The Marvel Cinematic Universe always brings a hype only matched by Star Wars to fans all over the world. Black Panther is not any different as there has been an ever-growing momentum of hype for this film thanks to early reactions after the world premiere and the importance of being the first African-American led MCU film, all while increasing the box office estimate for the film. Now before readers start yelling at their screen stating, what about Blade, Blankman, Steel, and Hancock, none of those films were marketed at the level of an MCU film. Black Panther is a true African-American led blockbuster. All those factors may have lead to ultimate disappointment for fans of the MCU, however, Black Panther is not only a satisfying film for fans of the super-hero genre but a great character study of two individuals that went on different directions based on specific life choices.
At the surface, Black Panther tells the story of T’Challa, who, after his father is killed during the events of Captain America: Civil War, returns home to Wakanda to take his rightful place as king of Wakanda. T’Challa must deal with the job of being king, understanding what the right and wrong choices are, and fight against threats from enemies such as Ulysses Klaue and Erik Killmonger. More on Killmonger will be revealed later in this review. This plot is a recipe for a solid MCU film.
Despite the formula being in place for another solid entry in the MCU, director Ryan Coogler decided to go in a different direction. Black Panther looks at T’Challa and Killmonger as two men who are on different journeys based on their environments and life circumstances. T’Challa received all the perks of being a king’s son, ultimately taking his rightful place as heir to the throne, while Erik, has lived his life in the United States and grows up to become T’Challa’s enemy and a threat to the Wakandan throne. While studying at Rutgers University way back when I learned about strain theory which involves society putting pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals though they lack the means to achieve them. This leads to strain which may lead the individuals to commit crimes. That strain of achieving socially accepted goals along with other agendas drives Killmonger to become the monster that he is.
The very best villains in the film are those driven by motive and an agenda who perceive their actions to be merited despite hurting the innocent. For 10 years, fans of the MCU have felt that Loki, with his wit, charm, and mercilessness has been the universe’s best villain. Tom Hiddleston will have to enjoy second place because Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger has taken his rightful place as heir to the MCU villain throne. His performance was not only full of Jordan’s charisma but throughout the film, when Killmonger speaks, it was hard not to think, “God damn pal. He’s not wrong.” While his methods are not the right way to approach his agenda, Killmonger is passionate, vicious, and driven. All of these characteristics take away from the usual, “I want to take over the world, with no real plan” mindset that MCU villains have suffered from for years. As long as the MCU and super-hero films exist, this performance will be the talk amongst fans.
Ryan Coogler being chosen to direct this film was a welcomed choice for me as I have been a fan of his since his original film, Fruitville Station. He followed that up with Creed, which as the 7th film in a franchise had zero reason to be as deep and powerful as it was. However, his third entry, Black Panther, ironically is not just his best film but his most mature. He was able to blend the cliché super-hero scenes and sprinkle his vision and message to all cinephiles. Well done Ryan, that little gold Oscar will certainly one day be on your mantle.
Ludwig Göransson who also composed Creed is back at again with his scoring of Black Panther. The score while subtle in some instances is still able to brilliantly capture key moments of the film, similar to Creed‘s Rocky-like montage. Along with the score, Kendrick Lamar lends his talents to the soundtrack of the film. You can never go wrong when you add the best rapper in the industry to a film.
While praising the film, If I am being honest, the film is not perfect as the CGI of the film is some the poorest I’ve seen in quite awhile. There is a glaring moment early on in the film when T’Challa is crowned king and he is overlooking a mountain, where there are many Wakandians cheering his coronation and it feel like special effects dragged out of an early 2000’s film. What made it worst was the constant panning back to that crowd that made it difficult to ignore.
Black Panther is currently the highest rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a 98 percent deservingly so. The film instantly enters the conversation as the best entry into a universe that has consistently entertained us over the past 10 years. While Avengers: Infinity War is sure to receive the bulk of the hype in 2018, it will be difficult to surpass the depth and brilliance of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther.
Reel Talk gives Black Panther 4 Reels
