Hollywood's usual outlook on Africa

Rating: 4/10 (20 February 2018)

Black Panther presents outstanding visuals very much in tune with the Marvel cinematic universe. And whilst Director Ryan Coogler does an all-things-considered decent job of bringing a more considered, relevant and thought-provoking tale to the popcorn thrill dominated Marvel film repertoire. He fails in every other aspect. Whilst striving so hard to bring a 'minority' people to the ticket booth - all 2 billion as they say in the movie - he has done a tasteless disservice to white africans, allowing dialogue such as "colonists" and "another white person that needs fixing" to permeate the film. This somewhat racist leaning language is interspersed by easily the most stereotypical and completely absurd wannabe African accents from actors with no idea how to do it correctly. Compounding this is Hollywood's go-to bad guy in all things African, the big, white, Afrikaans accented man that eventually gets killed, but not before telling how awful the people of an African country are. Capitalising on yet another poor stereotype is the Wakandan's use of armoured Rhinoceroses, because nothing says conservation of an almost entirely extinct species with poor eyesight like strapping armour to it and charging it into battle.

White guilt with no substance, which is why of course it has been lauded by critics, who know so little of Africa, yet have spoken so much.