Creed III has a high Rotten Tomatoes score, but how does it rank against the Rocky franchise? Directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan, who works from a screenplay by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, Creed III is the first in the franchise missing Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa, who reunited with his son at the end of Creed II. The threequel isn’t the final film in the franchise, with Jordan confirming a Creed 4 in the works, but it does have plenty of company after nine films.
Creed III continues the story of Adonis Creed, with most of the cast, including Tessa Thompson as Bianca, returning alongside a host of new additions. Creed reckons with his past and those he left behind in the franchise’s latest installment, which introduces Jonathan Majors (currently playing Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) as “Diamond” Damien Anderson, a man from Creed’s childhood who had so much potential in the boxing world that his imprisonment destroyed. Creed III has a great start so far with regard to its critical reception, but it isn’t strong enough to push other Rocky movies from their spots in the Rotten Tomatoes ranking, but it comes close.
Creed 3's Rotten Tomatoes Score Ranks 3rd In The Rocky Franchise
Creed III brought Adonis Creed out of retirement, going up against his childhood friend Damian Anderson in the match of a lifetime. Michael B. Jordan really rejuvenated the Rocky franchise with the help of Creed director Ryan Coogler, and Creed III received a mostly positive reception from critics, currently with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score that is based on 92 reviews so far. The film’s score puts it in third place in the overall Rocky franchise, behind the original Rocky but ahead of Creed II. It also ranks second among the three Creed movies, which is pretty great considering a third film’s quality isn’t always the best.
Creed III’s ranking could change as the amount of reviews submitted grows. The other two Creed films have hundreds of reviews, so as Creed III gains more traction ahead of and following its theatrical release, its final score will be adjusted. However, given the amount of fresh scores Creed III currently has, it seems unlikely that its Rotten Tomatoes score will fall that far from where it is now at 90%. The threequel ranking so high among the Rocky films is impressive, and suggests that this franchise still has legs to stand on despite its longevity. There are still stories left to tell. Below is a full guide to the franchise’s individual RT scores.
- Creed (2016) - 95%
- Rocky (1976) - 91%
- Creed III (2023) - 90%
- Creed II (2018) - 83%
- Rocky Balboa (2006) - 77%
- Rocky II (1979)- 72%
- Rocky III (1982) - 67%
- Rocky IV (1984) - 38%
- Rocky V (1990) - 31%
Why Creed 3's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Better Than Most Rocky Movies
Creed III is being credited for branching out and doing something different. Jordan includes riveting fight scenes that are heavily influenced by anime. This allows them to stand out among the rest of the boxing scenes in the Rocky franchise. There’s also plenty of character development, as it sees Creed in the next phase of his life while also recalling his childhood and the people who affected it. Whereas Rocky V, for example, was criticized for repeating the same formula and losing much of its shine, Creed III is praised for having equal amounts of heart and action. The film centers the characters and their emotional journeys over the fighting, which makes for engaging entertainment.