Black Panther Review

Black Panther was the latest entry into the 10 years strong Marvel Cinematic Universe and boy was it a good one. It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve been to see a film and found practically no flaws with it. Suffice it to say, this review will most likely be me gushing over the film.

Everyone in the film gives it their all with their portrayals of their characters. Chadwick Boseman carries the film as T’Challa, bringing the emotion when its required as well as a bit of fun to the character in some of the more humorous scenes. The supporting cast as well was fantastic to watch. Danai Gurira was a force to be reckoned with as Okoye. Her and the rest of the Dora Milaje were a fantastic addition to the film in terms of strong female characters that people of all ages and genders can look up to. Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia was also a great support for T’Challa and served as a good emotional anchor in the film. And Letitia Wright as Shuri was a great comedic addition to the film who played off Chadwick Boseman really well and once again set a good example as a great female character who was smart and witty and loyal to her family. The villains of the film were also fantastic to watch. Firstly, Andy Serkis and Ulysses Klaue was a delight if not a bit weird to watch. His character was very quirky which made all the scenes he was in very entertaining. And last but certainly not least, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. What a fantastic villain. Maybe one of the MCU’s best so far. When he was on screen he demanded your attention, and his motives were not entirely evil so it made you sympathise with him even though he was the main antagonist. He felt like a force to be reckoned with and was a fantastic foil to T’Challa in both skill and drive.

The world of Wakanda is a fantastic visual and cultural marvel to delve into, and the film does so incredibly well. From the moment we set foot in Wakanda we are given an insight into the different aspects of the culture through the clothing, the buildings, the colours, the people, the interactions that T’Challa has with other characters, and many more things that the film addresses through its duration. The Afrofuturism is fantastic to see. The film perfectly blends the rich culture of Africa with technological advances far beyond anything we have in our world. This makes the film not only cultural significant but a visual feast for the eyes. The music as well was a genius blend of more modern orchestral music with more traditional African music which further added to the cultural ties of the movie.

The story as well was thoroughly entertaining whilst intellectually stimulating. Although we saw T’Challa as the Black Panther in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, this film definitely feels more like his origin. But not his origin as a hero. His origin as a king, which created some really interesting plot points and character moments throughout the film. As I previously said, Killmonger’s motives were quite relatable which made him a very intriguing antagonist to T’Challa and created a great conflict not only for the heroes and villains of the film but also within T’Challa himself over what is right to do as king. And the final confrontation and resolution of the story was also very satisfying, although more in an emotional sense than a visual one, which in my opinion was perfect for the story that the film was telling.

Overall the film was amazing. Great acting. Amazing visuals. Intriguing plot. Fantastic music. And a fantastic movie that I highly recommend to all movie goers.

Also, Happy 10 Years to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wakanda Forever