Released: February 2018
Director: Ryan Coogler
Run Time: 134 Minutes
Rated PG-13
Genre: Action/Adventure
Distributor: Disney/Marvel
Cast:
Chadwick Boseman: T’Challa/Black Panther
Michael B. Jordan: Erik Killmonger
Lupita N’Yongo: Nakia
Danai Gurira: Okoye
Martin Freeman: Everett Ross
Daniel Kaluuya: W’Kabi
Letitia Wright: Shuri
Angela Bassett: Ramonda
Forest Whitaker: Zuri
Andy Serkis: Ulysses Klaue
Being excited for a new comic-book movie these days is not an easy thing. A lot of the comic-book movies that you see in theaters these days have a tendency to blend in with all the other comic-book movies to the point you can’t even tell them apart anymore. I’m not going to lie: I’ve been keeping up with Marvel’s MCU(Marvel Cinematic Universe) since Iron Man. After The Avengers hit the big screen back in 2012, a good chunk of the MCU movies that had been released since then have felt……generic. I think part of the problem is that there was an overarching story-line that connected all the movies. Sure, the first few were kind of cool, but afterwards it became more of a chore. That kind of changed when Guardians of the Galaxy came out along with Doctor Strange. The movies that tapped into the mystical and cosmic side of the MCU were far more interesting than the stuff that was based in the “real world.” While I enjoyed the Captain America films, the third one caught my attention, mostly because it featured a character that hadn’t been seen in the MCU before: Black Panther. He was probably the best part of that movie, so we kind of knew that a stand-alone Black Panther was coming and it showed up with some serious power.
Black Panther follows the newly crowned king of the African country of Wakanda, T’Challa as he hunts down a notorious weapons dealer. During his investigation, he discovers that his father may not have been telling the truth about certain events in the past that have lead to Wakanda’s current crisis. This crisis involves one Erik Killmonger, who has returned to Wakanda to claim his birth-right as king. The story here works because there are no real twists and turns that pull the rug out from under you. It also works, because it’s a standalone film that barely has a connection to the other MCU movies. This is a good thing. It allows us as the audience to not worry about what’s happening in the world outside of Wakanda. The fact that Black Panther is mostly self-contained allows the audience to connect with the characters on the screen, because it’s not just about the action or the special effects. The film focuses a bit more on the people and it’s all the better for it. The action and spectacle come later.
I have to say this: Coming out of the theater, I was blown away by how emotionally engaged I was with the film. That comes down to a very solid script and screenplay. The director of the film, Ryan Coogler, is no stranger to character development and there’s a lot of it here. All the characters in this film are 3-dimensional, meaning that there are legitimate reasons for why they are the way they are and why they do what they do. There really isn’t a wasted character in here. While all the characters are fantastic, it’s T’Challa and Killmonger who stand out among the pack. We have two characters here that want to change the world, but they have vastly different methods and motivations for doing so. I’m going to be honest: When it comes to villains, the MCU is not really good at having strong and compelling villains with the main exception being Loki. Black Panther gives us a very strong villain with Killmonger. This is a character that grew up in an area of the world that was very harsh and he had to be just as harsh to survive. He’s not evil, he just a very different perspective on the world than T’Challa, and it’s a very understandable point of view that many of us could understand. It’s his methods that most people tend to question. It’s important to have a villain that’s just as human as it’s hero, and Killmonger is one of the most human and relatable villains I’ve seen in years. The women in the film are exceptionally strong, since a great many of them are warriors and have an actual role in what’s going on. Too many times have I seen women being relegated to the role of “damsel in distress.” This is not just a movie for men, but for women as well. The acting is very strong here with Chadwick Boseman playing T’Challa and Michael B. Jordan playing Killmonger. Honestly, Chadwick Boseman is to Black Panther/T’Challa as Robert Downey, Jr is to Tony Stark/Iron Man. It’s perfect casting. Lupita N’Yongo, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker are absolutely fantastic in their roles.
I’ll get to the action and special effects in a bit, but first I have to mention how beautiful this film is. The cinematography is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a Marvel film before. The African landscapes are just gorgeous with all the wildlife running around. The canyons and the forests are simply stunning. This is the kind of movie that makes me want to visit Africa. While the country of Wakanda is fictional, the film shines a light on a part of the world that we really don’t normally see and it’s a damn shame, because Africa has some of the most serene and stunning vistas in the world. There is a HUGE amount of detail that went into the making of this film. The costume designs are beyond extraordinary. It’s very obvious that the costume designers had done a lot of research into a lot of tribal fashion in Africa to come up with the costumes in the film. The Black Panther’s costume is no less detailed. The outfits and armor that the women wear are colorful, yet functional and they don’t over-sexualize the women here. That’s amazing.
In terms of visual effects, the CGI is mostly good. We get some really fantastic shots of Wakanda and the advanced technology that inhabits the country. For the most part, the CGI really does help make Wakanda look and feel like a real place. There are some points throughout the film where the CGI falters a bit. Some of the character models and animations really aren’t that great and they do stand out quite a bit. The final battle with Killmonger is one such sequence that, while entertaining enough, suffers from way too much CGI. I certainly understand why CGI is used and I can commend the effort that goes into making it as seamless as possible, but there are a few moments where the CGI takes you out of the movie. A lot of the action that takes place is mostly good, but certain parts during the beginning of the film were a little too dark to see what’s going on. The stuff where you can see what’s going on is fantastic. The car chase was particularly awesome and Black Panther doing his thing is awesome. There are just a few hiccups here and there that kind of stick out to me.
Overall, I would have to say that I’m very impressed with how well Black Panther turned out. Not only do we have very strong acting with some really outstanding characters, we also have a story that everybody can enjoy. It doesn’t matter what ethnicity you are, there is something here very everyone. You have incredible African landscapes along with some amazing costume designs. It’s just a damned good movie. I was actually getting a little choked up with some of the stuff that was happening towards the end of the movie and that’s the first time that an MCU film made me feel that way. Bravo. So, do I recommend Black Panther? My answer is a resounding HELL, YES! Definitely check it out.
My Final Recommendation: No smart-ass limerick for this one. 9/10.