Plot Summary
T'Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. (1)
Review
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Hello, Movie Buffs!
Like most films there will always be people who will either love it or hate it, what side you chose is all a matter of opinion. Black Panther (2018) helmed by Ryan Coogler (Creed) and starring an ensemble cast – Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letiitia Wright, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, and Forrest Whitaker – is an amazing addition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and delves into the story of Black Panther after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Although I am not familiar with Coogler’s work as a director, here he proves that he was an excellent choice for this film, especially since the huge budget he was given here allowed him to pull out all the big stops in a bright and beautiful way.
The film’s story is great with a well-executed blend of comedy and drama that was both hilarious and exciting. This type of combination allows Black Panther to fit in seamlessly with MCU, and yet the story manages to stand on its own. First, the story’s theme relies heavily on Afrofuturism1 and while sometimes it works for the film, there were a few instances where it seemed to be overly repetitive like they were stuck on repeat as well as a bit stuck in the past; even a few of my African-American friends agreed in that regard. And second, while origin stories are to be expected in superhero films, especially with MCU, this film skipped the usually origin-story route. The film’s opening scene offers a bit of a background story into how the Black Panther came to be but after these first few minutes the film pretty much picks up right after Civil War. The story as a package is well executed and concludes on an even note that doesn’t leave anything hanging and yet ups the excitement for Infinity War later this year.
The action has improved. It’s not too deeply rooted in unrealistic, its fast paced, and brilliantly choreographed with enough variations to make it stand out. Much of the film’s story and action is focused on the main character, Black Panther, but he is not the sole action provider. It is incredible to see the different fighting styles – a blend of martial arts, gymnastics, and modern day technology – come out from among the rest of the cast. As a result, this offers variation and makes the film that much more interesting to watch. The visuals (cinematography by Rachel Morrison – Mudbound) are beautiful and the CGI is pretty realistic. Black Panther is obviously committed to its portrayal of African cultures so the way they used such a brightly colorful culture, with rich fabrics and face paint, was stunning. The CGI has evolved with every MCU film and the fictional technology used was spectacular and makes one wonder how much longer must we wait to see this type of technology in real life. Also, the music soundtrack and score (Ludwig Göransson - Creed) fit in with the story perfectly.
The ensemble cast had very good chemistry together and their roles individually were perfect. Chadwick Boseman (42; Get on Up) reprises and improves his role as T’Challa/Black Panther. Here he manages to retain the same characterization we saw in Civil War while also expanding character on a much deeper and more personal level. Not only is he the wise, strong, and determined King of Wakanda but he is also the charming, loyal, and funny older brother and friend, which makes him a great addition to the MCU. Letiitia Wright (Black Mirror) as T’Challa’s sister Shuri is funny and easy to love, and Lupita Nyong'o (Queen of Katwe) as his lover/ex-lover Nakia is beautiful. Danai Gurira (Walking Dead) as General Okoye is an enigma. Her character is harsh and fearless, and yet she provides some rare moments of softness that makes her enigmatic character even more appealing. She will remain true to any and all oaths she made, even if the person she swore to protect is someone she hates. Martin Freeman returns as Agent Ross and this time he is given more time for character development and his small comedic moments in the film are perfect for his character. Michael B. Jordan (Creed) was good as villain Erik Killmonger. His motives and ideology are clear very early on and combined with his physicality he proves to be the perfect adversary for Black Panther. Although, there were times when his dialogue became repetitive and his “mister-tough-act” looked a bit forced or like he was trying too hard. Andy Serkis (War for Planet of the Apes) returns as Klaue from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and although I expected him to have more screen time, he manages to make his mark and lives up to the character's reputation.
Overall, Black Panther (2018) is another great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s packed with deep drama, funny humor, great characters, and impressive action sequences that make you want to learn Aikido or Bojutsu. The story forgoes the typical first film origin story and instead jumps right into an interesting story. The film’s inclusion of African cultures, primarily through the use of brightly colored outfits and beautiful accents, allows for the visuals to be incredibly stunning. The CGI is realistically enticing and the music score/soundtrack is perfectly fitting. Despite a few repetitive moments with the theme and some dialogue, all the hype this film received was well deserved, I was not disappointed. Once again Marvel has delivered an amazing film, I cannot wait for the next two installments later this year – Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man & the Wasp.
NOTE: There are two post-film scenes, one before the credits and one afterward.
"What happens now determines what happens to the rest of the world."
- T'Challa
***Marvel Cinematic Universe (In order of how you should watch them)***
Iron Man (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Thor (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ant-Man (2015)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Untitled Avengers film (2019)
Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel (2019)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (TBA)
Final Vote
Worth Seeing: 8.6
Worth Buying: 8.6
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Movies Similar
Ant-Man (2015)
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
Avengers (2012)
Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers 3: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers 4: Untitled film (2019)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (TBA)
Hulk (2003)
Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 (2019)
Thor (2011)
Thor: Dark World (2013)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
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