Creed III undoubtedly has some big boots to fill with the franchise carving its own path both following a formal departure for Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky Balboa and a new role as director for titular star Michael B. Jordan (Adonis “Donnie” Creed). Whilst Stallone may have bid adieu to the venture, closing the door on his 46-year run as the boxing hero, Jordan has made his intentions to take the franchise in a fresh direction clear, and being the first sports film to be shot in IMAX is certainly a start. To elevate the film even further, it utilizes Dolby technology which boasts enhanced sound quality for cinema. Ahead of the movie’s release, Dolby has unveiled a new promo for the film, teasing insight into the immersive experience on the cards for audiences.

The new clip displays the power of sound with a reel of various shots, including Donnie delivering a series of high-intensity punches as well as scenes featuring featherweight footwork and moments of pin-drop silence. Explaining how the technology has been integrated to offer a unique experience in the cinemas, Jordan explained “In Creed III there’s so many things in our movie that will feel and look better in the movie theater. You wanna hear sounds of the footsteps, the punches, the music, the lack of sound, really immerse yourself into the entire world.”

Creed III Is a Knockout

It looks like the enhanced experience has certainly helped to elevate the delivery of Jordan’s offering with the project earning approval in early reviews across the board and a 91% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. In fact, Collider‘s own Ross Bonaime hailed it for breathing “new life into this nearly half-century-old franchise.” Notably, the review also praises Creed III for taking “time to let us get to know the upcoming enemy, making us both sympathize with Dame’s situation and his frustrations.” In the film, this presents itself through the tumultuous relationship between Donnie and his former childhood best friend Damian “Dame” Andersen (Jonathan Majors). After spending a hefty stint of his life in prison, which it seems Donnie may know more about than initial appearances suggest, Dame is overflowing with a vengeance and an appetite for taking back lost time.

The exploration of the good vs bad concept is particularly pertinent given that the Rocky franchise was always consistently fearless in its ability to address real-life issues such as love, loyalty, and loss. Ultimately, it’s those very storylines that earned Stallone‘s offering a cult following for years to come. Time will tell whether Creed III can secure the same global approval but at a first glance it does look promising.

Creed III punches its way into theaters on March 3. In the meantime, you can watch the Dolby promo teaser below.

via Collider