Black Panther is out and here’s what I think about it.
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman and more.
Black panther starts out shortly after the events of civil war where we saw T’Challa’s father die. Black panther follows T’Challa’s struggles as both king of Wakanda and the Black panther. Ryan coogler has expertly crafted a film with relevant social and political commentary that never comes off as preachy while retaining all the elements of a blockbuster MCU film.
Black panther was a badass in civil war and Chadwick boseman brings the same gravitas and the stoic presence in Black panther. Although this time we get to see his emotional side as well and boseman brings a lot of depth to the character.
Marvel has nailed it with the casting almost every time and Black panther is no exception. Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis reprise their roles as Everett Ross and Ulysses Klaue respectively and without a doubt they are excellent as always. Everett Ross wasn’t a big part of Civil war but here we get to see and learn a lot more about him and the same goes for Klaue whom we saw in Age of Ultron. Serkis’ maniacal performance as Klaue was very entertaining and I wish he had more to do in this film.
In this film we get to see the Dora Milaje, that is the royal guard of Wakanda in action and learn a lot about them through their general Akoye played by Danai gurira who is loyal to Wakanda and respects her traditions. She has some of the coolest action scenes and is very intimidating. Nakia played by Lupita Nyong’o is a badass spy who travels around the world helping out people in need. The women in the film sort of play the voice of reason for T’Challa and contribute a lot to the plot. Shuri played by Letita Wright who is T’Challa’s sister is the more modern character who things traditional rituals are boring. She is the head of technology so she’s kind of a nerd but when its necessary she doesn’t shy away from a fight.
Other notable performances would be by Angela Basset who plays T’Challa’s mother and Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi. Also Forest Whitaker is in the movie who is superb and Winston Duke who plays M’Baku had some of the funniest moments.
Michael B. Jordan steals every scene he is in as probably the best marvel villain Erik "Killmonger" Stevens. He has a lot of charisma and a clear motivation for why he does the things he does. His motivations are to do good but the things that he does to achieve his goal are wrong. Jordan nails every aspect of his character especially the emotional moments that helps the audience relate to him and care about him even though he is a bad person who has done despicable things.
Ryan coogler gives us a Wakanda that feels real and lived in and not a fictional country. Wakandan culture is rich and beautiful. Their traditions and rituals are interesting and there is a great contrast between their primitive culture and their advancements in technology which make Wakanda very different from the rest of the world. The visuals paired with an exceptional soundtrack with both traditional and modern music make for an immersive and surreal experience.
For all its merits Black panther is not without its flaws. The action scenes are sometimes really cool but other times not so good. There were moments when you couldn’t understand what was happening because the scene was too dark. The green screen was noticeable in some scenes especially towards the CGI heavy climax of the film. The visual effects in Marvel films have always been very impressive in the past and its disappointing to see such bad effects in one of the best films the MCU has put out . The film also suffers from some pacing issues and Killmonger’s screen time could’ve been extended.
A few gripes aside Black panther has some splendid performances, a compelling villain and relevant social commentary that makes it more than just a MCU film. Black panther is an exceptional film and I highly recommend it. I will go with 4/5 stars for Black panther.