Sleek, fierce claws and bite, you can't take your eyes off it... and yes, gloriously black all over

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2018)

T'Challa(Boseman, charismatic, not mistaking considering issues for being indecisive) returns to his homeland of Wakanda to succeed his late father as king after the latter's sudden murder. Will he continue the way things have worked for centuries, or go down a different path? How does one best aid one's own people? And does that extend beyond your nation's borders? Can he stop Killmonger(B. Jordan, passionate, wrong only in how far he goes and not in what he seeks to solve), before he tears the country apart from within?
This shares a lot of traits with The Wonder Woman solo movie. It's about time that they are made. but being filmed now, they can use recent events, and the franchise they belong to, to great effect. They celebrate, not excuse, not mock, not downplay, the traits typically thought of as natural, or even culturally, historically, geographically, important to the minority that they're about. They're telling a story important to that group. Exploring themes specific to them. Presenting a fictional, powerful country, where they are in charge, they are the rule rather than the exception, and govern by their strengths. And now to get into what separates this from the Gal Gadot-led picture, and I'm not saying that movie could have, or should have, done this, as it is, intentionally, a different story. That is about a woman on her own, in a world dominated by men. This is fully immersed in African culture. It is relevant to black people in the US, and all over the world. But it's not about immigrants, or their descendants. Which is not to say that it's snobby. Free of the pressures of the majority of the population who are distinct from them, never made to be ashamed of who they are, The Five Tribes do have all the power that their kin continue to fight for as they have for hundreds of years. In fact, far more than that. And so, it asks, how do you use that? What makes a great leader?
All the visuals are dazzling. Costumes, sets, designs, cinematography, etc. The acting is great. Shuri(Wright, infectious smile, casual, a brilliant engineer) steals every scene she's in. Coogler, known for drama, of course handles that aspect with a deft hand. And unusually for a first-time Blockbuster director, also the action, scope and massive budget. A little of the coverage and editing is awkward, showing his inexperience. but that is barely noticeable. The James Bond meets The Godfather feel blends the classic with the ultra-modern perfectly. The ancestral plane seems made for going into father son relationships. The War rhinos(!) Are an inspired touch. This is full of black women. They aren't looked down on, or angry side-kicks. Several are serious bad-asses. They give the protagonist advice, from their different perspectives, and he considers all of it. My only real complaint is that this did not take the final step in making this completely accessible for those unfamiliar with the MCU. If you did not watch the film that introduces the Black Panther, you will not understand, as this does not retell, what happened after the explosion that hits the UN. And since going blind into that film is even more confusing(If you watch Age of Ultron before it, you can follow it no problems... but not everybody knows that), that means this can't be watched by everyone. So I urge you. If you didn't already, catch those two films first, then go see this . Obviously, not everyone has, or will, see all 17 leading up to this.
There is some violence and strong language in this. I recommend this to everyone. I give this a perfect rating not to even out the overall score, a practice I do not believe in, but because it deserves it. I reserve that for only the best. I give it rarely. And I am thrilled to award it to this. 10/10