This is the first of the Creed films without Sylvester Stallone. In fact, there are no prominent white characters in the film. There's a cinematic trope known as "white savior narrative" in which white people (typically white males) inevitably are presented as superior to minorities, and therefore save the day. In the first two Creed films, Donnie needs Rocky to train and inspire him. In "Creed III" Donnie is on his own, and must find his own way to salvation. (3/x)

The film unapologetically uses the "n-word" in depiction of certain black subcultures. In fact, I found myself musing how this series began in 1976 as an implausible feel-good story about an Italian-American living in Philadelphia, only to wind up 46 years later as a gritty examination of African-American subcultures and how they can clash when two men try to escape their shared past. (4/x)

On a 10 scale ... 8.5. It's rated PG-13 but I would have given it an "R" for the racist language and the explicit violence. (5/5)

@MikeBarbre It's similar to "Rocky III" because that's the natural progression in the storytelling, methinks. I just think this should be the end of the line. Maybe there's an Amara Johnson film in about 10-15 years to shine the spotlight on women's boxing, but there isn't much left to be told. Ali's daughter Laila boxed, so she would be the inspiration.