Marvel-lous

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2018)

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
Not that in the comic book film universe, the going has got tough for Marvel due to DC Comics. We all know how Justice League ended up. The going has got tough for Marvel because of Marvel itself. Civil War and Thor: Ragnarok in their own way set the new gold standards. Also, as new characters enter the MCU, the treatment needs to change too. A comic book blockbuster today needs to be more than just a comic book blockbuster- and that is what makes Black Panther great. With gracious heroes, quipping villains, rocking car chases and fantastic weapons, it is an out and out enjoyable comic book blockbuster for sure. Elements of espionage sagas with homage to 007 Bond, paired with Afro futurist themes along with some Shakespearean twists gives the movie it's own flavor.
Marvel movies are increasingly getting interlinked, so for someone who has missed Civil War, there is a lot to catch up. For someone who hasn't, we jump straight into Black Panther roots and origins.
"Ulysses Klaue: Tell me something. What do you know about Wakanda?
Everett K. Ross: It's a Third-World country. Textiles, shepherds, cool outfits.
Ulysses Klaue: All a front. Explorers have searched for it, called it "El Dorado". They looked for it in South America, but it was in Africa the whole time. I'm the only one who's seen it, and made it out alive."
Welcome to Wakanda- blessed with mountains of vibranium, it is the most advanced society in the world. Fearful of the world's reaction to it's vibranium reserves, its culture and people, for centuries Wakanda has hidden it's true progress from the rest of the world. So while the motto is not "America First", but it is "Wakanda Forever".
While T'Ã‡halla wants to stay the path, there are others who feel Wakanda should share it's success with the rest of Africa, who have been brutalized by invasion, exploitation and colonization.
"To be or not to be the savior of the oppressed world" - this Shakespearean choice for the characters forms the crux of the story.
The hunt for Ulysses Klaue sets in motion the plans of Erik Killmonger- an American mercenary wronged in the past by the Wakandan royal family, and scarred by his experiences in the real world. T'Challa will need to draw up on every ounce of strength, and all the friends he has to save Wakanda.
Director Ryan Coogler is coming off Creed, and he delivers here too by crafting a movie that isn't about fighting gods and robots, or chasing aliens, but more about the rights to privilege. In Erik Killmonger, he has created a villain to whom at least half the audience will agree too. Wakandans have thrived while the rest of Africa has burned. Killmonger has a point.
He has also assembled the finest set of black actors working today- Chadwick Boseman plays Black Panther with pathos, Lupita Nyong'o exudes radiance as Nakia, a covert agent, Michael B. Jordan plays Killmonger with feral intensity, Forest Whitaker plays Zuri, the royal shaman while Angela Bassett plays Ramona, the queen mother. The standout characters though are Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, and Okoyo, played by Danai Gurira. Said to be smarter than Tony Stark, Shuri is the Q to T'Challa's Bond, and goes about her role with vibrancy and style. Okoyo is the badass leader of T'Challa's bodyguards, stars in the action sequences and also delivers some of the funniest lines. And I especially loved Andy Serkis in front of the camera as a maniacal Klaue!
Coogler has really soaked up the culture of the continent and let his imagination run wild. Wakanda is a riot of colors, steeped in spirituality and culture and because it was undisturbed by colonization - also a technological marvel. Is this what Africa could have been?
Bottomline- Black Panther is not only a fun movie, it is also a very impactful movie. Marvel getting marvelous, really!
10/10