Rising Above The Hype

Rating: 8/10 (15 April 2018)

I went into this film fully expecting to be underwhelmed; only because it had been hyped so much. Black Panther did something only the likes of Deadpool did - it impressed despite being built up as a phenomenal film. For those of you who aren't as deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as you'd like, let me first discuss what the film is about and who the titular character is.
The first time we saw Black Panther was in Captain America: Civil War and like 50% of the characters, I didn't know a lot about him, but he stole every scene he was in, in that film. This film is his origin story, giving us a glimpse at the man (T'Challa) behind the mask and making us care and connect with the hero - something DC has been failing to do. Black Panther draws from the similar Lion King storyline, which in turn draws from the story of Hamlet; a king who is overthrown by a villainous counterpart, only to fight his way back to his rightful throne. That being said; it clearly isn't a shot for shot remake and blazes its own trail for the future Avenger.
Black Panther is highly entertaining, straddling the line between action and character-driven storytelling brilliantly. Chadwick Boseman - who get this, is 41-years-old - feels as though he was born to play the leading role; becoming one of the most natural on-screen heroes since Chris Evans' Captain America. Andy Serkis reminded me of how good of an actor he is, even without CGI. The women - specifically Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o's characters - held their own playing heavy roles throughout the film. In a film featuring two strong male leads, they're able to display even larger feats of strength and power - Nakia is no Lois Lane. This film was the most well-cast film I've ever seen. I continuously said "Oh I didn't know they were in this" throughout the film after quickly being sucked in by their character. I can't say anything bad about any of the characters' including the token white character Ross played by Martin Freeman who has quickly become the new Agent Coulson - connecting all of the MCU films together and having a much larger role in this film. However, the person that stole the show was Michael B. Jordan.
Jordan's Killmonger was outstanding, giving us the villain we didn't know we wanted and redeeming himself from his role in The Fantastic Four. Jordan is one of Hollywood's most underrated actors - have you seen Creed? You find yourself sympathizing with Killmonger throughout the film because he isn't your general good vs. evil villain. The reasoning behind his actions are understandable, delivering some of the most memorable lines from "Can you believe that? A kid from Oakland walking around and believing in fairytales," to "Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors what jumped from the ships because they knew death was better than bondage." A powerful character for such a powerful film, especially in today's racial climate.
The bottom line for Black Panther is it's an entertaining film that features culture and something new for a Superhero film. I don't have an official list on hand, but I know Black Panther would be in the top five films for me in the MCU - possibly top three. Don't miss out on this soon to be classic.