An opening flashback of two decades to a young Adonis and his older best friend Damian sets the scene for their modern-day reunion after Dame spends years in jail and comes looking for an improbable shot at the world heavyweight title. This trilogy-closer is perhaps inevitably a more muted affair than the preceding movies as the central characters deal with their post-career/domestic phases and lives, which sit somewhat awkwardly with this very unlikely underdog/comeback story layered on top. Slow pacing, weary soapy melodrama scenes and an unconvincing story hold back this entry, and whilst the main players - Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Phylicia Rashad and especially Michael B. Jordan - are all quality performers, this reasonable but underpowered third entry never really flies like the best moments in the first two Creed films.
