Black Panther - A RMNT Review

After making his live-action debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa AKA the Black Panther became an immediate fan favorite as well being one of best highlights of the film with Chadwick Boseman’s performance being praised by both critics and audiences alike. Later after that, Marvel Studios announces that the Black Panther will have his own solo film, in which it became a highly anticipated film in everyone’s must-watch list for 2018! But now that its been released and receiving praise by critics and audiences for being one of the best films in the franchise, but the questions remain being, will this one be unique from the others? Will Black Panther deliver and leave a claw mark in the superhero genre?

Black Panther is the eighteenth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise that takes place after the events of Civil War in which T’Challa, played once again by Chadwick Boseman, who returns home to the fictional African nation of Wakanda, the most technologically advanced civilization on Earth, to assume the throne after his father’s tragic death, but events unfold as his authority is challenged by a new enemy that can bring conflict to both his nation and to the rest of the world. Now keep in mind, this technically isn’t the first superhero film in which has an African-American leading star, as there have been several others in the past, such as Wesley Snipes in the Blade Trilogy (1998-2004) as the titular character and basketball star Shaquille O’Neal in the 1997 film Steel, in which he portrays the main character, which sadly is also considered by many as one of the worst superhero films of all time. Funny how that film was released in the same year as another critically-panned superhero movie, Batman & Robin… But moving on, this is also Ryan Coogler’s third film in his filmography and his first major blockbuster film, which I say, is a very impressive career achievement for someone his age!

The story is more than another superhero film, but this more has more depth and important themes relevant today, such as colonialism, isolationism, revolution and oppression, cultural tradition. The movie’s narrative flows and paces amazingly well from start to finish, giving time to explore the world of Wakanda and learning its culture, essential screen time for each of the characters, whether they’re the main, supportive and minor ones. The film’s tone, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, balances well when delivering scenes full with emotional weight while also delivering good moments of humor, from mostly either lines of dialogue and character chemistry, all thanks to Ryan Coggler’s smart writing and direction. Unlike the film being another superhero origin story, this one is more of a character-centered journey as T’Challa deal with the fearing if he what it takes to take on the weight of the duty as king of Wakanda and also being its protector without his father by his side. The movie also takes its time with showing the backstory of its main villain, as it well shows the understanding of the motivation, including what happened at the start of the film. Marvel Studios proves once again that it can deliver a unique story on not just a superhero, but also a whole culture as it brings more world-building into the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

The characters featured in the film are all unique, each in their own way, as they’re well-developed and well-established and are instantly memorable for their strong characterization and that’s all thanks to the incredible cast of talented actors and actresses. When it comes to casting, Marvel Studios never ceases to disappoint, but the real hero is Sarah Halley Finn. Without her, we wouldn’t have Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange, Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and many more!

Anyway, as I mentioned before, Chadwick Boseman returns as T’Challa/Black Panther, but the film introduces new characters including Okoye, the head of the Dora Miraje, Wakanda’s top elite female bodyguard, who stands out well for being the level-headed of the bunch and delivering unexpected witty moments, but is also loyal to her nation, and cares those closest to her, Shuri, T’Challa’s young sister and princess of Wakanda. Her scenes with T’Challa are one of the memorable highlights of the film as their sibling relationship feels both relatable and fun to watch as the shows that despite being of royalty, we still see them as brother and sister who love to mess with each other as well as having a strong family bond. Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o, is T’Challa’s ex-lover and spy for Wakanda, who shows that she’s more than just another love interest as she’s portrayed as a strong and capable woman who truly loves her country and her scenes with T’Challa show great natural chemistry that feels well-established without it looking forced or awkward. Winston Duke as M’Baku, the leader of Wakanda’s mountain tribe, the Jabari, steals the show whenever he appears on screen, especially during the third act. When you watch his scenes, you’ll get why. Michael B. Jordan plays the film’s main villain, Erik Killmonger, who I currently consider as one of the best villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for his strong deadly determination in his plans of putting an end to oppression for all people of African descent. His motivation is well-established, he’s skilled to kill, intelligent in tactics and the scary truth is his goal is very understandable. Andy Serkis, best known as Smeagol/Gollum from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, reprises his role as Ulysses Klaue, the black-market arms dealer, after previously appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron, who also steals the show whenever he’s on screen, as he’s both crazy and over the top in a fun way at the same time. His best scenes are, of course, during his scenes taking place in Korea. He truly is one of the actors I’ve ever seen, and sadly, one of the most underrated. Another character making another appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Everett Ross, played once more by Sherlock star Martin Freeman after previously appearing in Civil War, as he proves to be an important ally in T’Challa’s mission in saving Wakanda as well as having plenty of solid moments with many of the film’s cast, giving him a bit more character into the character.

Another major highlight of the film is its production as it is to be praised for truly bringing the fictional nation of Wakanda to life on the big screen! The nation is visually stunning and massive in scope, as it creatively uses the influential stylings of Afrofuturism to add mixture of both traditional culture and modern culture. The technology featured in the film are beyond incredible and that makes me wish to have thought of them myself when it came to writing my own stories related to fictional advanced civilizations, so kudos to the prop designers! The costume designing also needs to be praised as Ruth E. Carter beautifully captures the feel and symbolism from real African tribes to translate into the 5 tribes of Wakanda to bring a sense of identity as well as the unity of the people who love their nation and its traditions. The film’s action scenes are also another highlight as Coggler proves to very capable at directing nicely-shot and edited fight sequences that feel both aesthetic and intense, especially in the fight taking place in the Korean casino scene and an exciting car chase sequence! The music of the film is probably one of the most unique scores I’ve ever heard in a film, as it brilliantly mixes African tribal themes with R&B, giving the film a unique identity in its visual atmosphere, especially during the sequence of Wakanda’s first appearance and Killmonger’s character theme. But if I have one critique about the film, is mostly the CGI, especially in the third act. The visual effects, while impressive, there are small instances where it can look somewhat incomplete. Then during the final battle between the Black Panther and Killmonger, that’s when the CGI can look distracting, but fortunately, that all gets overshadowed all because of the character depth, quality of the production, visuals, music, and Coggler’s direction and storytelling. Point being, the CGI is simply harmless and doesn’t completely ruin the film.

Marvel Studios has once again delivered another addition as I consider Black Panther one of the best movies of the year with its emotionally-compelling story, smart direction, incredible performances from an all-star cast, standout characters, impressive production merits, beautiful music, exciting action sequences, and relevant themes. And with Marvel Studios announcing a sequel for Black Panther, I look forward to seeing what’s more in store for T’Challa, his growth as a character and more world-building within Wakanda, and not worry, the Black Panther will return in Avengers: Infinity War and its upcoming sequel!

Story: 5 / 5

Characters: 5 / 5

Production: 4.5 / 5

Final Rating: 4.5 / 5