A Great Balance: It Had Identity

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2018)

Not only was Black Panther a film technically well-made - from the research, storytelling, visual effects, and, especially, the soundtrack - but Black Panther also made an impact. Despite some reviews calling it quite too ambitious (a fact that I did not see at all), it understood its role within the MCU and, quite obviously, society, which left moviegoers exiting the theaters with an agreeable praise.
Personally, the best opinion that I have of Black Panther is that it had a plethora of great balance.
It invited us into a world filled with African tradition while adding sci-fi nuances; I felt like I learned about classic African culture while simultaneously discovering advanced technology unlike anything I've seen before.
The story was well-paced and did not, for one second, waste the potential of any of the characters. There were many players introduced into this complex story, but they all had a voice to play - just as we do - in a world crumbling due to political tensions (something quite prominent in this film haha) and a kingdom divided by a tradition and progress. In fact, I think the abundance of characters each holding onto what's important to them in such contentious times is what simplified the story. Each person eventually came to an internal understanding of their roles within Wakanda, which helped center the story back to King T'Challa. In turn, this leaves more gravitas on his controversial decisions as a new king.
Killmonger (especially) is a character that lingers in my brain because he really embodies the victimized portrayal of "the villain is the hero in his own story". Despite being extremely belligerent and confrontational, he was a villain who is more centered than the average politician and has more purpose than many current world leaders. His arguments held truth, and I am 99% sure that the only reason that his ideals weren't executed was because he was too aggressive and not diplomatic enough. Killmonger makes a GREAT antihero to the untried King T'Challa because he made the newly crowned, untried, and demure T'Challa open his eyes to lives of the other 2 billion black people in the world. Consequently, this resolved T'Challa's inner strength and made him more politically adept; ironically, I'll even argue that Killmonger MADE his own foil by bringing out a diplomatic and resolute King T'Challa to Killmonger's brute and hostile nature.
Killmonger left us with many thought-provoking statements about oppression, the role of blacks all over the world, and our duty as people (or kings) to help each other without being an overbearing character or compromising T'Challa's already burdened storyline on being a new king.
In its own right, the film fits perfectly into our current societal climate and the Marvel Cinematic Universe - into this already complex sci-fi/magical world on the screen and the even more complicated world of reality.
I could go on with the many, many well-executed aspects of this film. But just by watching the film, you don't need an overly long list or review to get the idea that because of the story, technical details, and a justified but respectful message, Black Panther definitely opens the identity of - and thus gives more voice to - modern black society.