Good, Though A Tad Overrated

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2018)

Black Panther is the latest MCU movie. After he appeared in Civil War, there was much hype for Black Panther getting his own solo film. After seeing it I think this is the best MCU movie since Civil War. Is it the best MCU movie? No. I feel like every time one of these comes out now everyone praises it as the best in the MCU. Critics said that about Thor Ragnarok when that came out. I liked that film, but really it was an okay film at best. Black Panther is definitely better than Ragnarok. I'd it's actually a genuinely good movie, but not without its faults.
The general cliff notes plot is as follows. With his father dead, T'Challa/the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) is now the king of his home country of Wakanda, the most advanced, and secluded, nation on Earth. However, our main villain Killmonger challenges the new king's reign and attempt to use Wakanda's advanced technology to dominate the world.
First I'll delve into the positives. Firstly, I really like the Black Panther as a character. I was already impressed with him in Civil War, but I wanted to hold off judgement until he got his own movie. Now I can say Black Panther is my second favorite MCU character behind Captain America. The side characters were pretty decent too.
The film has great cinematography as well. The majority of the film takes place in Africa/Wakanda and it looks fantastic. Not only that, but the film does a fairly good job delving into the culture of Wakanda and its inner workings, backstory, and political stances and issues.
Most of the action was good and shot very well, with a couple exceptions, which I'll get into. I also like the style this film has, from its opening and closing aminations, to its score, to even way of using text and credits. You'll know what I mean when you see the film.
Killmonger, in my opinion, is one of the better MCU villains, up there with Loki and Zemo. His goal is rather basic, but his motivations are understandable to where you can sympathize with him to a degree. Michael B. Jordan does a great job in the performance as well.
The film is not perfect though, as I've stated. The movie has the same issues the Thor movies do. The scenes in Wakanda are great, but the scenes in our society, while not bad, don't measure up in comparison. While most of the action was good there were a couple underwhelming scenes. The opening action in particular was shot too dark and filmed with much shaky cam that it was hard to enjoy. The final fight between Black Panther and Killmonger was also too short and underwhelming.
Lastly, the minor villain played by Andy Serkis I did not care for at all. Andy Serkis is a great actor, but this was definitely not one of his best performances. I don't blame Serkis, but more the lines and direction he was given.
Overall, Black Panther is a very solid entry in the MCU. Is it the best like so many say it is? No. Is it revolutionary, like many claims? No. Nevertheless, it's still a good movie that's worth seeing if you're a fan of the MCU or just comic book or action movies in general.