"Every breath you take is mercy from me."

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2018)

When I read the reviews of these super-hero movies I begin to wonder what the haters expect. Even with the film's generally high rating, a lot of the individual reviews bash this film for whatever reason, whether it's the story line, the CGI, the acting, take your pick. For me, it was a super-hero action flick that served well in that capacity, even if some of the elements are derivative of other sources. Certainly the costuming and cinematography is expertly done, and the character motivations are developed well enough to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. If there's a bone to pick it's with the screenwriters, I would have preferred less of the modern day tendency toward globalization that the picture fosters. Though the villain Erik Stevens/Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) made a compelling case for T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the rest of Wakanda to share their wealth, knowledge and resources with the rest of the world, I didn't see it as their obligation to do so. But the irony is, after all the fighting, death and destruction, T'Challa eventually wound up coming around to that side of the argument, which made Killmonger a martyr for no cause.
Once again, it was good to see Black Panther creator and Marvel Comic guru Stan Lee in a spot cameo as a casino patron in South Korea. The credits list him as a 'thirsty gambler', which makes it sound like he was some kind of lush but it didn't appear that way in the picture. I think my favorite character in the story was Letitia Wright's Shuri. She was smart, feisty, and dedicated to her brother and her country, and it didn't hurt that she looked like someone I know. A remarkable resemblance actually, and if I didn't know better, I'd think that Black Panther might live right down the street from me.