Does the newly crowned king
of Marvel
really deserve the hype?
There is no denying the cultural powerhouse
that is Black Panther. With rave reviews and roaring box office returns,
Marvels first foray into Wakanda is destined to be a royal hit. But beneath the social commentary and
community camaraderie, for the first African superhero, Does the King truly deserve
his throne?
There is one obvious jewel in the crown of
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. Community spirit. Never in a cinema going experience have I felt such an overwhelming level of anticipation for a comic movie. The
media hype prophesised a super-sized turning point in modern filmmaking and boy
does it succeed! Hollywood has never before graced a minority with a film of
such reverence and response, as Black Panther provides for the black community.
It has been long overdue but the king has finally arrived.
Nothing illustrates the welcome arrival of
the king of Wakanda more than when I spotted a group of black children, decked
out in Wakandan-esque face paint, posing beside their hero for a mother’s photo.
Everyone should see themselves in fantastical splendor as a superhero and
finally a few more of us can.
The political edge to Black Panther is not
limited to some marketing ploy. The movie plays as a spy thriller with a firm
grasp on the social storm it expertly whips up. Director Ryan Coogler handles
the social commentary sharply and you leave Black Panther with more than a few
things to think over. Hollywoods misconceptions of The Black community, Africa
and even Women are abolished as Coogler creates a powerful representation of
Wakanda, its people and its purpose. However, despite this avid awareness of
sociality there are some Caucasian-cussing lines that seemed unnecessary and
unworthy of Black Panthers natural nobility. Despite this, the dialogue, whilst
sometimes monologue heavy, definitely has something necessary to say.
Cooglers direction with the social material
is commendable but, it is his capabilities in action where Black Panther
stumbles. The action scenes are sparingly short and often rely on reaction
cutaways to fill in the fight scenes. But, when its good its fantastic. The
Dora Milaje (Kings female guards) are exceptional, watch out Wonder Woman! The
Korean chase scene and the jungle brawl are atmospheric and pacey, but blink
and they’re over. The finale suffers a similar fate, with a long drawn emotional build up, the Panther disappointingly
purred rather than roared during the final battle. Cooglers delve into sci-fi also whimpers slightly, with Wakanda renowned for its
technological advancement it can falter into silly territory; Warring Rhinos, hover
jets and comm devises sprinkle the plot try to remind us we’re watching a
Marvel movie. Black Panther is incredibly aware and noble in its combination of
comic-book social commentary but should never forget its superhero roots. More action please!
Where Black Panther does excel is in its exceptionally
talented cast, possibly the greatest ensemble performance of any of its
predecessors. Each actor resonates with passion, integrity and awareness to
make for wonderful performances. The women of Wakanda are truly awe-inspiring.
Danai Gurira's, portrayal of Okoye is mesmerizing. Her action scenes and angst as
her loyalty never falters is incredible and made me wonder, “What am I loyal
to?”. She deserves her spot in Infinity War with all her wig-wielding warrior wonder. Similarly, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia is the black widow we wanted, calm, collected and too
cool for the intense advances of a king. She is somewhat wasted in this role
but comic book sources show Nakia has a lot more to offer the Black Panther
mythology, sequel anyone? another talent, Angela Bassett is undoubtedly a Queen. Her
performance is brief but with just a look she commands your attention. 
Finally
Shuri, Black Panthers kid sister, not only has insane scientific capabilities
but genius level wit via Letitia Wright's endearing natural comedic
charm. bringing out the best in the King. With such powerful female presence
in Wakanda it irks to see their undying devotion to one man. Future
installments need to show even more why behind every great Panther is a
powerful Wakandan woman.
Now, viable bad guys have always been tricky, in any genre. Not it seems in the hands of Coogler. Our two villains,
Klaw and Killminger, portrayed by Andy Serkis and Michael B Jordan
respectively, are bad and so so good. Klaw goes full Saturday morning cartoon
with jabbering sarcasm and naughty antics. He’s gross and greedy and brilliant
to watch. Killmonger too is the damaged
dictator deluded into thinking he’s doing what is right. His portrayal
represents the embittered black youth mistreated and
fighting for equality. Jordans swagger and anger is detailed douche-baggery at
its best. Killmonger delivers his overly heavy lines with grit and distain, a perfect contrast to the virtuous King T’Challa.
With such good bad guys, the villain of the
piece sadly falls to Martin Freeman's Everett Ross. He is limp and unlikeable
and wholly unnecessary. The only white character could have added an additional
layer of re-education with a complex and commanding character portrayal.
General Ross, portrayed by William Hurt, could of brought arrogant machismo to an old soldier owing a foreign nation, and princess, his
life but we got the other Ross. Martin Freeman, go home.
The King himself, T'Challa, portrayed by Chadwick
Boseman, is sadly absent from his titular movie. When on screen he is befitting
of his royal birthright, but like the action in this movie, lacks a powerful
punch. More time is spent exploring political complexities than showcasing the Black
Panthers bad-ass potential. Boseman is perfectly cast and showed his incredible skills in
Civil War yet here never truly sinks his claws into the action. Infinity War maybe?
The star of this movie is undeniably
Wakanda itself. As the movie closes, the advanced African nation is finally
shared to world. Wakanda is bountiful amongst the brotherhood of drought the
rest of Africa endures. However, their wealth puts Wakandans in a unique conundrum, keep
the secret or save the world? Wakanda is embracing the future with firm respect
in the past. Its characters are charismatic and worthy of the wealthy land. The
traditions are sometimes contradictory but executed passionately. Wakanda’s scenery
is beautifully ripped from the comic books. It feels alive and leaves me wanting
to know more about its traditions and tribesmen, the Jibari in particular as the
feared and funny M’Baku looks set to shine in sequels to come. Wakanda is a
fully released world and I hope they continue to respect
this integral character in the Black Panther mythos.
To conclude, Coogler proves he is an
intelligent film-maker with a wokeful eye on the world and his community. Black
Panther delivers an inspiring reboot into mainstream black characterisation
with refreshing plot points. The Family dynamics explored are akin to that of
Disney’s masterpiece: The Lion King. Similarly showcasing Africa as not just a
pretty landscape but a place of complex characters, traditions and stories that
need to be told. All though the films re-watch-ablilty may suffer due to its drawn out
dialogue and limited action. Therefore, as a blockbuster Black Panther is far from perfect. As a pivotal moment, Black Panther is important to everyone and must
be seen and listened to. Long live the King.
The King will see you
In Theatres now!
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