Black Panther Official Review: Spoiler Free
The movie takes place directly following Captain America: Civil War. I mean, directly. Like, the post credit scene in Civil War with Cap and T'Challa looking over Wakanda seems to have taken place right before T'Challa boards his jet in Black Panther. The movie is based on the sentiment of should Wakanda be helping other countries and getting involved in politics or should they just stay hidden and discreet from the outside world. T'Challa is the new king and is immediately challenged by people within, and outside of, Wakanda. Unfortunately, we get no inside track to Infinity War, however there is a pretty juicy end credits scene that I would stay for if it was me. While we know Cap and Black Widow are hiding in Wakanda, unfortunately, neither one makes an appearance.
The cast for this movie was stellar. I felt as if Chadwick Boseman was somewhat handcuffed on what he could and couldn't say or do, being the king and all; but I did love some of his lines. As always, Boseman was stellar where he could, being funny when needed and serious when necessary. Michael B Jordan as Erik "Killmonger" Stevens was the best MCU villain since Loki; however, it was his persistent political talk that I got tired of rather quickly. I felt that he was always talking about how white people took everything from him so he wants to take it all back and kill all the white people; after a while, it just got old. However, at the end of the film, he actually made me tear up. It could've been because I love Jordan or his monologue with T'Challa at the end, but it was pretty sad for me. Danai Gurira as Okoye didn't have all that many lines, but when she did, she delivered them fierce enough to where I could feel it in my seat. Easily the most fierce performance by a female in any Marvel film; and yes, that does include Black Widow and Valkyrie. Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia was cast pretty soundly; however, I felt like she might've been in the movie too much. It was very confusing as to whether she was a love interest for T'Challa or someone trying to use him to get people help from Wakanda. To be completely honest, I anticipated a turn to join Killmonger the entire movie. I thoroughly wish that Forest Whitaker had more screen time as he felt so much like Rafiki and I absolutely loved his performance. Daniel Kaluuya was pretty good for the amount of screen time that he got, which really wasn't that much. I think one big thing about the movie is you actually like feel bad for the villains and see where they're coming from, as opposed to just having a villain who wants to take over the world for no reason. That being said, W'Kabi (Kaluuya) made you feel for his actions and reason with him, which I really liked. Martin Freeman as Everett Ross was actually REALLY good. I pretty much loved every scene he did and all of his work throughout the film was fun to watch. I think he actually had one of the bigger turns that I didn't see coming, but loved anyway. Andy Serkis' Klaw was terrifyingly great, even though he met his demise way too early in the film, I thought. However, he played a huge role, dead or alive, and I thought he was the perfect man for the job. Angela Bassett and Sterling K Brown were the other notable actors in the movie, and while neither had very much screen time, they both were phenomenal with what they were given. That leaves two characters left: Mbatu and Shuri, both of whom absolutely stole the show for me. Winston Duke as Mbatu was perfectly cast, and delivered the biggest turn, a movie changing turn actually. Although he didn't talk too much, he was utterly hilarious at points, and utterly chilling at other points. I loved everything about him, and can't wait to see him in Infinity War. Letitia Wright 100% deserves the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakout Performance. When people say she stole the show, they absolutely mean it. Every scene she was in, the attention was all on her; almost to a fault. But she is without a doubt the best thing about this movie.
Overall, I really did enjoy this movie. It was, by far, the most beautifully shot Marvel movie to date, and really felt a lot like what I imagine the live action Lion King will look like. I loved the Warrior Falls scenes and how they incorporated tradition into the movie, it really made me feel like I was there chanting and dancing with the people. While this movie wasn't the best MCU movie to me, it easily took the most risks and made you think the most. My official rating for the movie is a 90/100, ranking it 4th on my MCU list behind Captain America: Civil War, Avengers, and Spiderman: Homecoming. Nonetheless, we have a new Marvel film to love and enjoy, and also...less than 3 months until Infinity War. Let the countdown begin!!
WAKANDA FOREVER
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