In 1966 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the character Black Panther in Fantastic Four #66. The first Superhero character to be from Africa. And now, 52 years later, the character is receiving his own film. Having debuted in Captain America: Civil War (2016, Joe & Anthony Russo) and played by Chadwick Boseman (Get On Up, 42). With many considering him to be the highlight of that film. So many fans are anticipated to see how his solo outing turns out. With an all-star cast of some of Hollywood's most critically acclaimed African-American actors, and with critically acclaimed African-American director Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) behind the camera.
First Thoughts
This film is very good! It has great characters, very good action and a really good and emotional story. I was not really expecting the film to be as political as it was. It was a bit of a surprise but I was glad that the filmmakers went in that direction.
Chadwick Boseman/T'Challa/Black Panther
Chadwick Boseman returns as Black Panther, picking up where we let him off in Civil War. Boseman knocks it out of the park again. He's a lot more layered in this film since he takes centre stage. in Civil War he was just out for revenge but in this one, he has to overcome serious obstacles, both physically and metaphorically. T'Challa is a man trying to figure out what kind of ruler he's going to be, and it's not an easy road to take. I thought his story and character development were very well handled. Mainly down to Boseman's performance and director Ryan Coogler, whose films are usually quite character centred, and this film is no exception!
Michael B. Jordan/Killmonger
Killmonger was a very interesting character. Michael B. Jordan is a very talented actor, he was one of the few things that were about Fantastic Four (2015, Josh Trank) and he does a really good job here. In fact, Killmonger is probably up there with Marvel villains. They have been doing a much better job with their villains lately and Killmonger is no exception. What makes him so good is that people can sympathise with his plight. No way condone his actions but can understand why he would want to do them.
Andy Serkis/Ulysses Klaw
Andy Serkis is back as Ulysses Klaw and, honestly, I didn't really like him. In Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015, Joss Whedon) Klaw came off as more of a homicidal businessman. Calm and collected whilst being threatening, even when he wasn't in control of the situation. But that's not really here. He comes off as more of a watered-down Joker impersonator. Which is kinda disappointing. Serkis does look like he's enjoying himself in the role, and does a good job with what he's given. But I couldn't really get into his character in this film.
Letitia Wright/Shuri
The character I'm most surprised wasn't advertised a lot more! Letitia Wright does such a good job in this film! Shuri is perhaps my favourite character in this film. I really liked her fun charisma and I really liked her relationship with her T'Challa. It was really good to see a positive brother/sister relationship as not many seem to exist in film and television. I also really liked how intelligent she was, and how much she enjoyed it. She's a bit like Q from the Bond series if Q wore his love for his job on his sleeve. I hope we get to see more
Women of Wakanda
Wakanda seems to sport a lot of strong women in its nation! I don't think there was a single female character in this film that was useless or just there for eye candy. A good example of this is the two main female characters, Okoye (Danai Gurira), along with the Dora Milaje, the all-female royal guard, and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o). I thought they were brilliant and could really hold their own in the action scenes. In fact, there might be an argument for Okoye being the strongest fighter in the MCU. I also really liked that they weren't just one-dimensional characters. They had their own thoughts and beliefs and weren't afraid to express them. Yes, the film does sport some very strong women, which is great!
Political stance
This is what really separates this film from other Marvel movies. It has a serious political stance. I won't get too much into it as it will spoil the film for most. But I was really intrigued the political commentary that this film had to offer. It presents a lot of the political stances of famous figures in the Black Community. Such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. Of people of all race working together to make a better world and not letting our prejudices get in the way of that. I thought that was a really good message. Particularly with today's political climate.
Action
The action in this film is quite good. It's probably not as good as the action in Civil War but Coogler is able to realise Black Panther's skill set very well and it looks great whenever he's in combat. The highlights of action were the fight in Korea, which was really great to watch! and the finale fight which was intense! Yes, the action was very good in this! However, if anyone is going mainly for the action then I would recommend seeing it in 2D. I saw it in IMAX 3D and I think that affected the viewing of the action. So definitely go for a 2D screening.
Comedy
I was quite surprised by this. The film doesn't really have that much comedy in it. Sure, it still there, but if you compare it to other Marvel movies it's dumbed down to focus more on the messages that it's trying to present. This is quite different for Marvel as they really like to put an emphasis on the comedic elements in their films. I'm quite that they did this, as I personally don't really like when these films have too much comedy. But for anyone who's going into this films for laughs, you will find it lacking.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a really good film. The action is very well done and the acting is superb! But what really sells this movie, and makes it stand out from other Marvel movies, is the political commentary it has to offer. And the message of trying to work together to build a better future. Definitely one of Marvel's best!
So what did you think of Black Panther? Did you enjoy it? Do you agree with any of the points I made about the film? If so, or if not, then please leave a comment down below. And, if you liked what you read then please follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading. :)
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