A strong entry for marvel, which almost lives up to the hype

Rating: 7/10 (22 February 2018)

Prior to seeing BP, I read a lot about the movie and how great it was, a game changer, an event. I didn't think the movie could live up to this hype and felt a lot of the sentiment was probably down to what the movie signifies and stands for, rather than the quality of the movie itself.
I was right I feel, but only just. The movie has a fairly straightforward solid plot. Its characters are quite well rounded. Its visuals are quite beautiful. But for each of these positives there is a negative underneath the surface,
The plot itself is pretty light. there really isnt too much to it. And I think for a complicated villain- which is what they were trying to create, the plot, his motivations and more importantly the way he planned to execute those motivations was too simple.
The well rounded characters are just too many really. You cant in a 2 hour movie really get to grips with 10 characters, who are all largely new to you. At times Boseman seemed on point- at other times, it just seemed that his deep contemplation had nothing behind it. Having a slightly longer run time- they could have used more time for a couple of moments of personal reflection. Or one or two more moments where Tchalla and Killmonger spoke alone.. to talk as intelligent people, with a mutual understanding and awareness. we got this, at the end. But for me it seemed to hard a shift. from the aggression of killmonger and the unwillingness of t'challa to really try to avoid the fight.. to now a moment of sympathy and empathy. i wanted to spend more time with killmonger, when was just him.. not giving orders, not forwarding the plan or plot. the supporting cast could have also had more time, but thats a more minor point.
finally the visuals in terms of landscapes were beautiful. The country of wakanda which they created, was this amazing mix of tech and earth.. but the moment there were any fight scenes, you got the same shaky cam, too close, too blurred rubbish which is very popular in movies these days. The fact that the hero and villain are both cgi only made the action look more fake, and harder to make out.. in a way it reminded me of transformers and the awful fight rendering. you just dont feel there is actual weight/gravity.. it all looks quite doll like.
The above being addressed, would have made this one of the great movies.. As it is, it is one of the great comic book movies.