Tag Archives: Michael B. Jordan

Drama, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sports

REVIEW: “CREED III” (2023) MGM

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Adonis Creed isn’t the only person returning here as I myself, am also making a return of sorts. Having been out for months due to Long Covid, I am slowly making it back to screenings and reviews. There is still a bit of challenges on the road ahead, and I am starting slow – but what a great start to have with this film. Let’s also get the talked about elephant out of the room right off – Sylvester Stallone is not in this movie nor did he have any part in it’s making, making it clear to all. There was a big hoopla between him and Irwin Winkler, you can google it if you need to know more. Now on with the review…

Michael B. Jordan not only comes back as Adonis Creed, but makes an impressive directorial debut in the latest of the Creed post-Rocky series, delivering what might be the best Creed yet and a sequel that just might surpass some of it’s predecessor’s Rocky franchise films.

We all know Apollo’s backstory, or at least we thought we did as the opening of the Creed III begins with a flashback to 2005 and a young Adonis (Alex Henderson), plays the younger Adonis and his pal Dame (played by Spence Moore II as a child/Jonathan Majors as an adult). It’s clear that Dame is a boxing prodigy and on his way to the life that Adonis ends up having. Fast forward 18 years and the storyline shows us a retired Adonis Creed who is now a stay-at-home dad with his daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent), and successful wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson), who is now a music producer. One day while at the gym he started along with his trainer Duke (Wood Harris), he runs into an his old acquaintance Damian (Jonathan Majors). Dame, as he is better known, was a better fighter when they were kids, with a brighter future than his own, but they got in trouble and Dame is just fresh out from a 18 year jail sentence. Now that he is out, he wants what he feels is owed to him, which is essentially everything Creed has including a chance at the Heavyweight title of the world. In a storyline that not even Don King himself could create, Creed ends up giving him his chance, but it’s apparent he quickly wishes he didn’t as once the demon has been unleashed on the boxing landscape, the same man who unleashed may be the only man who can stop him.

There is a lot of story to be told during the first third of this film and For the sake of spoilers, I won’t go any further into detail, but I’m sure you can guess where that heads. But as we move along into what each and every Rocky or Creed film truely focuses on, and that is the boxing. Just as Stallone directed himself in several Rocky sequels, Jordan takes command and improves on the formula in unexpected ways. While something could be said that as a first-time director, Jordan relies too much on CGI auditoriums to capture the vast crowd on fight night, but the fight coordination itself makes up for the artifical backdrop in a huge way. There is a slow-motion strategy where Duke’s coaching or Creed’s eyes identify weaknesses in the opponent, and we as the viewer, feel as though we are completely involved in moment-by-moment, blow by blow with them. As well, Jordan gives us an upfront show in the tactical maneuvers behind the sport, that many just don’t realize is such a big part of it all. In probably one of the most beautifully filmed as well as probably one of it’s harshest, is when the combination of backstory and present story hit their mark when Donnie and Dame reach the emotional zenith of their match, everything else around them fades away. All at once, fog surrounds the ring, and the screaming fans disappear. The opponents see each other as children, and literal prison bars appear, locking them together in the ring. It’s a thing of beauty.

Acting wise, Jordan shines, and not just behind the camera, but he also delivers another great performance as Adonis. At this point, it feels like Adonis is a part of Jordan and vice versa. It’s his character, and he’s grown well past the days of being in Apollo Creed’s shadow. But make no mistake about it, the absolute steal of the film is Jonathan Majors performance. It goes above and beyond with layers to his story — more than any other villain in this franchise — and he’s more than just a part of one of Rocky or Apollo’s past opponents. He IS that guy and brings this character to life like no other.

With it’s bit of a cheesy Rocky-esque opening, this film quickly takes a twist into finding its own form, Whether this is the final time that we get to see Adonis Creed throws a punch or not, Creed III is the perfect end to this trilogy, if it is the end that is.

Grade: B

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Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Movie Reviews, Movies, Thriller

Review: “WITHOUT REMORSE” (2021) Amazon Studios

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Based on the Jack Ryan universe created by spy novelist extraordinaire Tom Clancy, “WITHOUT REMORSE” focuses on one of the most popular characters in the saga: John Kelly aka the future John Clark, as he gets his own origin story here from writers Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples, directed by Stefano Sollima.

