Black Superhero Lives Matter

Rating: 8/10 (25 February 2018)

GRADE: B
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: Black lives really matter in this well-made movie, but it is hardly the ground-breaking innovative pop entertainment that one expects after all of the hype.
JIM'S REVIEW: The reviews are in for Ryan Coogler's Black Panther and they have been glowing..."A cultural phenomenon"..."A monumental achievement in filmmaking"...So is all of the hoopla justified or is this film simply a well-made example of a crowd-pleasing comic book action hero movie? Obviously, my opinion won't change any moviegoer's viewpoint as the film is on its way to be one of the highest-grossing films of the year. But review it I will...
Black Panther does follow the formula of most superhero movies: establish its hero and villain, build the conflict between them while laying out the mythology and origins, and creates endless CGI battles. The difference here is its predominantly African-American cast and crew overtly celebrating its own cultural heritage. The film also takes its time to delineate its supporting characters and make them fully-rounded individuals of merit. Kudos to that, and its message of social and political conscience found within its story.
The film firmly celebrates racial and gender equity in its depiction of an utopian universe called Wakanda. This isolationist African nation is a technically advanced place with a peace-loving population of various tribes who have no interest in being included with the outside world and its troubles. They purposely make their country's appearance as an impoverished third world country to our real world. But beneath its surface, there is a secret powerful substance called vibranium that protects this Kwanzaa territory and makes their Lion King into a Black Panther who will reign supreme. That is, until evil forces discover this metal for weaponry and corrupt power.
Yes, the basic set-up of superhero versus super villain remains intact and much of the film's beginnings are, while compelling, still long exposition posing as a story. Our hero is T' Chaka (a fine Chadwick Boseman) who is in love with a very independent woman named Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o, ever so classy). T'Chalka (a.k.a. Black Panther) becomes king and must stop the outside world from getting their stash of vibranium at all costs. Helping him is Okoye (a terrific Danai Gurira), a fearless female warrior, and her Amazonian army of bodyguards. This film uses women power to the max, another timely positive touch in this MeToo state-of-the-world mindset.
Mr. Coogler directs with skill and confidence. His debut film, Fruitvale Station, an under-appreciated crime film, showed a new talent to behold, and his second feature, Creed, established a director with an unique vision. This film, his third, shows a visionary craftsman that stages his action scenes with flair, especially his climactic battle on land and in air. His deft hand elevates this film from standard superhero mode to a film of importance and authority.
However, one wishes the screenplay by Joe Robert Cole and the director would have been more adventurous in breaking out of the standard issue formula found in this fantasy genre. It does, at one point, venture out and begins to resemble more of a spy homage to James Bond, complete with fast cars and gadgetry, but then it goes safely back to comic book land and gets lost in its overindulgence of CGI effects, some of which are too noticeably fake.
As written, our hero is rather a bland crusader whose supporting army of warriors are far more interesting than the main character himself. The world and characters spinning around him is a more exciting bunch. As with most action flicks, it must be the villains who have the necessary know-how to engage the audience. And in Black Panther, we have, not one, but two evil forces that are great foils. Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue is the antithesis of sinister evil as a black market arms dealer and makes a lasting impression, but stealing the film is Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, one of the most memorable villains since Heath Ledger's Joker. Mr. Jordan is dynamic as the vengeful rival wanting to seize the throne. He brings a street-wise edginess to the narrative very convincingly and is able to give his complex character a tragic side as well, no easy feat.
Rounding out the cast are such talented performers as Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, John Kani, and Daniel Kaluuya. Also giving great support are British actors Martin Freeman as a C.I.A. agent (with a perfect American accent too) and Letitia Wright in a breakout performance as T'Challa's savvy sister, Shuri.
At the risk of sounding too kumbaya, Black Panther has its flaws, but it is a rollicking good time. It doesn't break any new cinematic frontier as one is led to expect by the critical hosannas, nor does it redefine film history (except for the fact that the film industry has now discovered a black audience's willingness to pay green). But as entertainment goes, the movie repeatedly scores...and that's no easy feat either.