Best Marvel Film since Winter Soldier

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2018)

I saw Black Panther yesterday, having not seen any trailers and not really knowing much about it, and I absolutely loved it! I've been a little disappointed with most of the recent Marvel films so I wasn't sure what I'd think of this one but I was pleasantly surprised.
Black Panther follows the story of King T'Challa of Wakanda, a hidden African nation filled with advanced technology, and his battle to protect his country.
This film was obviously a huge step forward in diversity. The cast is mostly black and the women are refreshingly not stereotypical and not over sexualised. It's so nice to see women portrayed as smart, political, and strong but with complex emotions and ambitions rather than being portrayed simply as the romantic interest or the warrior.
I thought that the story was brilliant. In the past, Marvel has not shied away from making political statements in their films and this was no different. There were moments that moved me to tears, the characters were likeable and well-developed, and the plot was clever, believable and well paced.
The visuals in this film were absolutely stunning. The use of colour, in particular, really helped to establish the beauty of the country of Wakanda. The costumes were vibrant and the special effects were amazing.
It did have a bit of a different feel to a lot of the Marvel films. This was potentially due, in part, to the fact that it was mostly separate from the previously established world of The Avengers. Most of the recent Marvel films have included cameos of various members of The Avengers or other well-established Marvel characters whereas Black Panther did not. Since T'Challa had already been introduced in Civil War, there was no need to connect this too strongly with The Avengers. To me it felt enough like it was part of the univere but a little secluded, like Wakanda.
My only real issue with Black Panther was that the humour fell a little flat. It felt like an awkward dad trying to be "down with the kids". This was particularly disappointing as Marvel films often have the perfect balance of action, emotion and comedy whereas it just didn't work in this film.
Overall though I immediately fell in love with this film and I cannot wait to see how it links in to the rest of the Marvel universe in Avengers: Infinity War.