All Hail the King

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 2018)

Fans have been begging for years to have Marvel bring the world's first ever black superhero to life on the big screen, and Marvel finally brought Black Panther into the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through 2016's 'Captain America: Civil War', a film which showcased how flawlessly Black Panther could work in film. It was clear that Marvel had a new hit character on their hands, but with the release of Black Panther, I don't think even Marvel had any idea the social impact the film would create. Black Panther (BP) is more than a studiously entertaining superhero film, more than another superb entry into the MCU; Black Panther symbolizes a prominent political statement, a celebration of culture, an enormous racial representation in superhero films and does it all while delivering one of Marvel's most enjoyable films to date.
Marvel could not have chosen a better director/writer than Ryan Coogler, who pieced together a story like none we've seen before in the MCU, a story which is as firmly grounded and thought provoking as it is entertaining. The revelation of the fabled fictional city of Wakanda kick starts the entire story and the film uses its main setting as a vessel into the overall narrative and the characters which inhabit it. Wakanda is truly like a character of its own. The believed-to-be third world county holds a nearly endless supply of the world's most treasured resource, vibranium, which is literally the centerfold around the entire plot and Coogler uses the fictional country to his advantage. Wakanda is easily one of the most enthralling settings I've ever seen in a superhero film and the story feeds off it greatly.
The main narrative oozes with profound themes, exploring real-world issues like isolationism, the costs of colonialism and more, while delivering the exceptional spectacle of a fantastical adventure/fantasy film. There's the insanely advanced technology and superpowers, but it's running through a still somewhat primal, strongly traditional country, and Coogler mixes these elements to near perfection. The movie progresses at a stellar pace, providing well-executed plot twists along the way and eventually bringing its story full circle in a satisfying fashion. There's still sprinkles of that classic Marvel humor, but with a grounded plot, there's more commitment to serious storytelling which is a huge welcome after 2017 was full of comedy-heavy Marvel films. Black Panther is sincerely a tremendous three acts of engaging storytelling and Coogler deserves a great deal of praise for executing such a captivating story.
Black Panther boasts a set of characters more interesting and engaging than arguably any MCU film before it, a strength which propels BP's story to the next level. We see T'Challa's story arc that was launched in Civil War continue here, the struggle of becoming the next king of Wakanda while wrestling with potential division in his own country. T'Challa is a complex, expertly-written lead character whose portrayal by superstar Chadwick Boseman is full of dedication and swagger. Following this dazzling outing, Black Panther is one of the MCU's best characters without question. Opposite T'Challa is a villain who arguably climbs into Marvel's top three villains thus far. Erik Killmonger presents one of Marvel's most emotionally engaging villains yet. Killmonger's story is equally as interesting as any other character; he presents understandable motives and is a grounded, realistically written villain for our current real world. Michael B. Jordan delivers a spectacular performance as T'Challa's nemesis, the stand out character of the whole film.
Black Panther separates from other recent superhero films by giving its main character a true loyal alliance to feed off, which is where the aforementioned set of characters come into play. Wakanda's all-female special force leader, Okoye (Danai Gurira), T'Challa's tech-genius sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and his ex, now Wakandan spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) not only lead the way of a rock solid supporting cast but help give even more proper representation of powerful women in the MCU. Each character is formidable and simply entertaining, and all played wonderfully by their respective actresses. What's such a true victory for BP in the character department is that the auxiliary characters run even deeper. The star power is overwhelming; Sterling K. Brown, Winston Duke, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker all are simply eccentric. As secondary characters, they may not get loads of screen time, but these characters all fill Wakanda to make it, and the movie, feel alive and full of an actual culture.
Even further, Andy Serkis is vexingly gripping as Ulysses Klaue as his narrative thread continues from Avengers: Age of Ultron and Martin Freeman is a delightfully heartwarming surprise, reprising his role of Everett Ross. This stunning company of rounded, enticing characters is a vitally underrated aspect of Black Panther, and the acting cast is one for the ages.
It's easy to stay brief while discussing action and visuals in Marvel films, since their track record is one of the best in those departments. Black Panther is a visual treat. The astounding mix of traditional African culture and futuristic technology found in Wakanda make way for a show stopping atmosphere, filled with eye-popping colors and superb costume design. The CGI is gorgeous and even better with the mix of Marvel's amazing practical effects. More impressive to me, however, was the audible side of the film. MCU movies always have a solid, if safe score to work behind the acting but BP takes a great stride towards more recognizable scores. Like the visuals, the mix of traditional African drumming through djembes among others with the modern hip-hop of Kendrick Lamar, is emotionally riveting, giving intensity to the action scenes. Said action sequences are nothing short of fun; anchored by uniquely written situations and high-level choreography, the action is simply a blast.
This film has it all. The gloriously stunning atmosphere of Wakanda provides an enthralling visual and audible experience which is equally immersive and unique. From the top billed position to the supporting cast, there's not one weak link in the set of characters, which is loaded with premiere acting talent all the way through. Director Ryan Coogler makes his mark not only on the MCU, but on the film industry with a thematic story, which celebrates culture and delivers a down right fun and entertaining superhero flick to boot. With Black Panther, Marvel Studios continues to prove that the MCU is like a fine wine whose films only are getting better with age, and this adventure to Wakanda will stand the test of time as not only a spectacular superhero film, but as a legitimate, effective societal statement.
10/10