It's okay as long as you don't think too much about it

Rating: 6/10 (18 June 2020)

Black Panther is smarter than the average superhero movie, though that's not saying much. Just when you think this might be an intriguing movie there is a deus ex machina moment, plot convenience, or a really over-long CGI fight scene to remind you that this is simply another Marvel movie sliding off the conveyor belt. The ending speech that re-explains the plot is especially annoying.
There's a lot of inconsistencies. The suit can absorb a grenade with no noticeable impact yet he is blasted back by an RPG ten seconds later. Also for some reason the suit can redirect damage some moments but not others. Chalk that up to "plot armor" I guess.
In or out of the suit he is impervious, which leads to the major problem with Black Panther: the main character. He has no arc and has no flaws, unless you count being too humble and trusting. It's an incredibly boring character. I was actually rooting for the bad guy if only to make the film interesting. This is one of those weird films where the bad guys all have more personality and complex motivations than the good guys.
The royal family for first half of this movie is smug and unbearable, and for the second half are hypocrites defending a system they suddenly realize is horribly flawed, but only when it disadvantages them. But that is never explored. Their main motivation is revenge and to usurp the throne for the sake of ruling...exactly the motivation of the bad guy, except he actually has a nuanced backstory, charisma, and a philosophy he wants to put into practice.