Black To Their Best

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2018)

A Marvel-ous juxtaposition of colourful African tradition & dress and space-age technology, thanks to a vibranium meteor crashing into central Africa thousands of years ago.
We also get some lashings of black history and moral tales therein as T'Challa struggles with his new position of ruler of the mysterious country of Wakanda following the death of his father T'Chaka in the terrorist blast in Vienna as seen in Captain America: Civil War.
It also turns out that his Royal predecessors also appeared very stuck in their ways with regards to how they dealt with the local tribes and the outside world all around them, which the new ruler wants to see changed. There is after all, so much more the wealthy can do for the less fortunate. Even if it does mean revealing your secret mountain of vibranium.
The newly appointed modern king also has to confront a secret that his father and a good friend kept from him. This leads to a rather unsavoury assault and challenge to his throne.
And along the way, we don't just get the odd touch of dealing with a few race issues, feminism gets a good look-in as well given the extremely bad-ass female Wakandan army headed up by General Okoye. Proper not-to-be-messed-with she is, I can tell you.
Throw in princess Shuri, sister to T'Challa, who is a funny James Bond 'M'-esque character who invents, builds and supplies weapons and super suits for her brother and we are well on the way to a quite relevant Marvel movie, that is full of action and fun.
And we must not forget Andy Serkis who is as amusing as he is menacing as the illegal and ironically-named arms dealer baddie, Ulysses Klaue.
Black Panther quite up there with the best of the Marvel Studios movies to date, but one that remains solid throughout and pushes the franchise not just forward but in a slightly different direction.
Roll on Infinity War and Captain Marvel that's what I say!
Make mine Marvel! And Infinity.