea to have a Creed and Drago rematch, but the next generation.

This second film was not directed by Ryan Coogler, but a newer face. Steven Cable Jr. Does a respectable job trying to match the style of Coogler, but this is probably the one area where it falls short. Instead of trying to make his own footprint, much like his central character, he’s living in the shadow of greatness. Coogler created a film with a lot of iconic moments, like the shot of Adonis running through the streets with the biker gang around him. It’s not a pivotal moment, but Coogler had flair, and the ability to turn anything into a truly special moment. Cable doesn’t have that, and relies heavily on what’s been done before, and a strong script. He’s trying to mimic Coogler, and he gets close, but it’s still obviously not Ryan Coogler.

Michael B Jordan continues to deliver a thankless performance here, one that I wish he could get some awards buzz for. He’s the perfect casting choice, and really helps make this franchise what it is. Stallone is back, though even in this film, you can feel that one foot out the door vibe.

I don’t get enough opportunities to praise Ron Snow, but I think he consistently delivers quality work, and that continues here. his tone is perfect for the film, with his deep baritone helping to lend weight to the serious gravity of many presented situations. This is about living in the shadow of another, and the film itself even has to live in the shadows of the original Creed.

It’s not a sequel that surpasses the original, though it does come really close to being as good as the one that came before it, which is still a solid achievement.

Final Grade: A