Creed – 3 Film Collection in 4K UHD, the review: in the center of the ring between blood and sweat

The character of Adonis Creed returns and for this third installment of the famous franchise, the protagonist Michael B. Jordan makes his directorial debut. In Creed III, Adonis is forced back into the ring to challenge a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), who wants to prove that he deserves the ring after many years in prison. In reality, in the end, the one between the two will be a real showdown.

For the arrival of Creed III in home video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has done it big. There are not only the various editions for the single film, but for fans of the beloved saga there is also a special boxset Creed – 3 Film Collectionavailable on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD and containing the three chapters of the franchise with Michael B. Jordan, namely Creed – Born to fight, Creed II e Creed III. Thanks to Warner, we were able to analyze the most prestigious boxset, the six-disc one with the three films in 4K UHD and blu-ray.

Creed III: the 4K video and the detail of the suffering in the ring

Naturally we start from Creed III, the real novelty in home video, which like its predecessors does not have an aesthetic look that enhances 4K viewing to the maximum. There are a lot of dark interior scenes, or nocturnal exteriors that have a soft look, with a rather strong black that doesn’t leave much room for shadow detail and makes the picture a bit flat. Furthermore, the dominant colors are rather sober, ranging from blue to greenish, passing through amber tones, which do not seem natural at all. Well it must be recognized that the transfer in 4K, thanks also to the contribution of HDR10 + and Dolby Vision. reproduces the film in the best possible way, with generally very high detail, depth of field and chroma faithful to photography.

Of course, the most striking are the high luminosity scenes, where in addition to a more incisive picture, there is also a more accentuated chroma brilliance with more vivid colors, especially on costumes, neon signs and more exuberant elements. The greatest visual impact is inevitably that of the boxing matches, especially that of the final challenge: the detail of the splashes of sweat, blood and saliva that come out of the protagonists is incredible, it really seems to be in the center of the ring, a stone’s throw from those faces suffered and those shiny bodies, with the skin of the boxing gloves that seems really hyper-shiny. A detail of suffering that really makes the difference in these scenes. The blu-ray video is of high quality for the format, but suffers even more from the difficulties of the shot, with a flatter and less fluid picture, especially in the more difficult sequences.

Creed III, the review: the torments of Michael B. Jordan in a film of high intensity

Creed III: the nice surprise of Italian audio in Dolby Atmos

On the audio front we find a nice surprise on the 4K disc Creed IIIor the presence of an Italian trace Dolby Atmosjust like the original. Even in our language, therefore, we can appreciate a truly exceptional sound design, which obviously gives its best during boxing matches. The rear axle is used without sparing with even suggestive effects, the spatiality in the most spectacular moments is remarkable but obviously the blows delivered during the matches have the greatest impact, which also heavily involve the bass.

Each punch is a real blow to the stomach, the physical contacts of the boxers are powerful and ferocious and project the spectator into the center of the ring, while the roar of the crowd emerges clearly and powerfully all around amid applause, shouts and boos. Outside the ring, the audio rendering focuses on crystalline dialogues with a good timbre, on an always enveloping and highly dynamic soundtrack, and excellent care for environmental effects. Verticality is also exploited when the scene requires it, for greater immersion in the story.

From Rocky to Creed III: all the films of the saga from worst to best

Creed III Extras: 25 minutes of contributions

On the other hand, the special contents are only discrete, given that we find about 25 minutes of extras, all present on the blu-ray disc. It starts with Michael B. Jordan: In the Ring/Behind the Camera (10′), dedicated to the director’s work on and off the set and how he tries to live with the fact that he is also the protagonist of the film. Producers Ryan Coogler and Irwin Winkler, actress Tessa Thompson, co-writer Kevin Coogler also talk about him in the featurette. Continue with There’s No Enemy Like the Past: Donnie and Dame (9 and a half’) with a focus on the main characters and on the double role of the film, i.e. the sequel but also the story of its origins. To close three deleted scenes for a total of 4 and a half minutes.

Creed and the clashes in the ring: evolution and changes of the saga between direction and narration

Creed and Creed II: a quantum leap from 4K video

And here we come two other films, Creed – Born to fight and Creed II, already released at the time but re-proposed both in 4K and on blu-ray in this boxset. The 4K videos of the first two films more or less mirror that of Creed III, even if they don’t reach the same level. However, Creed presents a good leap in quality compared to the already valid blu-ray, with a very good detail on all the elements of the plane, some difficulty in the darker scenes in terms of depth, but also a better contrast and brighter colors than the others. ‘HD. Creed II’s 4K video manages to mark a greater gap compared to blu-ray, both in terms of detail and chromatic intensity. All the brighter scenes and also the spectacular and eventful matches in the ring are really excellent, while a certain flatness of the picture persists in the darker scenes.

Creed and Creed II: English audio is on another planet

On the audio front, both for Creed that for Creed II regarding the Italian track you have to settle for a Dolby Digital 5.1 (as opposed to the Dolby Atmos present in Creed III), certainly good and engaging in the loudest moments in terms of sound, but definitely with a gear less than the English DTS HD 7.1 of the first film, and especially compared to the English Dolby Atmos of the second chapter. In any case, the directionality is always precise, the contribution of rear massive above all with the noise of the crowd during the matches, but it is obvious that in certain sequences the impact of the English tracks is very different, above all in the training sessions, during the matches and in the rendering of the soundtrack, with greater dynamics and a more punchy bass.

Creed and Creed II: extra behind the scenes and deleted scenes

Also for the first two chapters of the franchise, the extras are present on the blu-ray disc. For Creed – Born to fight we find first Know the Past, Own the Future (15′) with various interviews with the protagonists and a focus on the transition from Rocky’s story to that of Adonis Creed. Following Becoming Adonis (6′) about the year-long training needed to turn Jordan into a boxer, and finally eleven deleted scenes for a total of about 20 minutes.

In Creed II we immediately find four deleted and extended scenes for a total of 10 minutes. Continue with Fathers and Sons (7′), with cast and crew discussing the father-son theme that runs through the film and even the entire franchise, and then Casting Viktor Drago (6′) focused on the character of Florian Munteanu, from casting to auditioning with Sylvester Stallone and training for the film. Continue with The Woman of Creed II (6′), with Phylicia Rashad and Tessa Thompson discussing their characters and the important role of real-life boxers’ wives and mothers. Closing Rocky’s Legacy (15′), an overview of the Rocky and Creed films with footage, production histories, and commentary on the legacy and impact of the films as a whole.