There are just two movies that had the same effect as Black Panther did on me. Logan and The Dark Knight. So that sums up why this Marvel movie deserves all the appreciation it continues to receive from fans and critics all over the world.
(In this review, we point out what made the film shine and will dive deeper into characters that stood out and elements that could have been better)
It’s rare for a comic book movie to capture every important essence that makes it stand out among others. Black Panther’s success is simply the result of a perfect combination of a talented team that managed to stay true to its comic fans and also shine a ray of light as a black superhero movie for the black community.
As a standalone film, Black Panther successfully establishes Wakanda, its tribes and every supporting character who will go on to reprise their roles for upcoming Marvel movies. As much as I’d love to begin first by appreciating the actors that worked on the project, my first applause goes to the team of writers, director, costume designer, cinematographer etc.
The writers have done a remarkable job in penning characters such as Killmonger, Shuri and M’Baku. Their development in the movie is linear and clearly reaches a point by the end which hints at their prominence in future movies.
To start with Letitia Wright’s Shuri, the characters’ brother-sister relationship with Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is heartwarming and humorous to witness. The actress’ wonderful portrayal of the character does well in giving her arc a good start in the MCU. Now, we can only hope that Marvel decides to give her a Black Panther suit soon, probably at some point of time in Phase 4.
To the general fans, M’Baku would have certainly been an unexpected treat. Initially, the character poses as a threat that would go on to perhaps play a supportive role in the main villain’s agenda. But the movie did well in changing the characters’ intent and desire and Winston Duke’s breakout performance gave M’Baku quite the spotlight.
In the case of Killmonger, I once again must appreciate the director and writers for the wonderful portrayal of the character. The supervillains’ introduction in the movie was unexpectedly brought to fans through an innocent child which made it harder for the audience to hate his intent in the movie.
Later on, Michael B. Jordan’s simple yet re-watchable performance made quite the impression on fans. The character had the right lines that hit the audience hard. For the first time since The Dark Knight, a supervillain got the most limelight over the protagonist.
Chadwick Boseman’s performance as T’Challa was in-line with the character that was first established in Captain America: Civil War. The actor has done well in playing a character that shares a resemblance with Lion King’s Simba. Perhaps, that is exactly what the filmmaker intended to do.
Last but not closely the least, Andy Serkis’ hilarious yet strong performance as Klaw will always remain close to my heart. It would definitely be the first scene that I would fast forward to watch when the film hits Digital HD. Give this man an Oscar-winning character right now Hollywood.
Overall, the only place where the film fails is to give the audience a much-loved final dual between the protagonist and antagonist. Although the bringing together of all Wakandans upped its intensity, the colorful VFX made it harder to concentrate on the action sequence itself. But where it falls short, it once again picks up with its perfect concluding lines for Killmonger.
I rate Black Panther, 9.5/10
