Connor Bynum // Film Critic
CREED III (4K UHD)
Rated PG-13, 116 min.
Director: Michael B. Jordan
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Wood Harris, and Jose Benavidez
With the recent release of Rocky: The Knockout Collection on 4K UHD Blu-ray timing quite nicely with the theatrical release of Creed III earlier this year, the film is now also available in the 4K UHD format.
Movie Grade: B
From our theatrical review:
“CREED III is the boxing legacy franchise that keeps hammering away. And with Michael B. Jordan taking his first crack at directing, he makes it feel more like a continuation of CREED instead of CREED II. The reason: no Rocky.
Don’t get me wrong. Without Rocky there would be no Creed. But, then again, without Apollo Creed there would be no Rocky Balboa. And without Apollo, there also would not be an Adonis.
Michael B. Jordan’s love of anime flourishes in the final bout. He gives us a fight the likes we’ve never had in the series. Surrounding elements dissipate to provide us with a hero, villain, and chimerical representation of the emotional pain they have walled until this culmination. It is exacting in its presentation and will likely lead to Jordan spending more time behind a camera instead of in front.
Where the series heads from here is uncertain if it moves forward at all. Creed III feels complete in telling Adonis’s story. But if the franchise money is there, another round or two wouldn’t surprise me.”
Video/Audio Grade: A-
Creed III arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray in a native 4K resolution along with Dolby Vision and HDR10, and the results are fairly solid. Right out the gate, the improvements over the standard Blu-ray disc of the film are nearly impossible to miss. Textures on both skin and costumes are exceptionally clear, especially when beads of sweat fly off a pair of hulking athletes as they beat each other. Daylight scenes are wonderfully clear, but the same can’t quite be said for the numerous night scenes in the film. These sequences seem to suffer from less-than-ideal lighting conditions, particularly when the flashback scenes with a younger Adonis and Damian occur exclusively at night. While there aren’t necessarily any noticeable instances of crushing or artifacting, the darker scenes are simply a little hard to see if you don’t happen to be watching in a completely pitch black environment.
The situation regarding the film’s Dolby Atmos audio presentation, however, is significantly less polarizing. This is an outstanding audio track. Cheering crowds fill the upper and side channels while each and every punch will give your subwoofer a run for its money. Dialogue is crystal clear whether we’re watching a packed stadium or a quiet conversation between a husband and wife.
Extras Grade: D+
Once again, the special features are only included on the packed in 1080p Blu-ray disc, and even then, there isn’t very much to get excited about. With only two featurettes totaling just under twenty minutes combined and three deleted scenes, this release simply doesn’t bring much to the ring when it comes to the extras. Even more frustrating, it probably would not have been very difficult to include them on the 4K disc, given their limited runtimes.
Extras listed below:
- Michael B. Jordan: In the Ring / Behind the Camera (10:04)
- There’s No Enemy Like the Past: Donnie and Dame (9:20)
- Deleted Scenes (3 clips, 4:23 total)
Final Grade: B
Creed III is a solid entry to the series and packs one hell of a punch on 4K UHD, even with the featherweight division special features. The visual improvements over the 1080p Blu-ray as well as the knockout Dolby Atmos audio presentation, make it easy to recommend this to your collection.
