Black Panther - movie review
Black Panther
Plot: T'Challa, the King of Wakanda, rises to the throne in the isolated, technologically advanced African nation, but his claim is challenged by a vengeful outsider who was a childhood victim of T'Challa's father's mistake.
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Director: Ryan Coogler
Certificate: 12A (moderate violence, injury detail, rude gesture)
Runtime: 2hrs 14 mins
Release Date: Tuesday 13th February 2018
WAKANDA FOREVER!! Firstly, I just want to apologise. Black Panther has been out for over a month now and it's pretty disappointing on my behalf that I'm only just getting around to reviewing it. There's not really an excuse because I even saw the film soon after its release but university has taken priority and then there were the Oscars so I had to complete my predictions for that. But the wait is finally over. One of the most talked about movies of the year so far, Black Panther has taken the world by storm. It smashed all box office expectations with it recently passing the $1 billion mark and looks to be on-point to become Marvel's highest grossing film. It's safe to say that Black Panther has cemented itself as a cultural phenomenon and deservedly so because this is one of Marvel's best.
 |
| Ultimate Frisbee: Black Panther style. |
First introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther made a remarkable impression and had fans titillating with excitement about the prospect of T'Challa's standalone movie. For Marvel to hand the reins over to the incomparable Ryan Coogler, was an inspired decision. Coogler was initially batting two for two with an astonishing debut in the form of Fruitvale Station and then took the Rocky franchise to new heights with Creed. After Black Panther, Coogler is still riding high with an impeccable career. As Marvel seem to frequently do with their films, they allow their filmmakers to create the story they want and tie into the overarching franchise when necessary. Coogler both wrote and directed Black Panther and his urban style and poetic dialogue is everywhere to be seen. Surprisingly, Black Panther doesn't feature many callbacks to past MCU films and whilst it does have a few nods and winks to potential future endeavours, it's refreshing to see a contained story that hasn't got to rely on the audience seeing previous films to appreciate it. Even the post credits scenes aren't much to run out of the theatre and shout about. Black Panther appears to be a Marvel film in which, instead of it connecting to other films, other films will connect to it. Once again, this is down to Coogler's experienced direction. What makes Coogler so impressive as a voice in cinema is that his films are very loud and proud in the message that they're trying to convey but never goes beyond into exploitation. He carefully constructs each and every scene with such purpose and now that he's been given a movie with this scale, the possibilities are endless. From smaller, politically driven conversations that wouldn't go amiss in an Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama, to full blown battle sequences reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, Coogler brings such a unique style to a superhero movie that it almost feels incorrect to think of it as a Marvel movie. There is still a sprinkling of humour that Marvel frequents so well and this comes in the form of Shuri, T'Challa's technical whizz-kid sister, played with heaps of compassion and heart by Letitia Wright (who is a remarkable discovery and an instant charismatic delight). Speaking of delights, the entire cast is one of the most incredible ensemble assembled. There's a brilliant mix of actors with a handful of veteran talent in the shape of Angela Bassett (Strange Days, London Has Fallen) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King Of Scotland, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) but also a fresh selection of new talent that are set to create a long-lasting legacy for themselves. Chadwick Boseman (Captain America: Civil War, 42) leads the film confidently and solidifies himself as the perfect actor to star as the king of Wakanda. I imagine that, after the presumably destructive events in Infinity War, Black Panther, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel will lead the MCU into the future and Boseman could not be more capable to take charge.
 |
| Come to Wakanda for the quickest tire removal service in the world. |
FACT: To prepare for his role, Michael B. Jordan kept to himself while he was on set, reasoning that his character Killmonger is distant and in conflict with the other characters.
As most Marvel fans would reluctantly admit, the villains within the MCU movies have always been disappointing. The only notable exceptions are Tom Hiddleston's Loki, although if Thor Ragnarok is anything to go by, Loki appears to taking a more protagonistic role, and last year's Spider-Man: Homecoming gave us Michael Keaton as The Vulture; a grounded and realistic villain that had genuine motivations and posed both a physical and psychological threat to our hero. In Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan (it wouldn't be a Ryan Coogler film without him) portrays Erik Killmonger, a renegade soldier that challenges T'Challa for the throne of Wakanda. The brilliance of Killmonger is that Coogler has given him infinite layers that we can pick into to discover more about his character. He's fully fledged out and Jordan gives an effortless performance redeeming himself in the superhero genre after the disaster that was Fant4stic. But the reason as to why Killmonger is neck and neck with Loki as the MCU's best villain, are his authentic and complex motivations. There are numerous instances where Killmonger was explaining his plan and I found myself siding with him. Coogler decides not to present him as a maniacal antagonist, but instead as a confused and scorn young man, hellbent on revenge with reasonably good intentions but fulfilling these intentions in the worst way possible. There's a deep and profound psychological discussion regarding Killmonger and it's impressive to see Marvel take this step. Luckily, the supporting ensemble is just as compelling to watch as the leads. Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave, The Jungle Book) and Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead, All Eyez On Me) are excellent in their respective roles bringing intelligence, brutality and heart to the badass women of Wakanda. Gurria, in particular, impresses during the action sequences as she deploys a new martial arts tactic that I'm naming 'Wig-jitsu'. There's also a slight Hobbit reunion for the Tolkien fans out there as Andy Serkis (War For The Planet Of The Apes, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Sherlock) return as their characters from Age of Ultron and Civil War respectively. Both gel very well with the rest of the cast but it was nice to see Coogler take Freeman's character from the generic government official from Civil War and provide him with an entertaining and worthwhile arc for his character. However, one of the most important things about this cast is what it means for cinema and the audience. Black Panther is a revolutionary moment in cinema because it's the first time a superhero blockbuster features a predominantly black cast. For years, we've seen countless blockbusters that solely feature white actors and actresses so for Black Panther to take this step in representation, it's a phenomenal achievement but sadly one that should have happened years ago also. All Kevin Feige needs to ensure is that for the inevitable Black Panther sequel, the exact same cast and crew are all able to return because it wouldn't have the same feel without them.
