Does it live up to the hype?

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2018)

Admittedly I wasn't able to see this film on opening weekend, yet that didn't matter at all because everyone else did. The movie grossed over 200 million dollars on it's opening weekend, becoming only the fifth movie in history to do so. But is the movie really worth all the high praise? A 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88 on Metacritic? Well the movie is not perfect at all but it is absolutely worth the price of admission. First of all the acting is not 100% solid, Chadwick Boseman is good but a bit bland and uninspired in the leading role. The rest of the supporting cast is serviceable but the standouts by far are Letitia Wright (Shuri), Andy Serkis (Klaue) and Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger). These performances are dynamic, electric and charismatic and are truly the best parts of the film. Michael B. Jordan gives us the most charismatic performance any MCU has ever had while delivering the most memorable and complex Marvel villain to date. I'ts a shame that he's only in about 20 minutes of the actual movie since he is one if not the best part of the film. The visual color palette in this film is amazing and yes I am talking about a Marvel film (lol). The film's cinematography and color is very pleasing to the eyes as Marvel has taken the complaints of their previous films to heart. Ryan Coogler, the director, did a great job with this film and continues to impress me at such a young age. By 31 he's already wowed me with his meticulous direction in Fruitvale Station, he's inspired me to actually get off my couch for once with Creed and now has delivered a really fun MCU film. However not all is sunshine in Wakanda as the visual effects leave much to be desired. For a Marvel flick with a budget of 200 million dollars some of the effects are plainly put, unacceptable. The uncanny valley is way too noticeable on several times during the run-time this unfortunately breaks the level of immersion and enjoyment. No spoilers, but there is a scene during the third act of the film in which I just lost it. The effects were so laughably bad, during the scene, that I just couldn't maintain my composure. I was put under the scrutiny of the whole theater as they turned towards me to try and comprehend why somebody would laugh at the climax of a film. This reaction makes me think that most people won't have a problem with the CGI this time around. Although in reality the scene looks as if it was a video game cut-scene taken right out of the Playstation 2. Regardless I think this film is worth a watch just don't expect to walk into the 12 Angry Men or the Citizen Kane of Marvel films. Curb your expectations and be ready for a flawed yet awesome good time at the cinema.
Final Score: 7/10