Black Panther is
arguably the most anticipated film starring a Marvel comic character, next to Deadpool 2 and Avenger: Infinity Wars. Chadwick Boseman returns after thrilling
audiences with his performance as the new king of Wakanda, T’Challa, in Captain America: Civil War. This time,
he’s joined with an all star cast in Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Forrest
Whitaker, and Martin Freeman. Fans will not be disappointed with this two-and-a-half-hour
film that sets the bar high for films in 2018. It’s a film that goes far beyond
the big screen and has decades of history building up to this moment.
The Black Panther has been around since his arrival in an
issue of The Fantastic Four back in
1966. The character has also made appearances in several television cartoons,
video games and now films. T’Challa has always remained constant in the Marvel
universe for several reasons other than a fancy cat suit. The Black Panther is
armed with unlimited wealth, dangerous fighting techniques, and superior
technology. His sole mission, the protection of his country Wakanda and to keep
its secrets hidden from the outside world.
The film stays true to these principles; starting off a week
after the events of Captain America:
Civil War. In that short amount of time, T’Challa is just realizing his potential
as king and as the new black panther. While T’Challa does what he can, other
players are working behind the scenes to dethrone the new king for personal
reasons. Michael B. Jordan provides a methodical, vicious antagonist for Boseman
by portraying someone with deep scars connected to Wakanda. Jordan’s
performance is spot on and the chemistry between the two delivers for one hell
of a showdown in the film.
Some of the best moments of the film are when you get to see
certain parts of Wakanda and the rituals that take place. Some scenes are so beautiful,
it almost breaks your heart because you have to remember that’s not a real
place. The film is dragged out in some areas, but those are short lived, and
the action sequences are terrific. The gadgets are somewhat farfetched, but the
film does find a way of making it work. There are some political views
expressed in the film that may turn off people who just want to be entertained,
but I’m not going there.
Black Panther is a
fun ride with a well written story that sets up Marvel for arguably their
biggest release, Avenger: Infinity Wars. There’s
two post film scenes; one in the middle and the other one is at the end. I give
this film a nine out of ten only because of the dragging scenes and farfetched
gadgets, but this film is virtually perfect. I’m not saying that Deadpool and
Avengers won’t beat it, but they have a high bar to reach. Congratulations to
all involved on bringing this highly anticipated character to life and I will be
seeing this movie again as soon as possible.
