Following the formula of last years’
“Wonder Woman” and “Spider-Man:
Homecoming”, “Black Panther” functions
as standalone film for a hero previously introduced in a team-up movie. Just
like the young Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man, Chadwick Boseman’s Black
Panther first appeared in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War”, proving to be a
vital player in the climatic airport superhero throw down.
Directed by Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale
Station”, “Creed”) “Black Panther” has
been highly anticipated as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first release of
2018, eighteenth overall installment, and perhaps most significantly as their
first project to feature an African-American protagonist, supporting cast, and
director.
“Black Panther” takes place in the fictional, isolated African nation of Wakanda,
where various tribes live atop an enormous mound of vibranium; a rare,
invaluable metal which was famously used to construct Captain America’s iconic
shield. Following the death of his father T’Chaka (John Kani) in 2016’s “Civil
War”, T’Challa (Boseman) has returned to Wakanda to rule as the new king of the
nation, the “Black Panther.” Before long, he is challenged by a man named Erik
Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), forcing T’Challa to fully unleash his special
powers.
For the most part, I enjoyed
watching “Black Panther”, but I would not say that it is a perfect movie by any
means, or even one of Marvel’s best projects to date. While the exceptional
production and costume design for Wakanda truly brings this fictional national
to life, the storyline surrounding it feels awfully familiar at times; quite
reminiscent of Disney’s “The Lion King” actually. This makes for a functional
plot, but I think there was a great opportunity to make something a bit more
original out of the unique setting here.
As far as “Black Panther’s” action
sequences go, I would say they are mostly thrilling to watch, particularly in
the fights between T’Challa and Killmonger. However, I have to point out that
Michael B. Jordan delivered a terrific performance here that stands out as the
highlight of the movie for me. Killmonger’s compelling origins made for a very
intriguing threat to our hero that we can actually relate to and understand as
an audience. In my opinion, this is far more effective than a cliché take over-the-world
supervillain with little to no personality. That being said, I think that my
previously mentioned story issues with the film make “Black Panther” an average
Marvel movie at the best, even though it broke a major color barrier for title
characters in their ever-growing cinematic universe.
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