Year: 2018
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, and Andy Serkis
Tagline: Long live the king.
Synopsis: T'Challa (aka Black Panther) assumes the throne of Wakanda but is soon confronted by a dangerous threat to him, his country, and the world.
Tagline: Long live the king.
Synopsis: T'Challa (aka Black Panther) assumes the throne of Wakanda but is soon confronted by a dangerous threat to him, his country, and the world.
Review
Once again, Marvel has done it. You'd think after so many films (18 and counting) things would start getting stale in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). But Marvel's strategy to bring in different directors and allow them enormous freedom to make the film they want (within certain MCU parameters) has paid off again in the form of Black Panther.
Who T'Challa is and the setup for his film actually occurred in Captain America: Civil War, but you don't have to have seen it to understand the story. There are enough flashbacks to give the gist of what happened. Black Panther can stand alone. Indeed, this film might have the fewest references to other goings on in the MCU.
First off, Black Panther is visually astounding. That includes both the CGI effects and the real-life look of the film. Most of the film takes place in the fictional kingdom of Wakanda. The country is fully realized and immersive. It's a place rich with history and culture and unlike any place else we've seen, in part thanks to its technological superiority. (Seriously, is there anything vibranium can't do or be used for?) The costumes and production design are top notch throughout. And the ancestor plane (or whatever they call it) is gorgeous.
Black Panther is also really funny. It's not humorous in the same way that Thor: Ragnarok is (and that one still has my vote for funniest Marvel movie). The humor in Black Panther is much more droll and springs from the characters themselves and their relationships.
The main thing that makes Black Panther stand apart from other Marvel movies (or even other superhero movies in general) is that it has something to say. There are some deeper themes than we are used to. There are themes of responsibility and accountability, the importance of some traditions and the dangers of others, the nature of loyalty and where it properly rests, and the effects of choices.
T'Challa is in the middle of all those themes as he tries to decide what sort of king he will be. (He might have done well with a brief pep talk from Ben Parker: "With great power comes great responsibility.") He is also faced with the consequences of his forebears, their choices and their traditions. In so doing, he must reevaluate his place in the world and Wakanda's place in the world.
All the while, the villain -- Erik Killmonger -- has his own vision of what Wakanda's place in the world should be. And while his vision is terrible and terrifying, we as the audience can understand why he feels/believes the way he does. Killmonger is one of the most fully realized, and thus interesting, villains in the MCU. He manages to be sympathetic on one level, even though you realize how dangerous and heartless he truly is.
Other characters also have to deal with the various themes as they evaluate and reevalutate their beliefs and loyalties. Black Panther is a film about becoming and growing. For example, there's a scene where Shuri (T'Challa's sister) calls Ross a "colonizer." At first, it annoyed me, because it seems in direct opposition to what T'Challa says about not being responsible for the deeds/choices of his father and ancestors. But I think that was the point. Nobody is perfect in this film. They all have their weaknesses and blind spots. The film is about recognizing errors and working to correct them. It's about learning to take personal responsibility for things. T'Challa learns that. Shuri (and Ross for that matter) still have much to learn.
As groundbreaking as the film is, it's by no means perfect. And while the characters and locations are new and exciting, when you get right down to it, the plot is very much the same as most superhero films. There aren't any big twists or surprises that we haven't seen elsewhere. If you are OK with the superhero formula (which I mostly am), it isn't a problem.
That said, the need to further the plot led to a loss of some characterization. Because such-and-such needed to happen, some characters changed their loyalties at an unbelievably quick rate. I won't spoil anything. It just felt like some characters were shoehorned into roles that fit what the story needed. Similarly, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) is sure quick to accept everything he sees and everything he is asked to do, especially given it is for a country not his own (and a country that has been lying to the world for ... I'm not even sure how long).
The film is rated PG-13 for the typical Marvel superhero level of violence. There was some swearing. And one character gives another character "the finger" (which was totally gratuitous).
Black Panther is a fun and enjoyable film. But I'm not sure it quite rises to the level of a great film. Visually it is amazing in its world-building. Thematically it has much to say. But in the end, it's a superhero film following a tried and true formula. Still, it's a great time at the movies and an interesting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
As with all Marvel movies, there's a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene.
*** Spoiler Section ***
I think the next order of business for King T'Challa is to work on some of the laws and statutes of his kingdom. Seriously, a murderer should not be able to come in, "kill" the king, and take the throne and have everybody just be OK with that because it's legal. You have a murderer on the throne. There's a problem with that. And there's a bigger problem with then serving him because he's legally the king. Yes, that is part of what the movie is about, thematically. But c'mon Wakanda. Kill the king = become the king is not a good succession strategy.
