"Black Panther" Review
"Black Panther" is the 18th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the events of "Captain America: Civil War". But unlike Civil War, you don't need to watch all the movies leading up to it to get it. The movie skillfully infuses elements of James Bond, superhero blockbusters, and Shakespearean storytelling in very compelling ways. Although it satisfies what most people look for in a fun Hollywood action movie, it feels different and is a movie that's driven by character more so than, say, "Avengers: Age of Ultron", an example of a movie that only exists to be a two hour commercial for the movies that came after it. Black Panther is a self-contained story and a very good one at that.
Chadwick Boseman brings even more emotional depth as King T'Challa than in Civil War. This is an unpopular opinion but I thought although Black Panther was a total badass in Civil War, his character arc felt very rushed and was left in the back burner so I was very happy to see his story fleshed out in his movie. Funny enough, he's the least interesting character out of the cast. Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri is such a delightful addition to the MCU's ever expanding cast. Her playfulness mixes extremely well with Boseman's often stoic performance. This is the sibling dynamic that Age of Ultron tried but failed to capture in Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia and Danai Gurira's General Okoye are great contrasting entities and elevates the film's dramatic conflicts. Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger is the MCU's best antagonist to date and is weaved intimately into the plot and its protagonists. It's so poetic and simple. Give us more antagonists like Killmonger please!
The Afrofuturistic nation of Wakanda is brilliantly realized by director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station and Creed), production designer Hannah Beachler (Moonlight and Creed) and their crew. Watching it, I felt totally immersed and transported to the coolest place on Earth. The most disappointing part of it (besides knowing that Wakanda isn't real) are its visual effects. There are scenes that take place at a waterfall and in a mine that look unfinished and, to be honest, mediocre at best. Animals and the Black Panther suits themselves look and feel cartoonish and are reminiscent of late 90's and early 2000's CG (think Star Wars Episode 1 and 2004's Van Helsing). Look at Black Panther's suit in Civil War and Black Panther's suit in this movie. It's night and day. I can't believe this movie was released in its current state. Although the cinematography was emotionally effective and stylish, the action gets a bit tricky to keep track of and the fight choreography definitely could've benefited from an extra take or two. Compared to Coogler's fight scenes in Creed, Black Panther's action feel amateur at times and overly ambitious. That being said, the car chase is amazing.
Speaking of Creed, Ludwig Göransson serves as the main composer to the movie's music. It's really catchy and it's fun but lacks any sort of memorable motifs and themes that were so prevalent in his work on Creed. Kendrick Lamar and other performers of Top Dawg Entertainment were also brought on to write additional music. Stand out songs from the soundtrack include "Black Panther", "All the Stars" and "Opps". It's not a very good collection of songs (despite my love and admiration for Cornroll Kenny) and it's a huge relief that the songs that were in the movie were mostly diegetic decorations for the film's set pieces.
Black Panther is a very good standalone story as well as an important piece to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although the pacing is a bit all over the place, the visuals and action are at times sloppy and the Wakandan tech was a bit too convenient at times, the script and characters make this movie well worth exploring and is an easy recommendation for any movie goer.
P.S. The mid-credits scene is by far my favourite post-credit Marvel scene ever.