THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Back in the 1990s, actor Wesley Snipes pitched the idea to make a movie of the character from Marvel Comics, the Black Panther. For years, nothing really came up and the only film capacity the character appeared in was the direct to video animated film, Ultimate Avengers 2. By the time the character was introduced in the MCU through Captain America: Civil War, it finally set the stone for him to get his long awaited film in 2018.
PLOT
The film follows T’Challa becoming the king of Wakanda after defending the throne against M’Baku, leader of the Jabari tribe. He was only in this position to do so because his father, King T’Chaka, had died in a bombing. As that happens, Ulysses Klaue steals an artifact from a London museum. T’Challa is able to track him down in Korea, with the aid of his general Okoye and ex-girlfriend Nakia. For centuries, Wakanda has made advanced technology out of vibranium ever since a meteorite of the said metal crash landed on earth. They succeed in tracking him down, but he escapes with aid of an accomplice, that wore a ring similar to the one worn by T’Challa. In the crossfire of Klaue’s escape, CIA agent Everett Ross took a bullet for Nakia. He is taken to Wakanda to recover. He asks his friend Zuri what happened to his uncle N’Jobu. Zuri revealed that in 1992, he spied on him, discovering that he helped Klaue steal vibranium because he wanted to conquer the world’s oppressors. Before he could shoot him for betraying him, T’Chaka stepped in and killed his brother. Not only did they leave his body behind, but also his American son who grew to be Erik ‘Kilmonger’ Stevens, who would kill Klaue and bring his body to Wakanda. When he meets the tribe elders and T’Challa, he reveals who his Wakandan name to be “N’Jadaka” and challenges his cousin for the throne, who accepts. As he is close to winning the challenge, Zuri intervenes. He kills Zuri and throws T’Challa over a waterfall, becoming the new king. Nakia flees with Ross and T’Challa’s remaining family, mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and sister Shuri. As they go, Okoye chooses to stay. Kilmonger takes the heart shaped herb, what gives the abilities of the Black Panther, and he destroys the rest. Nakia sneaks in an takes at least one while the rest burn. She and the others go to the Jabari tribe and offer the herb to M’Baku, to help them against Kilmonger. Instead, he takes them to T’Challa who survived the fall. They feed him the last herb which heals him and wakes him up. Kilmonger now plans to distribute weapons around the world to Wakanda’s undercover operatives; This was his father’s plan before death. All of our protagonists go to Wakanda and stop this from happening. When Okoye sees that the true king lives, she goes against Kilmonger while her army, the Dora Milaje battles against the Border Tribe, led by W’Kabi. Ross takes down the shipments via remote pilots. M’Baku joins the fight with his Jabari soldiers, despite the hesitance to do so. T’Challa fights his cousin under a vibranium mine. As they fight, their suits are frequently disrupted throughout. When T’Challa gets a clear shot, he is able to stab N’Jadaka. Rather than being a prisoner, he pulls the blade from his wound and bleeds out. It ends with T’Challa planning to establish an outreach center in Oakland, California, where his uncle died.
THOUGHTS
When I first saw this in 2018, I recall enjoying myself and falling in love with everything that makes this movie great. As a fan of Marvel Comics, I am bothered that it took so long to happen because since due to the success of Blade, I would assume it would have happened immediately. Nevertheless, I am glad that it did and proud to be part of the generation that got to see it when first released. It has its fair share of referencing Captain America: Civil War to remind us this film is part of a bigger picture, but it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Ryan Coogler brought Wakanda to life in a way that no one else would. I just love how complex the story is for a king to figure out the rights and wrongs with the world around him. The movie’s main theme is very clear that our family’s past mistakes don’t define who we are, only we can set out paths and decide what kind of person we want to be. Aside from responsibility, the movie does a good job tackling the other themes: Loyalty and identity. Seeing these themes displayed much differently, it has its moments where it doesn’t feel like it’s a superhero movie. The combination of Ludwig Göransson’s score and songs from Kendrick Lamar are so satisfying to listen to. The costumes designed by Ruth Carter are the most beautiful I’ve seen for a superhero movie. The visuals are mostly great but they don’t entirely deliver during the third act which is probably its only flaw for standards of a superhero movie. The other fights that we see before that are stunning and I love going back to those scenes because they’re so cleverly edited by Debbie Berman and Michael P. Shawver, along with great cinematography by Rachel Morrison. Even though I love this movie with all my heart, there have been moments that I can’t help but call out during rewatching. For starters, the first fight scene that takes place in night is very hard to see during daytime, so prepare to adjust your screens for that. Another would be about bringing Ross to Wakanda. Yes they’re gonna save his life with their tech but he a CIA agent and I