Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Release date: February 16th, 2018
Rating: 9/10
Black Panther, starring Chadwick Boseman, is the first solo film for T’Challa: Prince of Wakanda. Similar to Spider-Man, Black Panther was introduced in. Captain America Civil War and now has his own film. I’ll start off by saying that there was a lot of hype surrounding this movie, and rightfully so. Black Panther is one of the few superhero movies with a black man as the main character, and the only Marvel film to do so. The influences of African culture are prominently displayed from costume design to ritual performances. In my opinion, I don’t think the film lives up to the hype surrounding it. I do, however, love the film.
While I recognize that it is a huge step forward for black representation on screen, I think a lot of people got caught up in that instead of the movie standing on its own. Now I agree that it’s a fantastic film, but I can tell you why I believe that from a cinematic standpoint and not just because I think it’s cool (which I also believe).
Essentially what we have here is a battle for the throne of Wakanda. Two people, both with an equal claim, fighting for the right to become King of the most advanced nation on Earth. Erik “Killmonger” Stevens, player by Michael B. Jordan, is one of the best written and acted villains I’ve ever seen period. His motivations are strong and are so close to being a very valid opinion with how Wakanda should be ruled. Except for the fact that his actions would get a lot of people killed, he makes a strong argument for why Wakanda should not hoard their resources, namely vibranium.
When you break it down, T’Challa and Killmongers ideologic conflict is similar to that of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. Both fighting for a common goal through different means. In fact, the choice that T’Challa makes by going with the stealthier Black Panther suit, while Killmonger chooses the flashier one, is a perfect metaphor for how those two men tried achieving their goals. Dr. King was a peaceful protester, fighting for civil rights for African-Americans. While Malcom X also fought for the same rights, his tactic was through violence.
Apart from that, the film is also great in its costume and set design. Everything has bright colors and reflects heavy African influences, which I absolutely loved.
My issues with the film are mainly two things. One, I think Klaue is underused in the film. While I think that Killmonger is the better villain, I think Andy Serkis’ talents should’ve been either used more, or saved for a later film. That isn’t a huge issue, as he is given a good amount of time to showcase his acting skills and play the character.
The other issue I have with this film is some of its CGI. While most of the film looks great, I think they could’ve let up on coating the entire Black Panther suit in CGI for the whole film. The suit from Civil War is fantastic because it’s a real suit that, apart from some stunt work, we see on screen as it is. Even though I don’t have an issue with updating the design, don’t just throw CGI at it; because some of the shots look iffy at best. Especially the final battle with Killmonger. I think there was an issue with timing and the VFX team needed to meet a very short deadline, but it just looks bad. I don’t have a single complaint about anything that was shot wit practical suits, environments, or anything. The worst parts of the movie were where CGI was either unnecessarily used or poorly done.
That being said, Black Panther is still an amazing film full of culture and a fantastic storyline with an identifiable villain that keeps you engaged the entire time. Director Ryan Coolger, who also directed Creed, did a fantastic job mixing all the elements of plot, stunts, design, and characterization. It’s an amazing film that I think everyone should see at least once.