Wakanda is the new Asgard

Rating: 6/10 (18 March 2018)

With Disney setting the ground rules, we now know that Captain America gets the adult themes, leaving Black Panther and the others to tow the family with it. Unfortunately, one of the villains from the backstory isn't really quite Disney, so the film mixes a Bond lack of sentimentality at the beginning before going full Lion King at the end. The political points do hit home properly, but don't stay with you.
The design and look of the film was as spectacular as sold, and mostly everything makes sense. It is this that will keep Black Panther going. There was a certain elan, which is missing from many other Marvel works. The afrofuturism provides an ever present thematic anchor.
The film follows the 'first in franschise' template that states you must see lots of Wakanda and its denizens. Yet when it is slightly mysterious it is much better. Consequenly too much time is spent with the royal family and it feels like Thor in Asgard. The film was strongest away from there.
At the end you can feel that this film was carefully guided down a safe path to protect it, but it could have done with less of that. Character development suffered because the Avengers gets all the good dialogue work. The final fight was the usual weakly choreographed fudge, a decades old format now. And the Black Panther is as strong in his mask as he is lightweight without it.