Black Panther - Movie Review
Superheroes are in every season. Black Panther, the latest entry in Marvel’s shared cinematic universe, is a remarkable feat of world building and visual art. Its setting, the fictional central African nation of Wakanda, is a technologically advanced wonderland light years ahead of the rest of the world that lives and breathes unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel Studios or the superhero genre at large. Wakanda cloaks itself from the world behind an illusory rainforest. As far as the rest of the world knows, it is a “third-world country with textiles, shepherds, cool outfits.”
As you may have heard, this movie is different from those that preceded it in the Marvel Comics universe: Its hero is black and African, and most of its cast is black ,as is its director and co-writer, Ryan Coogler. And that difference makes it all the more invigorating. Like “Wonder Woman” last year, it’s thrilling to see a superhero movie populated with people generally on the sidelines in such films.
Chadwick Boseman stars as T’Challa, the newly anointed king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda and heir to its secret wonder, Vibranium, a meteor borne metal so powerful it can redirect energy and so rare, outside its homeland. Having drunk the nectar of a mystical flower, he has the strength of many men; in a suit woven of bullet-proof vibranium, he is virtually indestructible. There’s so much to enjoy in Black Panther’s stellar cast; it’s full of wonderful performances. Boseman’s powerful presence demands instant acknowledgement; alongside incredible action sequences as Black Panther, his T’Challa oozes charisma, balanced by a restrained, dignified power. But what drives Black Panther isn’t its visuals or superheroics. What makes Black Panther unique is that it pursues this in the context of its characters and its setting. Chadwick Boseman anchors the film, but he is nearly upstaged by an impressive cast of cinematic veterans and relative newcomers. Lupita Nyong’o shines as Nakia, T’Challa’s close confidante who hopes to see her country take a larger role in the world. The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira gives what ought to be a star-making turn as Okoye, the fierce leader of Wakanda’s royal guard. Letitia Wright steals the lion’s share of the movie’s laughs as Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister and a technological wunderkind who develops the tools and weapons deployed by her brother. Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Winston Duke and Andy Serkis give more than capable performances, and Sterling K. Brown makes an unexpected, moving appearance as an important relative of the king.
It is worth noting here that this is probably the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which women drive the story and plot as much as their male counterparts. Nyong’o brings a measured calm to Nakia, a warrior in her own right. Okoye, T’Challa’s right-hand woman, is also a force to behold. Not only is she clearly the best fighter in the kingdom, and the protector of the crown, she’s smart and brilliant. Played with loyal stoicism, Okoye offers some funny, yet poignant, lines.
The most dynamic performance, however, comes from Michael B. Jordan, a long time collaborator of Coogler’s who dominates the screen as Erik Killmonger, T’Challa’s chief rival. Jordan’s charisma shines the moment he appears on screen, and his character’s anger feels entirely justified, even if his plans for violent uprising are easy to condemn. He’s such a good villain, in fact, that he effortlessly steals every scene he appears in. once you know his backstory, it single-handedly improves that track record to a remarkable degree.
Black Panther takes full advantage of its setting to show us a unique and visually stunning world, the Afro-futuristic aesthetic highlighting how embarrassingly monotonous so many of our sci-fi and fantasy blockbusters really are. The film boasts a balanced blend of fun-filled adventure and light political commentary.
I did have a couple of issues; the film is too long, and the majority of the action scenes are dull. But strangely enough, that doesn’t really matter - this superhero film derives its strength from its setting and characters, rather than its action sequences. Black Panther is certainly one of Marvel’s strongest efforts. As stated by now, Black Panther brings together one of the most impressive principally black casts ever assembled for a major Hollywood movie.
Delivered through Coogler’s eye, its existence alone generates a counter-history in film and mass media, first by scraping whiteness from its narrative core, then by making black people the default. Black Panther will be back, in “The Avengers: Infinity War” later this year; but I’m looking forward to returning to Wakanda, soon.
Rating: ★★★★☆