 |
| I surrender. |
The most impressive aspect of Black Panther isn't the sensational cast. Nor is it the excellent action. Wakanda itself is the star attraction. Having read some of the Black Panther comics, the secretive country of Wakanda has always fascinated me but I couldn't believe how well represented it was when brought to life in this film. Coogler has combined the technological mastery that Wakanda prides itself upon with flying, cloaked spaceships roaming the skies, rooms brimming with tech that would make Elon Musk and Bill Gates faint and Shuri giving her best impression of Q to T'Challa's James Bond, with the tribal and traditional African aesthetic. The Warrior Falls sequences are a perfect example of where these traditional values take precedence. Thanks to a tremendous score by Ludwig Göransson (Central Intelligence, Get Out) in which he combines hip-hop beats alongside traditional African tribal music, our introduction to Wakanda brought goosebumps to my arms and almost tears to my eyes. It reminded me of the moment we first saw Asgard in Thor but now that Asgard has been left in ruins after the events of Thor Ragnarok, Wakanda seems best fit to take its place as the astonishing land of wonder and mystery. If Disney are smart, they should begin planning to build Wakanda within one of their many parks. I'd visit instantly. I'm also willing to make the bold claim that Black Panther stands a good chance to pick up a number of nominations when awards season rolls around next year. It probably doesn't stand much of a chance in the Best Picture or acting categories but the technical filmmaking accomplishments might pick up a few. The costume design for the Wakandan residents is stunning. Wakanda is separated into a few tribes, each with their own individual and specific look. With a variety of colours on show, added with Rachel Morrison's gorgeous cinematography (coming off of her own nomination this year for Mudbound), Black Panther is not just a transcending story, but a work of art too. The only slight downfall that the film suffers from is that the visual effects can sometimes falter. There are some extravagant effects on display, especially in the creation of Wakanda, however some of the hand-to-hand combat sequences and larger shots involving hefty amounts of green screen, aren't as effective as they'd like to be. The thought of TV VFX did spring to mind on a couple of occasions.
 |
| WOO! Superhero landing! |
On the topic of negatives, Black Panther isn't a faultless film. As great as a character Killmonger is, he doesn't really feature until halfway through. Instead, the focus of the film is centred on introducing us to Wakanda and its way of life and setting up T'Challa struggling to live up to the mantle of king. What we got from Killmonger was near perfection but it would have been nicer to see him more in the first half. There's also an integral twist involving the identity of one character and the film draws the suspense out but, and I'm not one to gloat, I correctly guessed the twist from the opening scene alone. It didn't spoil the movie in the slightest but the ground-breaking revelation didn't have the same effect on me that I'm sure it'll have on plenty others. There's also the soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar. Now, before you jump on me with a barrage of insults, I love the soundtrack. It's great to listen to no matter the occasion, and I'm saying that as someone who isn't the biggest fan of Kendrick usually, however, for those of you expecting any of the songs to feature in the film, I'm sad to say that they rarely do. If you're expecting this Marvel movie to treat it's soundtrack the same way as Guardians Of The Galaxy does, then you might be in for a slight disappointment. Those are the only flaws I could find. None of these issues impact the movie drastically. They're more representative of alterations I would make to enhance my love for the film even more.
 |
| Taxi services are a little different in Wakanda to what I'm used to |
Black Panther is an important stepping stone for representation in cinema. Its cast is brimming with today's best talent and Coogler is at the helm providing the MCU with one of its most exemplary movies to date. The visuals and design are extraordinary and the story blends political discussions we currently face today with a sleek comic book overlay. Black Panther is a Ryan Coogler film first and a Marvel movie second. Make of that what you will.
My Verdict: 9.5/10
If you like what you've seen here don't forget to share this with everyone you know, comment below and check out my other reviews. Thanks for reading!!
Follow the official Luke's Reviews Facebook page: fb.me/LukeStapley26
Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LukeStapley26
Comments
Post a Comment