Capsule Reviews: Creed III, Cocaine Bear & Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

by Philip Price

Creed III

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has now outlived his father in every conceivable way and has, in many ways, fulfilled and surpassed Apollo’s own ambitions. Moving from the sins of the father to the ones of our youth, “Creed III” is absolution by fire with two insanely intense and intimidating performances at its heart. Michael B. Jordan is a DIRECTOR as this is not only the best film in the ‘Creed’ series, but also features the best fights of the entire ‘Rocky’ franchise. Jonathan Majors is breathtaking not only physically, but more importantly in how he plays every angle of Dame’s arc with a devious precision that goes out the window the second the bell rings and he bullishly advances toward his opponent. The way the mask drops in Majors’ performance is so menacing yet equally invigorating that the Shakespearean nature of it all can’t help but deliver in spades when it comes to the final fight and every punch is made heavier by the weight of the pain and guilt behind them. It’s the rare film - especially these days - that I wish were just a little longer and had given Dame a little more screen time, but I was floored by the experience and walked out immediately wanting to watch it again.
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“Creed III” can be rented on Amazon Prime Video for $19.99. 

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Cocaine Bear

Photo: Universal Pictures

It’s fun, but it could have been really fun. There’s a lot of missed opportunity here due to editorial choices as they have the material, but the pacing is off and the energy only finds itself in a few select sequences. The ensemble nature is welcome as well given it makes the kills unpredictable and everyone fair game, but as far as the cast goes the film’s tone needed to be on the same wavelength as Margo Martindale, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Aaron Holliday - each going over the top in just the right capacity. From the ambulance backing up to the door to Whitlock jumping on the table in the gazebo I needed more consistency in these small comic touches throughout and less of the one-note joke of the title to keep repeating itself over and over. 

“Cocaine Bear” is now streaming on Peacock. 

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Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre 

Photo: Lionsgate Films

“Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” is Guy Ritchie doing what Guy Ritchie does and doing it damn well even if the title couldn’t be worse. I, for one, could not be more thrilled the pair Ritchie and Jason Statham have found one another again and can’t seem to stop collaborating as it’s the characters, performances, and overall style audiences will show up for and none of those disappointed in this iteration of this plot we’ve seen countless times before. Hugh Grant and Josh Hartnett could have their own series and the use of sound here is pretty awesome, especially in the way it assists scene transitions. Nothing groundbreaking, but effortlessly watchable.
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“Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” can be rented on Amazon Prime Video for $19.99.