Black Panther

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whittaker, Andy Serkis, Florence Kasumba, John Kani, Sebastian Stan (uncredited)
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 2


Summary: T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) adjusts to being the new king of Wakanda but must rely on his powers as the Black Panther to defend his homeland from a domestic threat.

Review:

Tim: Before I get into my thoughts on Black Panther, I think we need to pause for a moment to celebrate what Ryan Coogler and Marvel created here. This was the right film at the right time and it celebrated a too-often neglected minority. We don't get many black superheroes and that is a shame. This film celebrated the heritage of Africa and gave that under-served minority a pretty amazing superhero. It's surprising, though, that this wave of enthusiasm for the movie resulted in $700 million at the domestic box office, making Black Panther the third highest grossing movie of all time. While I celebrate this achievement, it's still so hard to believe that this film outgrossed all the Avengers movies. It's a fairly standalone entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I love the unexpected success that this film has had and I look forward to other studios telling more stories like this one.

Now, that being said, I really liked Black Panther, but I'd consider it only a very good movie, not a great one. It's hard for me to separate that sometimes- it's an amazing success and proves the MCU isn't losing steam. It celebrates a diverse cast and it does a lot of good to better represent all people in movies like this. And yet, I didn't quite love the movie.

The aspects of the film I enjoyed the most were opening up the world of Wakanda. I loved the portrayal of this secretive African nation that enjoys such advanced technology. That's such a cool idea. I loved learning about the heritage of this place, seeing its rituals. Wakanda felt like a character here as much as anyone else and that is a stunning achievement. Wakanda Forever, indeed. The one downside is that it's a little farfetched to believe any nation could keep this much advanced technology a secret from the rest of the world. That required some suspension of disbelief, but this is a superhero movie, after all.

The cast was very good. Chadwick Boseman is an amazingly talented actor and I love him in the role of T'Challa. He's seriously so incredible. I hope he makes a dozen movies as Black Panther. Marvel hit a home run casting him, and I would watch him play this role for decades. The film did well casting Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger. He's easily one of the best villains in the MCU. He's complex and fascinating. I only wish we would have had more time with his character. Lupita Nyong'o gives a strong supporting performance. I like Danai Gurira because of "The Walking Dead" and while she had some decent moments, some of her acting felt forced. It was strange, but I didn't love her performance. Martin Freeman was very good in a supporting role. It was nice seeing Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whittaker- each of them are talented actors and they add significantly to the film. Letitia Wright absolutely steals every scene she's in. She was the breakout star of the film and I very much look forward to seeing more from her. Winston Duke was quite effectively in a small roe. I loved seeing Andy Serkis' gleefully evil Klaue. He brought great energy and fun to the film. Another downside, though, is the eventual fate of his character. I wanted more from him. Overall, the cast is very strong and it elevates the film significantly.

I loved the self-contained story here. It was great not to see the whole world hang in the balance (although there are world-altering implications in the plot). The story is really about Wakanda, which was nice to focus on. One of my biggest complaints about the film is that the ending doesn't feel so climactic. The big battle is basically a domestic dispute that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Yes, I get that countries can split and factions fight each other, but the people of Wakanda are portrayed in such a good light that it doesn't seem believable that they'd fight each other to the death. Indeed, the big battle at the end feels like everyone is pulling their punches. It's a similar complaint to the airport scene in Captain America: Civil War, but that fight scene had some of the best humor and most of the best characters in the MCU to elevate its status. The battle here feels like a low stakes affair. The final fight between the two Black Panthers feels slightly more intense, but even that wasn't as memorable as it could have been. The conclusion is cool, but the movie needed better action sequences. This is even true early on, as the action scenes are too close, too dark, and cut too frantically to be very cool.

Although I don't consider Black Panther a great movie, I believe it gets awfully close. It might not be "great" in my eyes, but it's a absolutely important movie and one that will be remembered for decades. It's the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it continues the streak of every film being good. It is a stunning achievement for the 18th film in a series to be one of the most culturally important films of the last decade. We're certainly seeing something unprecedented here.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Captain America: Civil War