Exceeded expectations with very few flaws. Definitely one of my favourite Marvel films.

Rating: 9/10 (13 February 2018)

I am a big comic fan. Both in the literal sense of my stature and weight, and in the extent in which I enjoy the medium. I rarely actually find time to read comics, despite having no real job or any other vacuum of time. Still, I can remember when I was younger and my attention span hadn't been eroded into nothingness. Back then, I had many favourite characters. There was the classics like Spider-Man, and the more niche choices such as Moon Knight. Somewhere in the middle was King T'Challa, or the Black Panther if you would prefer.
I won't go the full route of claiming that, since I am of mixed race, a character of a racial minority helped guide me and give me confidence, acting as my sole role-model. Still, though, it was quite interesting as a child seeing the other half of what I came from. Granted, my great-grandfather was Jamaican, but the concept remains the same. I don't believe there is a mixed race superhero (though do please correct me if I'm wrong) but I also don't really need one. When I heard that Black Panther movie was announced, I quickly became nervous. Obviously, I was elated that one of my childhood favourites would finally be getting a big-screen adaptation. Still, I was worried that the film would push politics into my semi-developed brain. Recently, there's been quite the surge of people demanding representation. Obviously, this should happen. Black people exist, and they should be shown in film. The same goes for everyone else, regardless of race, gender etc. Personally, however, I feel this has come at the expense of quality. Finn, the first main black character in Star Wars, is an embarrassment in my mind. While many applauded Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, I feel both her acting, and the film as a whole, were lacking. She simply fits the character well, allowing her to pass semi-believably. I was horribly nervous that Black Panther would be yet another casualty to this. I thought he might abide by all black stereotypes by being loud, emotional and overly aggressive. Much to my relief, this film seemed to understand this, and avoid it.
In the comics. T'Challa is a wise and level-headed king. Obviously, in the films, he is currently younger than he is often shown on the page, but these traits are still present. He is dignified and a strong leader, but isn't above enjoying himself every now and then. Unlike many other Marvel protagonists, T'Challa isn't cracking jokes mid-fight. He remains serious, grounded in the severity of the situations he finds himself in. He doesn't seem to find much pleasure in combat, he simply does it because, ultimately, it is often the right thing to do. The villain, on the other hand, is almost the polar opposite. In another film, Killmonger may well end up as the misunderstood Anti-hero protagonist. Here, however, he is treated as well intentioned but ultimately misguided. This is something I can respect. I was truly surprised by this film; I expected the protagonist and antagonist's personalities to be reversed, but I ended up with the film I didn't know I wanted.
The characters are quite wonderful. Both T'Challa and his younger sister Shuri are handled wonderfully, and I could actually believe their sibling bond. In fact, Shuri (despite one horribly misplaced attempt at reviving a meme) ended up being one of my favourite characters in the film. She wasn't a stereotypical 'strong and independant woman' character. She was both of those things, but she also had her own flaws and imperfections, separating her from the ranks of Rey and Diana Prince. The writing in addition to Letitia Wright's wonderful performance made for a great character I'd love to see more from. Michael B. Jordan has an odd place in my superhero-oriented mind. I doubt I can forgive him for 'Fant4stic' but his performance in this film almost changed my mind. His character as shown in the trailers looked incredibly forgettable and one-note, but in the film, it's a very different story. I shan't give any spoilers for those who are yet to see it, but I doubt anybody will be left disappointed. It was definitely a direction I hadn't expected both Marvel and Disney to go in, and I'm incredibly pleased by the mature and politically neutral choices.
I wasn't really a fan of Martin Freeman's character in Civil War (he was only really there to be in this, despite what his character's name may suggest) and he's perfectly serviceable in this. Honestly, rather ironically, he just seems to be here for diversity, in an attempt to show that not all white people are evil. Himself and Andy Serkis even took to calling themselves the marvellously titled 'Tolkien white boys'. Speaking of Mister Serkis, he seemed to be having an absolute blast. Each scene he was in was packed with energy. Unfortunately, he was horribly underused. I'd love to see him in some future films, as unlikely as it would seem.
Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, as I mentioned previously, was wonderful. I'm now nervous for Infinity War; I fear they may do the character an injustice by showing him too little, or writing him poorly. I do feel I can safely rule out the actor as a problem if anything goes wrong; this performance shows he can carry a film.
It's rare that I'd give a whole section of a review to this, but the action was brilliant. The climax of the film was overly busy for my tastes (there was basically three fights going on at once) but each aspect was given a great deal of detail. While I am a novice in the subject, I believe I saw various different forms of martial arts at play during various duels etc. It was pleasant seeing real technique used rather than the classic Marvel method of 'hit him really hard' or 'shoot a laser'. It was also incredibly brutal; there was blood used frequently, and each punch actually looked like it hurt. Towards the end, there was a moment where there really should have been blood, but I feel censorship may have intervened; they probably want as many people to see this film as possible, children included. Personally, I would have rather seen the climax come down to a simple duel to really show off the choreography and talent at play. Nevertheless, the film was thoroughly enjoyable.
The music was used incredibly intelligently. From the trailer, I feared it would all simply be rap music. I've nothing against the genre, but it wouldn't fit the comicbook character. To my relief, however, music was used incredibly intelligently. If you know of the musical 'Hamilton' you may understand. Within it, rap mostly follows the titular character, while the character of Aaron Burr is closer to RnB, featuring more vocal talent and soul rather than blisteringly quick verses. A similar technique is used here. T'Challa is accompanied by what I assume is classic African music, while Killmonger is followed by hiphop, fitting their characters brilliantly. Rather ironically, when the more traditional superhero music reared it's head, it was a disappointment. This film probably has the best music of any Marvel film. I'm actually considering buying the album by Kendrick Lamar in order to support the film further.
Even from a regular film perspective, I think this film succeeded. The cinematography was gorgeous at times. It occasionally fell into the more standard, dull, static shots, but for the most part, it was great. The visual effects were also, as to be expected, impressive. Much like Iron Man, I found myself longing for a suit of my own. (Any scientists reading, add this to the list. Along with real Pokemon and so on.)
There was a few minor inaccuracies and inconsistencies, but compared to how I feel about many Disney films nowadays, I feel this film was, to put it simply, a marvel. It might simply be because I am writing this right after seeing it, but this is probably one of my favourite Marvel films period. I daren't give a 10, lest I regret it later, so instead I'll give it a 9.5/10. It was the most fun I've had in a cinema watching a film like this since Logan. I wish to thank Ryan Coogler, the cast and crew for smashing my expectations and restoring some hope in the Marvel franchise. Black Panther is now in cinemas, and I implore you all to watch it. For anyone wondering, there is two end credits scenes. One in the middle, and one at the end.
(Completely unrelated, please be quite during a film viewing in the cinema? I appreciate this doesn't apply to 99.99% of you, so thanks, but while I watched this, there was a group of teenage girls behind me. They spoke through the entire film, so I now know which of the cast they'd most like to have sex with. Congratulations, I suppose, Mr. Jordan.)