Marvel has finally cracked how to create a good origin story

Rating: 8/10 (23 February 2018)

After the death of his father, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), returns home to the isolated and technologically-advanced African land of Wakanda, to take his place on the throne. The appearance of a powerful enemy threatens T'Challa's place as king, Wakanda, and the whole world.
Our take: See it in theaters.
Post credit scene? There's technically a mid-credits scene. And a post credit scene. It's Marvel movie, just stay.

There is no doubt that you should see Black Panther and you should see it in theaters. It is a culturally groundbreaking film that deserves, and needs, support. It's a fresh look at the beauty of a movie with a nearly all-black cast. However, it doesn't escape some of the major Marvel pitfalls of the last ten years.
On the positive side, Marvel has finally cracked the code on origin stories - instead of getting bogged down with a full-fledged introductory movie, they introduced T'Challa in an earlier film. It worked for Sony's Spider-Man: Homecoming, and it works here.
The visuals are extraordinary, and much like Avatar, they are best viewed in 3-D or IMAX. One cannot watch the film without appreciating the costume designers, make-up artists, and production design teams. It's a masterpiece in all of these regards.
Yet, the film has issues that can't be easily ignored. Black Panther's plot is a throwaway when taken in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many viewers going into the film know that T'Challa will persevere as the Balck Panther and king of Wakanda leading into Infinity War. As such, any tension that could have existed is non-existent. Even for those that weren't armed with this particular knowledge, it was incredibly contrived and predictable. It's a low-stakes film and that's felt throughout.
In some ways, Killmongerer (Michael B. Jordan) is a step up from previous Marvel villains. Fueled by the anger stemming from years of oppression, he is the most relatable human antagonist that Marvel has ever seen on screen. Yet, none of that changes the fact that he is a disposable-one-film, one-dimensional villain.
And failing where most Marvel films excel, the film's score leaves more to be desired. It makes The Amazing Spider-Man's score seem decent, and that's saying something.

Another note to make about the film is how carefully utilized the few non-POC characters are. The presence of Martin Freeman (as Everett K. Ross) and Andy Serkis (as Ulysses Klaue) in this cast can't be overlooked, but the filmmakers knew what to do with them. They are background characters, but they didn't seem to be there superfluously. They didn't draw attention to their presence in exceptionally negative or positive ways. They were the token white men in a diverse cast, but it was tastefully done.
Featuring: an original soundtrack curated by Kendrick Lamar.