hard time believing his crew would allow T’Challa to take him. Also, he’s like the second one to go to Wakanda in centuries. Everyone in Captain America’s group counts as one. There is no way he could keep this secret, he’s in the CIA. So thank god T’Challa decided to share his tech in the mid credits scene, because it would’ve been personal once Ross revealed what he saw. Another would be N’Jobu’s death. Kilmonger claims he found Panther claws on his father’s chest and his death was supposed to be kept secret. My question is why did T’Chaka leave those behind if he wanted to keep it secret? Other than that, this movie’s awesome to watch. And of course, every superhero movie needs a memorable ensemble and here, it’s a Screen Actors Guild winning cast. Chadwick Boseman is able to show the growth of T’Challa from what we saw in his given time in Civil War, to what transpires here. He makes this character so likable because you just admire on how much he cares about others, which is an integral part of being a hero. It is his perspective where the themes kick in because he wants to be good like his father, but is ashamed to know he wasn’t perfect. It’s difficult to see him find out that his father was not perfect and you are relieved that he accepts, which helps express the said themes. When you see him in the mid credits announcing his plans to share Wakanda’s tech to the world, it is proof that he’s seeing things much differently. You could complain that it took the violent actions of his cousins for it to finally happen, but you ignore it because you are happy that change is coming. Forest Whitaker makes up for his time as Zuri, giving enough depth for us to feel surprised to see him die. Martin Freeman does have enough time to shine in comparison to his Civil War appearance. He is clearly not the smartest in the room but he tries to be self aware. He easily gets along with T’Challa because of how they both have the same amount of compassion for everyone around. Andy Serkis brings all the flare and charisma with the villainous Ulysses Klaue, which felt missing when we last saw him in Avengers: Age of Ultron, making his time worth it. He’s as cunning as you’d expect for a guy in his line of work because he’ll do what he can to survive, while also trying to have fun. And for him, it was fun while it lasted. Breakout Letitia Wright is able to reflect all of the intelligence and charm for Shuri. From what we see, she’s clearly the smartest character in this franchise’s universe, considering that she’s responsible for most of the tech Wakanda has. If anyone were to take the throne when her brother’s gone, she is the most fitting. For Daniel Kaluuya, he does depict W’Kabi selfish but I don’t think there is much to expect from him. He was clear that he wanted revenge on Klaue for killing his parents and he was disappointed that T’Challa couldn’t get him. So the moment he sees that Kilmonger got it done, it felt like a natural instinct for him to follow whoever killed Klaue. In the deleted scene of him arguing with Okoye with his decision is well acted and I find it upsetting that it doesn’t make the cut. The second breakout Winston Duke, he easily embraces the warrior that M’Baku is all about, while also having his own charm. I recall jumping off my seat when he joined the fight because I admired how honorable he can be when necessary. Seeing him embrace that between his ruthlessness makes him all the more memorable. If he ever becomes a foe for Wakanda in a future sequel, it definitely would be an intense rivalry to witness. Lupita Nyong’o succeeds in making Nakia more than a love interest. She is one of few characters that isn’t afraid to say that things can be different and you respect her for being open minded. Sterling K. Brown was also great with his given time as N’Jobu. When we hear his full story, we quickly understand his motives because the discrimination and brutality African Americans go through is horrifying and it does feel like something relatable to do. At this point, we can appreciate that his nephew is doing this the right way. Danai Gurira makes Okoye the most fearsome character of the movie. She may not be the smartest, but she clearly is the wisest. Every moment she has, she proves why she’s General of the Dora Milaje. Last but not least, Michael B. Jordan is the highlight of this movie as he gives the greatest performance compared to the rest of this cast. This is a sympathetic villain that works: We hate his actions but we get his motives. You feel bad for the fact that he’s been abandoned by his own bloodline, which creates his sociopathic anger. When he says that world has taken everything he’s ever loved, you believe him. I admit that there were moments where I was rooting for him because that’s how much I felt for him. When he dies and says death is better than bondage, it is so empowering to hear because it’s so true. As he final drew his final breath, it was the first time I would ever shed a tear for a villain. I really wish he was still alive because I know for sure he’d be proud of the decisions his cousin would make for the better. In short, Black Panther is great for being the most creative film Marvel Studios could ever give. If Green Book had not won Best Picture at the Oscars, I would’ve not minded if this film had won. If you enjoyed what the we got from the Black Panther in Civil War, see this one as soon as possible.
Chadwick, thank you.
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