I wondered if they would somehow acknowledge Bucky Barnes (aka the Winter Soldier). I liked the oblique reference ("Another white boy to fix"), but I'm glad he also got a scene after the credits. That of course takes us one step closer to Avengers: Infinity War.
Who T'Challa is and the setup for his film actually occurred in Captain America: Civil War, but you don't have to have seen it to understand the story. There are enough flashbacks to give the gist of what happened. Black Panther can stand alone. Indeed, this film might have the fewest references to other goings on in the MCU.
First off, Black Panther is visually astounding. That includes both the CGI effects and the real-life look of the film. Most of the film takes place in the fictional kingdom of Wakanda. The country is fully realized and immersive. It's a place rich with history and culture and unlike any place else we've seen, in part thanks to its technological superiority. (Seriously, is there anything vibranium can't do or be used for?) The costumes and production design are top notch throughout. And the ancestor plane (or whatever they call it) is gorgeous.
Black Panther is also really funny. It's not humorous in the same way that Thor: Ragnarok is (and that one still has my vote for funniest Marvel movie). The humor in Black Panther is much more droll and springs from the characters themselves and their relationships.
The main thing that makes Black Panther stand apart from other Marvel movies (or even other superhero movies in general) is that it has something to say. There are some deeper themes than we are used to. There are themes of responsibility and accountability, the importance of some traditions and the dangers of others, the nature of loyalty and where it properly rests, and the effects of choices.
T'Challa is in the middle of all those themes as he tries to decide what sort of king he will be. (He might have done well with a brief pep talk from Ben Parker: "With great power comes great responsibility.") He is also faced with the consequences of his forebears, their choices and their traditions. In so doing, he must reevaluate his place in the world and Wakanda's place in the world.
All the while, the villain -- Erik Killmonger -- has his own vision of what Wakanda's place in the world should be. And while his vision is terrible and terrifying, we as the audience can understand why he feels/believes the way he does. Killmonger is one of the most fully realized, and thus interesting, villains in the MCU. He manages to be sympathetic on one level, even though you realize how dangerous and heartless he truly is.
Other characters also have to deal with the various themes as they evaluate and reevalutate their beliefs and loyalties. Black Panther is a film about becoming and growing. For example, there's a scene where Shuri (T'Challa's sister) calls Ross a "colonizer." At first, it annoyed me, because it seems in direct opposition to what T'Challa says about not being responsible for the deeds/choices of his father and ancestors. But I think that was the point. Nobody is perfect in this film. They all have their weaknesses and blind spots. The film is about recognizing errors and working to correct them. It's about learning to take personal responsibility for things. T'Challa learns that. Shuri (and Ross for that matter) still have much to learn.
As groundbreaking as the film is, it's by no means perfect. And while the characters and locations are new and exciting, when you get right down to it, the plot is very much the same as most superhero films. There aren't any big twists or surprises that we haven't seen elsewhere. If you are OK with the superhero formula (which I mostly am), it isn't a problem.
That said, the need to further the plot led to a loss of some characterization. Because such-and-such needed to happen, some characters changed their loyalties at an unbelievably quick rate. I won't spoil anything. It just felt like some characters were shoehorned into roles that fit what the story needed. Similarly, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) is sure quick to accept everything he sees and everything he is asked to do, especially given it is for a country not his own (and a country that has been lying to the world for ... I'm not even sure how long).
The film is rated PG-13 for the typical Marvel superhero level of violence. There was some swearing. And one character gives another character "the finger" (which was totally gratuitous).
Black Panther is a fun and enjoyable film. But I'm not sure it quite rises to the level of a great film. Visually it is amazing in its world-building. Thematically it has much to say. But in the end, it's a superhero film following a tried and true formula. Still, it's a great time at the movies and an interesting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
As with all Marvel movies, there's a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene.
*** Spoiler Section ***
I think the next order of business for King T'Challa is to work on some of the laws and statutes of his kingdom. Seriously, a murderer should not be able to come in, "kill" the king, and take the throne and have everybody just be OK with that because it's legal. You have a murderer on the throne. There's a problem with that. And there's a bigger problem with then serving him because he's legally the king. Yes, that is part of what the movie is about, thematically. But c'mon Wakanda. Kill the king = become the king is not a good succession strategy.
I wondered if they would somehow acknowledge Bucky Barnes (aka the Winter Soldier). I liked the oblique reference ("Another white boy to fix"), but I'm glad he also got a scene after the credits. That of course takes us one step closer to Avengers: Infinity War.
Quotable Quotes
- "Did he freeze?" "Like an antelope in headlights." -- Shuri and Okoye about T'Challa
- "Delete that footage." -- T'Challa to Shuri
- "You get to decide what kind of king you will be." -- Nakia to T'Challa
- "Does she speak English?" "When she wants to." -- Ross (about Okoye) and Okoye
ISFS
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