Dir. Ryan Coogler (2018)
Rated PG-13 Black Panther, man. This was one of the first Marvel movies that I have ever seen. (LEAVE ME ALONE.... also stay tuned for more Marvel movie reviews from a very uninvolved noob when it comes to the superhero realm of film.) So, yeah, this movie was awesome. It's the number one movie in the WORLD right now, so Marvel and the creators really must have done something right. I think I know what that is: a DIVERSE film! The majority of the cast of this film are people of color, and it's great. It's also SUCH a beautiful movie, from the costumes and acting to the detail that went into Wakanda and all the other tribes' cities. The story behind this was so fascinating (am I running out of adjectives yet?), but probably everyone else other than me had heard of the Black Panther's story before the movie came out. Or maybe they didn't? I really don't know. I feel intimidated writing this review because I feel like I have stepped into a world that I know nothing about and I don't want to mess anything up. So basically, this story is about a hidden kingdom called Wakanda in Africa. No one knows about it except the people who live there and are from there, and they stay hidden through a protective shield-like thing that is made of Vibranium, which is like a really precious metal (I think) that is worth more than any other metal/stone in other countries. They use it for EVERYTHING man. Their technology is so advanced, they can heal sick people by just putting them in this weird health station that fixes everything. That was cool. So, on Wakanda, the king is called the Black Panther, and he is given special powers that make him superhuman. The Black Panther, King T'Chaka, has just died, and his son T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is next in line for the throne. This movie follows him as well as his ex-girlfriend and warrior Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), the head of the warriors of Wakanda, Okoye (Danai Gurira), his engineer sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), as they fight Claw (Andy Serkis), the villain after Wakanda's vibranium to make millions. While fighting Claw, they run into another conflict: Eric Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a man who claims to be from Wakanda and wants to overthrow T'Challa and be the King. As the movie escalates, T'Challa is faced with more challenges, and his role as Black Panther is questioned. This movie was FILLED with twists. The biggest one involves Killmonger, who overthrows Wakanda almost entirely. SPOILERS! He basically exposes the entire kingdom and king T'Challa as a fraud, saying that his father killed Eric's dad (they were brothers), making T'Challa and Eric cousins. He challenges T'Challa to battle, and after killing him, is crowned King of Wakanda. He is given the powers of the Black Panther, and things really go downhill from there. T'Challa's family is outcasted, and Killmonger is basically a totalitarian leader who wants to fight and kill all of Wakanda's enemies using their precious vibranium. The kingdom is split, some are supporting Killmonger, including Okoye (who is faithful to serve anyone who is on the throne), and W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), the leader of a tribe within Wakanda. All hope seems virtually lost until T'Challa's family and Nakia find help from the Jabari, a tribe who once questioned T'Challa's leadership as king as well. The leader of the tribe ends up helping the family and leading them to T'Challa, who is still alive (!) but in a coma. Vibranium is used to bring him back to life. When knowledge reaches that T'Challa is not dead, this launches a civil war in Wakanda. I guess it's obvious how it ends, because I don't think Marvel movies really throw you for a loop when it comes to the plot. It ends well; T'Challa defeats Killmonger and all is happy again. He ends up with Nakia, and peace is restored in Wakanda. If it had ended another way, I honestly probably would have been mad. The movie makes you love these characters, so if T'Challa was actually dead, I'm sure this wouldn't have been as well loved. For a minute there, I really did think he was going to stay dead, and that really put a damper on it. But fear not: the good guy wins! This entire movie just feels like a celebration when you're watching it. It makes minorities like people of color and women the heroes, and it could not be a better superhero movie to show to kids. It's great that this movie is so well received, because it carries such a powerful and important message behind the superhero facade. Ever since the beginning of these movies, kids watch these superheroes and become inspired. When they're little, that's basically all they want to be when they grow up. It's amazing that finally ALL little kids, no matter their race, can watch a superhero movie and think that one day that could be them (not literally, but you know what I mean.) There's still a lot of work to be done to diversify movies in all genres, and Black Panther set the bar so high. I hope the bar gets higher and higher. Regardless if you're a Marvel fan or not, this movie is one that everyone of all ages should watch.
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AuthorCasey Land Archives
January 2018
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