A genuine surprise

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2019)

I very nearly didn't watch this, because it had been so hyped for being the first all-black super-hero movie. I simply assumed it was being given high ratings by the black audience just out of loyalty, but I was wrong. It was refreshingly good, and very unusual. For a change it had some story and characters you could feel some sympathy with and, for a wonder, fight sequences that weren't just there to make fodder for the spin off video games. Ironically, I found it a bit racist, with its overly 'happy peasants in their wonderful country' vibe. Why should an African culture evolve to still keep peasant farmers and straw huts when every other culture that gets technological advances leaves that behind? Also, just taking spears and other primitive weapons and making them advanced also smacked of racism (they'd be far more likely to just adopt and advance guns) but these little quibbles aside I enjoyed it. I even teared up when the villain died - that NEVER happens in super-hero movies simply because the villain never really has complexity or anything to sympathise with. Great turn from Andy Serkis too and all the leads did their job well. Overall, it held my interest and I enjoyed it, and I don't often say that about a Marvel movie.