Groundbreaking

Rating: 9/10 (18 February 2018)

In the same but different way, Black Panther is bringing on the same amount of significance that Wonder Woman did last year. Of course, it's crazy to think we're even at this point in 2018 where Black Panther (not the first overall) but the first mainstream superhero movie to have a black lead in years and the first one in the now 18 film long Marvel Cinematic Universe.
To just say this film is important is an understatement. Diverse representation in films is among the most talked about things in the world of filmmaking these days and Black Panther makes another big step for the industry, especially looking at the box office results of opening weekend. Luckily, the film itself isn't just a step forward in representation, it's also a dang good piece of filmmaking. It should come as no surprise that the guy who made Fruitvale Station and Creed once again knocked it out of the park with Black Panther.
Let's start with the cast because even before a single trailer, the cast was the thing that stood out of the most. For me, Chadwick Boseman stole the show in Civil War a few years ago. He made an even bigger impression than Tom Holland did as Spider-Man. His calm but fierce presence was unmatched and brought an entirely different vibe to the characters already in place in the MCU. Boseman, who has already played some pretty iconic people (Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and James Brown), is perfecting the role of a lifetime right now.
Alongside him is an incredibly talented supporting cast including Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker, and of course Michael B. Jordan. Nobody is wasted and all of them are well-written and fleshed out. Jordan instantly ranks in the top 3 or 4 Marvel villains (which isn't the hardest thing to do), and his performance as Killmonger was full of thoughtful planning and empathetic beats. So much so that I understood what he was doing and why he was doing, even if I don't agree as to how he was accomplishing his goals.
But I've gone on far too long without mentioning the ladies of Black Panther. Wow did I love Gurira's noble and powerful turn as T'Challa's guard Okoye, Nyong'o's gentle but courageous turn as Nakia, and Wright's hilarious and energetic turn as Shuri (who is essentially Q to Boseman's Bond). There are other great beats by actresses in the film, but those 3 women are absolutely incredible in this film.
There are some familiar story beats from say Thor or Iron Man, but I always say that even if a movie isn't original in story, but is presented and executed in a new way, then it's all worth it. Which is a very long way of saying , Black Panther is a uniquely satisfying piece of cinema that might as well change the way superhero films (perhaps all films) are directed, produced, written, and acted worldwide. Wishful thinking sure, but it seems like there's been a shift since Wonder Woman, so why not after Black Panther?
9.0/10