I saw Black Panther on February 19, 2018! I thought this was an excellent movie! I normally can't stand MCU movies, but this movie never felt like your typical MCU movie. The movie had a darker tone, the characters were great, and the performances were fantastic. There wasn't random humor thrown in. The action was actually amazing. The political storylines were well written and made the audience care about what was going on. It felt more like a DC movie, which is the comic book universe I gravitate towards. I'm honestly not too familiar with Black Panther overall, which is probably why I appreciated it more, but it really is a phenomenal movie that celebrates African American & African pride as well as celebrating black history & culture.
We are introduced to the world of Wakanda-an incredibly advanced technological society fueled by vibranium with awesome warrior women & tribes following the aura of the Black Panther. Wakanda is visually amazing-all the colors and larger than life atmosphere make it unique. The look of Wakanda is actually based off Blade Runner (in my Top 20 movies of all time). There are two big political viewpoints represented throughout the movie from respective characters. It's interesting watching where loyalties and beliefs lie as the movie unfolds. There are twists presented that give us insight into why characters are following a certain path. There is a fantastic depiction of traditional African culture blended with a fantastical element of the advanced Wakanda. It's really a great dynamic!
The performance by Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa was phenomenal-probably the best work of his career thus far. Michael B. Jordan was excellent as Erik Killmonger, his best work since Vince Howard in Friday Night Lights. I sided with Wakanda, but fully understood where Killmonger's animosity was coming from. These were two solid male performances that presented shades of gray approaches to what we were watching. There was no black and white, right and wrong in what was going on. I agreed with both characters to an extent. Daniel Kaluuya (who I honestly hope pulls off the upset win at the Oscars for his amazing work in Get Out) was a great side character as W'Kabi with a lot of motivations and thoughts about the direction Wakanda should head. It all stems around Ulysses Klaue, who has caused so much grief for his family, and he wants to see some justice. Martin Freeman was great as the CIA fighter pilot-he had great comedic timing when he had to, and he understood the cause of Wakanda, and stood with the troops even when he was out of his element. It's honestly something to respect. Andy Serkis was absolutely nuts as Ulysses Klaue, and I couldn't get enough of it. He really stole a lot of the scenes he was in based on his eccentric attitude. Serkis has never disappointed in anything he's done from Gollum/Smeagol in Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit (which also starred Martin Freeman) to Caesar (his work in the new Planet of the Apes trilogy is fantastic) to Snoke (the only thing I liked about The Last Jedi), he has always managed to create something memorable and make it matter.
While these male characters were great (especially T'Challa & Erik Killmonger), we can't really talk about the greatness of this movie without mentioning the incredible females in this movie. It's hard to pick a favorite, because each of the three main female characters had their own strengths to love about them. I really enjoyed Letitia Wright's Shuri-T'Challa's younger sister. She was hilarious, intelligent (very scientific), sarcastic, & cute. She has so much charisma, and she basically keeps Wakanda running. She was the woman with the iron fists-her battle look was awesome. Lupita N'yongo (an actress that is truly one of the most fantastic actresses in the business) delivered a deeply layered performance in the character of Nakia. She is a wardog who basically spies around the world for Wakanda, and protects Wakanda. She never loses her belief system, and even her romantic connection to T'Challa doesn't derail her from the fact that if something doesn't seem right, you don't have to follow it. You can challenge it. She is a great voice for Wakanda. She has the guts to go against the grain. She walks into the lion's den on dangerous missions. Everything she does is for the betterment of Wakanda. She's always conflicted, but even while she may be conflicted about what to do, she never loses her path, which I love. She also is one heck of a warrior-she really can do it all! Then, we come across the ultimate bad ass general, Okoye, played by Danai Gurira. Some may know her as Micchone from The Walking Dead, and she's even more fearless here. She is an incredible fighter. She's all business. She defends the throne. I think it speaks to her character that she will stand by the throne even if she doesn't respect the person sitting on it. In many ways, she is respecting tradition. She is loyal to tradition. It's definitely something to respect. All of these women are unique in their own ways, and at the same time, they're all such strong, intelligent, powerful, beautiful women that run & protect Wakanda. In my opinion, without these glorious Glamazons, Wakanda wouldn't be as strong as it is. The strength lies in the female.
The action in this movie is so amazing to watch. The South Korea scenes are so gorgeous-the colors blended with the awesome technology helmed by Shuri and fast pace of T'Challa blended together to create something truly special. The challenge scenes were gritty, brutal, and well choreographed. The final battle scene was epic. T'Challa (rising to reclaim Wakanda like Sting in WCW from Hollywood Hogan & the nWo) leading the charge with the Dora Milaje against Erik Killmonger was very well done. The cinematography by Rachel Morrison was so fantastic, and captured the grit and emotion of the battle. There was physical and emotional battles going on that resonated with the audience. Ryan Coogler directed an incredible movie with an awesome cast. Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, & Sterling K. Brown also rounded out a wonderful cast in respective cameo roles that all meant something in order to further the story. I mentioned these three, because each was a conscience to a main character, and Coogler made sure everything was fleshed out and told a complete story. In my opinion, everything was explained well. The characters were deeply layered, and I understood every character's stance and emotion through every step they took and every word they spoke.
Black Panther will go down as a truly remarkable moment in cinema. It's one of the greatest comic book movies ever made, and simply, one of the best movies I've seen in some time. I'm so impressed with this cast. These characters have so many dimensions you don't even need the special glasses to see them in a 3D showing. The story & political perspectives were deeply layered, and well written. I think Erik Killmonger's final sentence was perfect for what this movie represents for so many people of color, and it might be one of the most powerful sentences in movie history. The action sequences captured raw physicality, feminine strength, as well as raw emotion. I really encourage everybody to see this movie. It's one of a kind, and in many ways changes the guard for movies. It's a definite 5/5 for me. There were so many things going for this movie, and they delivered on all fronts!
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