The Panther King

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2018)

Another Marvelous weekend is here and it holds another Disney branded film to be released into the local theaters. The superhero theme of the weekend strays from the normal leads you've seen in the last few years, one who has more ferocity than the usual crew, maybe outside of the Hulk. Yes, I'm talking about Black Panther, and after much anticipation it is here and ready to unleash the cat within. Does this highly awaited film meet expectations? Robbie K is here to help out, with yet another movie review. Sit back, relax, and read on as I help out with your movie going pleasures.
LIKES:
The Cinematography: A good hero movie requires good visuals to bring it to life, and Black Panther reigns supreme on this level. After some unique storytelling art at the beginning, the movie resorts to beautiful blends of real-life, breathtaking shots and impressive visuals. The movie drops you into what feels like a technologically advanced city, complete with James Bond like gadgets that feel super in themselves. Black Panther's camerawork is also very dynamic, energetic enough to increase the action, but contained enough to not leaving you nauseous or confused.
The Acting: Marvel movies sometimes tank in this section, but again Black Panther raises the bar on this level. Chadwick Boseman retains the regality of T'Challa from Civil War but adds more conflict and growth to the character as he struggles with the mantle of king. Michael B. Jordan comes back with a fire, once again showing that he earns his spot in Hollywood with an emotionally charged performance that seethes with that raw edge. Lupita Nyong'o brings the balance to the movie, portraying a character that acts as a solid bridge between all parties, keeping her dynamic performance balanced at the same time, while Danai Gurira grounds the characters down with her strong will and fantastic stage combat skills. Letitia Wright is the comedy of the film who has a fantastic delivery of the well-written lines this movie has. Almost all parties involved nailed their roles, with the chemistry between everyone favorably mixing to create what felt like a tribe. Fantastic job casting director.
The Comedy: Marvel is all about making you laugh, sometimes making that the focus of the film and other times as a nice add-on. Black Panther took the latter for me and was tastefully done to perhaps be one of the best executions of the Marvel Universe. In this darker movie, there is a lot of tension and raw nerves exposed in the Savannah drama, with many negative emotions running rampant like the predators of the plains. Yet, intermixed in this intensity is comedic gold, or vibranium in this case, well-placed to maximize laughs and clever to avoid the usual slapstick staleness that plagues most movies. This style of comedy didn't detract from the movie but added another layer to help reset the tension and keep you engaged in the movie from start to finish. Plus, you've got a nice combination of styles in store as well, so two thumbs up for that.
The Emotion in the Story: The movie does not have the most unique story, something hard to accomplish in this age of saturation. Yet this Marvel version of the Lion King is packed with so many moments to send one into an emotional fervor, sending you on a roller coaster ride of feelings. Black Panther will be inspiring to many, bringing approving claps and motivation to change the world. It's a moral filled tale that brings out the dynamic use of technology, the importance of family, and the dilemmas of a new king having to face. While I'm not the biggest supporter of dramas, Black Panther manages to make the drama feel less soap opera like that many movies fail to avoid.
The Ending: Many f Marvel's movies often fail to find that satisfying ending to conclude the awesome tale. Black Panther, manages to keep everything going from start to finish and brings all the building tension to full boil with an exciting climax. All the characters are brought into the mix, having some involvement in the conflict at hand, as they fight in impressive choreographed battles. And while our combatants dance in the virtual field, the story continues to progress and the characters develop with each swing of the weapon. It utilizes all the elements that they had developed during the movie, which goes to show story telling is still alive.
DISLIKES:
Impressionable Hate: More of a warning, the main villain is not only skilled and deadly, but has a surprising amount of hate contained in his chiseled body. Killmonger is a character that has a lot of issues, and his plot to change the world is something that can motivate impressionable minds down the wrong avenue. Be careful when taking friends and younger audience members to the film who have difficulty understanding character flaws.
Martin Freeman: The movie did an okay job with the former hobbit, but I expected a lot more from Freeman's character. Though there is some comic relief, and a little action with his character, Freeman really didn't feel that pertinent to the story until near the very end. Such a legendary actor deserved some more relevance to the plot, some extra comedy, or at least some better development to justify the price tag that comes with him. Not the weakest character mind you, but not what I expected.
More Action: No surprise, Robbie want's more action in his Marvel movie. With Black Panther, I had worried that most of the excitement was ruined in the trailers, especially with a huge gap between those action-packed sequences. Had it not been for the ending, I would have been disappointed in this quality, but still I wanted more to be unleashed in this movie to put T'Challa's skills to the test.
The VERDICT:
Black Panther is by far one of the better Marvel films to grace the theaters and shows promise for the future of the series. The tale has fantastic visuals to bring the world to life, alongside amazing writing and acting to further bring Wakanda to the playing field. It keeps its characters engaged and fills the 2-hour 15-minute run time with an emotional fervor to keep you integrated into every aspect until that incredible ending sequence. However, the movie still has a few limitations including needing a little more action, a dab more of Martin Freeman's relevance, and a slight decrease in predictability to make this a perfect film in the Marvel universe. Still, the film gets massive props for reviving the Marvel movement this year. So definitely get out there and see Black Panther and unleash the beast that dwells within all us comic book fans.
My scores are:
Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi: 9.0
Movie Overall: 8.0