Full characters, a vibrant world, and an engrossing tale.

Rating: 10/10 (17 March 2019)

Black Panther is one of those movies that, years from now, everyone will look back at and ask "how did this not win all the awards?" It's intricate, filled with such a world, and remains entertaining all the same.
Writing/Direction: Ryan Coogler, man. Yes. The dude really knows how to make a movie. From his directional touch that really pulls us into the world of Wakanda to the writing that creates such vivid characters that really go to their full potential, Ryan Coogler has created a masterpiece not only as a superhero movie, but as a general film.
Performances: Chadwick Boseman IS T'challa and is practically perfect in his casting. He's great, no denying it. The thing that intrigued me, however, is how he seemed a bit outplayed by his supporting ensemble. No offense to Chadwick, but there's a lot more at play than the lead in this film and I really appreciate that. The women of Wakanda are especially badass. Lupita, Danai, and Letita shine as Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri respectively. They're fantastic female characters who have fantastic performers behind them. I could say some stuff about Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis, who both give off appealing enough performances, Angela Basset, who practically plays herself (very well I might add), the formidable and capable Winston Duke, and Daniel Kalluya, who continues to hold his own. However, I firmly believe none of them hold a candle to Michael B. Jordan's performance as the central villain, Erik Killmonger. He gains our sympathy throughout the film while still being a fairly intimidating villain with complex motives and reasoning that makes the viewer (and T'challa) think. He gives a performance that puts him at the top of the Marvel villain list (not quite at the top of all CBM villains, I mean, Heath Ledger amiright?).
I still insist on praising just about every aspect of this film. Tell me you haven't listened to Ludwig Goranssen's killer soundtrack and it hasn't gotten stuck in your head. Tell me you weren't mesmerized by the production design that made Wakanda so palatable. Tell me you weren't impressed by the beautiful costumes, well-choreographed fights, and awesome cinematography that was shown throughout. (The only thing that holds merit is some CGI issues, but even then, consider their challenge and look at the beautiful establishing shots of Wakanda and tell me that's not some beautifully rendered CGI.)
Black Panther is a fully realized world with vibrant characters and an engrossing tale and serves as a new standard for filmmaking. (10/10)