A boxing franchise that feels like a gift, again

Now that our lives revolve around tiny screens tailored to our individual likes and dislikes, the act of trying to please a crowd-specifically, a crowd of moviegoers gathered at an actual theater has become more a noble pursuit than a purely money-grubbing one.

- By Stephanie Zacharek

Relying on the popularity of a franchise is one way to pack 'em in. But those of us who care about movies, and about the experience of seeing them together, have become understandably wary of that strategy. We're IP weary. Is it even possible, at this point, to build a better sequel?

Creed III, Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut a sequel to a sequel to a sequel, tracing back to the 1976 boxing blockbuster Rocky-proves that it is. Jordan also reprises the role of Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the underdog boxing superstar he played first in Ryan Coogler's 2015 Creed, a brash surprise, and later in the less satisfying 2018 Creed II.