Black Panther lived up to the hype.
Before we dive into the Black Panther review, since this is my first superhero film review, let me throw some background info at you.
I stepped into the cinema with barely any knowledge of Black Panther. The only information I had of him came from Captain America Civil War.
Actually, I’ll go ahead and admit that I’d never read any Western-style comics, other than the Archie’s Digest comics. My intermediate-level superhero information database came from religiously watching Teen Titans, Justice League, and X-Men from Cartoon Network when I was barely yay-high *gestures to knee in exaggeration*; and later, both the Marvel and DC films.
Out of all the superhero films I’ve seen so far, Black Panther is my favourite superhero film, and these are the reasons why! (While still remaining spoiler-free!)
An Intricate Yet Digestible Plot Line
I watched Black Panther twice.
I’m not a movie buff, and I’m of the philosophy that if I watch a movie once in the cinema, I will not be watching it in a cinema again because it’s unnecessary and a waste of money. I would only rewatch it if it was part of a series, like binge-watching Marvel films and TV series’ in prep of an Avengers movie.
So to reiterate, I watched this movie twice. Both times in the cinema.
I suppose you can see where I’m going with this. It was what I believe to be the true manifestation of devotion.
I kid, I don’t have a soul. I’m devoted to nothing.
I’m joking! Maybe…
Black Panther’s well-developed plot made me want to see it again just in case I missed some things because of the wide-eyed stare and agape mouth I was sporting throughout the movie. And lo-and-behold! I did miss things I didn’t notice before since I was gawping in awe!
The ideological battle within Black Panther overshadowed the conflicts in other superhero films for me. Yeah, you can’t really go wrong with the “good vs evil” debate, but I never really knew that what I was missing from action movies was a deeper debate than “good vs evil”.
Actually empathising with the antagonist’s mission is unheard of for me. I’m always on the side of justice, and in Black Panther, I found both sides of the cause just. I was unsure which way the the ending would go, and that was probably due to the most compelling antagonist I’d seen in years, if not ever.
King T’Challa, aka the Black Panther, was one superhero I can remember who just wants to maintain the status quo. It is the antagonist that wishes to form change in the world due to a moral obligation. I can’t express how refreshing this concept is in the fundamental plot line.
In-depth Characterisation
The conflict between the main protagonist King T’challa and antagonist Killmonger was refreshing. There wasn’t a moment during the movie where I wasn’t questioning which side I was on, and hoping for a bromance to kindle despite their differences in ideologies.
A protagonist you’re charmed with because of his struggles as a human being in conflict with his own emotions and an antagonist you empathise with because of the purity of his vision. What a pair. Anyway, they made the villain hot so it’s hard to dislike him… sneaky.
The time spent for in-depth characterisation of the characters in the film, instead of unnecessary, and what sometimes other films in the MCU I feel are guilty for of forced humour and unnecessary dialogue, was well worth it.
Anyway, no matter how beautiful the protagonist and antagonist characterisation was, can we talk about the ladies? Because they made the movie for me. I know I said I was going to make this spoiler-free, but how are the women in this movie so cool. Oh my goddess.
Okoye. That female is a bad-ass warrior and a vision to watch in a fight. And Shuri was so loveable, and so confident, and a bad-ass, and genius-y, and witty! Her characterisation was wonderfully done. As a young woman who happened to be the younger sister of the King and therefore a Princess in her own right, Shuri is portrayed as more than just that. And also! Nakia! A bad-ass strong empathetic humanist, independent of T’Challa? Royalty, shmoyalty, amirite?
They’re all so cool. The fight scenes oh ma glob. These three women played a central role in making this film stand out from the rest because they weren’t just love interests with one-dimensional personalities like most women in superhero films are portrayed, with the exception of Wonder Woman.
And yes, I do realise I called them all bad-ass, but why deny it if it true, hmm?
Visuals
Like whoa, the visuals in this movies were stunning. I mean I know jackpoop about cinematography but if a plebeian like me can appreciate some dayum fine visual effects and framing you know you got a good thing going for you.
Also the imagery of the black panther was so pretty. How did they make the T’Challa look so feline? I know not the intricacies, but the feline grace was just mmmmhmmmm. *heart eyes*
Actually, screw Black Panther being a visual feast; it was a certified visual cornucopia. That aesthetic was poppin’. And the way the movie did their world-building of Wakanda was just so epic. Forgive my plebe wording, I have no fancy technical words in my arsenal to describe this cinematic masterpiece.
Worth It?
So I walked in with no expectations, and walked out with an eagerness for Black Panther 2 and the hope of Black Panther playing a bigger role in Avengers Infinity War. I’m neither African nor African-American, so I can’t say I felt amazing because my ethnicity was finally represented in a Hollywood film, but I can say I left feeling like I’d just seen the best superhero movie made so far. For me, it was an emotional journey because I was so invested, and that’s a mark of a good story.
However, as a disclaimer you should probably know I’m easily impressed, so I don’t really need much to get my blood flowing! I’m a simple pleb, so if I see something I enjoy, I’m gonna think it’s great!
Special recognition to Kendrick Lamar and the people who worked on the soundtrack cause it was smashing! Sometimes I like to pretend I’m cool and this soundtrack is perfect for that…
Now, Is it worth the watch? I think it’s safe to say everyone can probably anticipate what I’m going to say.
WORTH IT.
Did I miss anything I should’ve pointed out in Black Panther? Maybe you have suggestions for what movie I should watch and review next! Let me know in the comments! You can also check out some of my other TV/Film posts here. Don’t forget to subscribe so you know when I post my next super dope magnum opus content!
#WakandaForever