Refreshingly portrays a perspective so often missing from mainstream media; a vibrant, accomplished piece of work.

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2018)

'Black Panther (2018)' portrays a perspective so often missing from mainstream media and is refreshing because of it, a vibrant and celebratory vision of an oft overlooked culture infused with the sci-fi futurism inherent to the genre. It actually feels rather unique, despite some of its more 'superhero' genre elements, and is typically a smaller, more character-focused affair than its counterparts. The special-effects can be slightly overbearing at times, though; there are some digital body doubles that both look dodgy and do some dodgy things. Still, thanks to the brilliantly written screenplay, this doesn't really take away from the believability of proceedings because we're always invested in our hero, who's as incredibly tangible and entertainingly combat-capable here as he was in his debut appearance. The feature is thematically rich and, occasionally, emotionally moving, too. It's accomplished, enjoyable stuff that represents some of Marvel's (and the genre's) best work to date. 8/10