‘Black Panther’ is the comic book movie we’ve been waiting for
Eric Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) stares down T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) in Marvel’s Black Panther. ©Marvel Studios 2018
After his father T’Chaka (John Kani) was killed during the events of Captain America: Civil War, Prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to Wakanda to complete the traditional ceremony elevating him to the mantle of king. He’s joined by his tech-genius sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), ex-girlfriend and super spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Okoye (Danai Gurira), head of the Dora Milaje, the badass all-female bodyguard squad who protect the king. T’Challa must face off against any of the other tribes who inhabit the secluded nation for the right to the throne. The only challenger is the muscle-bound M’Baku (Winston Duke) from the mountain tribe. T’Challa’s childhood friend W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), leader of another tribe, is there to cheer him on and all the tribe leaders celebrate as he defeats M’Baku and is proclaimed king by his uncle, Zuri (Forest Whitaker).
Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Shuri (Letitia Wright) in Marvel’s Black Panther.
Meanwhile, in London, Eric Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) has teamed up with Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) to steal a priceless vibranium artifact from a museum, which has landed the duo on the radar of CIA agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman). Jordan steals every scene, capturing the sheer charisma and menacing unpredictability of a great comic book movie villain. Move over, Loki, I just met my new favorite MCU bad guy—and it’s not just because of all the shirtless scenes.
T’Challa AKA Black Panther faces off against Eric Killmonger in Marvel’s Black Panther.
Without spoilers, I’ll just say that soon T’Challa finds everything he’s stood for being torn apart and must face off with Killmonger in a final battle for the fate of Wakanda and the rest of the world.
In a way, the positive buzz about Black Panther could be to its detriment. A movie this hyped couldn’t possibly live up to the stratospheric expectations of movie-goers, especially after the astronomically high Rotten Tomatoes score it’s received from critics. While it’s not entirely flawless, thankfully, Black Panther has it where it counts. An origin story for a character we’ve already met at this late stage in the MCU timeline could feel like a step back, but Ryan Coogler makes this story feel plucked from the future, rather than the decade-old Marvel movie past. All real-life political implications of a super hero movie with an almost all-black cast aside, T’Challa is a hero for the next stage in the game. He’s a departure from the brash, arrogance of Tony Stark or the do-gooder-golden-boy nature of Captain America. He’s got some depth, like every decision he makes weighs heavy on him because he realizes all his choices will have a serious impact on his entire nation.
Chadwick Boseman stars as T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther.
We hear a lot about world building in movies and TV these days, from the casinos of Canto Bight in Star Wars to the walls of Winterfell in Game of Thrones. A story just seems to work better when it takes place in a fully realized world. Many of the Marvel movies take place in a not-quite-reality that feels like it could be any average place on earth, but Black Panther brings us to the world of Wakanda, the fictional African nation that is home to the world’s supply of vibranium in the MCU. We’ve never seen a world like this one before. Culturally rich, colorful and technologically advanced, you’ll leave this movie wishing you could live there. In a way, Wakanda is the true star of this movie.
A Talon Fighter flies over Wakanda. Ph: Film Frame. ©Marvel Studios 2018
Much like the land of Wakanda, Black Panther itself is engrossing and appealing in practically every way. It’s no surprise that it’s already one of the highest-rated films of the year and is on track to have a record-breaking opening weekend. I’m already dying for it to come out on Blu-Ray/VOD so I can watch any available special features and dive deeper into the world and the characters.