The films opens with a big action soaked scene of a hostage rescue in Aleppo, Syria, with Senior Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan,) as part of a Navy Seal team, on what is clearly supposed to be a easy in and out hostage rescue. But of course it doesn’t go as planned and the recourse of what happens here, ends up changing John Kelly’s life forever. Fast forward after the attack gone wrong, John finds himself back at home in Washington D.C. happily awaiting the birth of his first child with his wife Pam (Lauren London), when they are attacked, leaving him badly wounded, while Pam and his unborn child are killed.

The attack, by a team of Russian assassins is payback and now John wants revenge, but the bureaucratic response from the higher ups at the Department of Defense and CIA agent Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell), gives it a no go. In steps Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce), who seems willing to blur the lines somewhat given what John has gone through, and we have the greenlight for John to be part of the team to go in to this time capture ex-Spetznaz agent Victor Rykov (Brett Gelman), although not without some hesitancy from his Commander and friend Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith). All the while, this has been more John seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife, but it seems while wanting to do so, he has uncovered what is truly at hand, a covert plot that threatens to engulf the United States and Russia in an all-out war. Of course, things go once again upside down and the rest of the film turns into more of a personal payback mission for John.

The film, which also already has a second part on the way ~ courtesy of a mid-credits scene – updates and changes drastically not only the origin of the character, but the original plot of the story as well, which ends up giving us the feeling like it’s been seen a thousand times before. Not only because he is a military man who seeks revenge for the murder of his family, but also because he rekindles that been there – done that – conflict between the United States and Russia. While the hunt for the Russians keeps throwing our hero into explosive situations, ultimately revealing who the real villain is (to no one’s surprise) is part of the predictability process that is so very well….predictable. It’s the kind of tedious thriller where you spot the villain instantaneously, and realize who the backstabber is without even trying to. The one high point of it all for those who follow this character in Clancy novels, is this is also the telling of how John Kelly became John Clark and it’s moments like that that give it the much needed elevation we all wanted. Sadly, it’s brief, but boy can it be taken from here and really have something special come out of it, well we will have to just wait and see, as the action was decent and well as the acting.

On it’s good side, Jordan is a born action star and if this film is a hit, and future scripts possibly revamped, it could be a major franchise. Jodie Turner-Smith does well enough and all this flack that a woman can’t be a SEAL is just silly. It has been great seeing Guy Pearce come back to the big screen as well, he played his part perfectly, and look forward to having more of him in the future. The true error in all this is the book would have been ideal as an 8 part mini series. There is so much to explore and it could have set up a whole Clark universe with new stories being set in the 80’s, 90’s and beyond, you can’t help but think. So. Much. Potential.

C-

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Review Screening: Courtesy of ~ Ginsberg/Libby PR

“WITHOUT REMORSE” is available on Amazon Prime Friday, April 30, 2021

Action, Action Adventure, Adventure, Marvel Comics, Movie Reviews, Movies, Sci Fi

REVIEW: “FANTASTIC FOUR” (2015) 20th Century Fox

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With so many superhero/comic books films coming out over past decade at this point you really need to ‘dress to impress’ if you’re going to put one out there. With this being a well known fact – the question looming on most everyone’s mind regarding this film:
‘Is Fantastic Four..well..Fantastic?’
With only a few ups and many downs, the answer sadly is no. How you ask can this happen? Well oddly enough it’s the sheer lack of an exciting story.

We open on brilliant child scientist Reed Richards, (Miles Teller) who is on the verge of discovering how to both transport matter to another dimension and then bring it back though they don’t know where it goes or comes back from. Jump to a few years later at his high school science fair and he and the project while being dis-qualified from the fair are being recruited by Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey).
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With this Reed is given the resources and help by Storm’s children, the brother & sister team of Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) along with Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell), to finish what he started all those years ago in his garage. When they finally crack inter-dimensional travel, Reed invites his childhood friend Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) to travel to the other dimension/world along with him and the team. An accident causes their physical form to drastically change. Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must learn to harness and use their powers and work as a team to stop Von Doom who is now hell bent on destroying Earth.
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You would think this could all be exciting right? Well it’s actually a rather dull and plodding affair which was surprising as with most of the cast here notably Teller, Jordan, Bell and especially Toby Kebbell are all actors who have had some damned notable roles in their perspective careers.
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While I could have used more Von Doom, it probably still wouldn’t have saved this lifeless movie as the whole storyline is just weak with a finale that will impress no one. I expected so much more.

Grade: D+
@pegsatthemovies

Screening: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Opens Nationwide: Friday, August 7, 2015