Film Just another Marvel Movie with really good costumes
So Black Panther apparently smashed box office records, and I honestly don't know why. Maybe the black community just loved it that much? Because, as a film, it's fairly mediocre. If you're a fan of the MCU in general, it's perfectly fine and worth a ticket, but nothing about it blew me away, and several parts left me disappointed.
SPOILERS BELOW
Killmonger is a highlight of the film as one of the better-developed villains in the MCU. Unfortunately, that also means he overshadows the hero, who seems to make a few too many dumb or irresponsible decisions based on his pride.
It takes place in a fictional country of Wakanda, which seems really big on tradition. Unfortunately, the first introduction of this country is basically a long narration sequence where they just tell people everything instead of showing, and it was really easy to get bored right away. They are still so steeped in tradition that a literal battle to the death is still how they decide who gets to be king.
I mean, on one hand they're trying to depict an advanced, intelligent, cultured, powerful, rich nation of black people. And then you have this. Hm...
Then we get an introduction to the super-suit. Unlike Iron Man's suits which are essentially the product of a genius and aren't perfect, the Black Panther suit is totally perfect. No weaknesses. The main character Tchalla is invincible, bad guys literally have no chance whatsoever.
This movie is kinda predictable. How does an invincible hero have any conflict in his own movie? Well, I guess he just has to make dumb decisions and let the bad guy win temporarily so we can have some drama.
So, back to Killmonger. He's made it to Wakanda and, thanks to good old Wakandan tradition, a fight to the death gets him a chance to be king. Good thing he's a top-tier CIA assassin with several hundred kills to his name.
Naturally, Tchalla accepts.
Hm.
Getting predictable yet?
Anyways, he loses, and nobody in the audience really cares because who would really believe that the main character in his own movie would actually be dead halfway through his own film?
When you have such HUMONGOUS STAKES that lead to endings that clearly do not fit with the tone of the film (not even mentioning how it fits in the MCU- evaluating this as a standalone film) you just know there's no chance whatsoever that they'll lose in the end. Small losses can be taken believably. I could believe if Tchalla's mom was murdered. But the headlining character dying? Uh, no. Try again.
Also, why are the characters surprised that, when you have a political system where a deathbattle makes you king, that a professional killer will eventually be king? Nobody ever saw how things could go wrong. They instantly throw that system out the window because clearly it's the first time in thousands of years that's ever happened.
Anyways, hero fights bad guys, bad guy dies, the end.
Costumes were nice though.
7/10 middle of the pack MCU movie.
Film The Decent Movie Where Nothing Much Happens
On one hand I am utterly sick of assembly line Marvel movies that come out every quarter. On the other, I'm pleased that they've finally exhausted their supply of mainstream ones, and now have to resort to the lesser known, weird and interesting super heroes. Cue Black Panther, a movie I've been waiting yonks for, about the superpowered King of a secret, hyper-advanced African Nation called Wakanda.
It's good, and not just in the typical boiler plate way Marvel makes perfectly adequate, disposable movies. It's hard to point to a specific reason for why it feels so much better, but a lot of it seems to be just down to the pure charisma of its cast. Everyone has a natural charm to them in a way distinct from the usual Marvel smart arse, one liner, Whedon sock puppets. There is also some difference in the approach, with an emphasis on handy gadgets, nonchalance, and spy craft that feels far more in common with a James Bond movie than anything else. Even the villains, which are usually the last thing Marvel bothers to think about, feel like a breath of fresh air here, using a bad guy with a genuinely sympathetic motivation beyond "Tony Stark was once a jerk to him".
Finally, there is the inherent political baggage which comes in telling a superhero story set in the only un-colonised nation in Africa, and I'm glad that the movie doesn't hide from it one bit. Both hero and villain share a similar perspective on Africa's place in a world blemished by imperialism and slavery, even if their approaches to dealing with that baggage are quite different. Also, I like that the show addresses one of the main criticisms of the premise of Wakanda, in that it can't reasonably justify not sharing its knowledge with the rest of the world.
There is kind of an issue though in that whilst the characters and vision is there, the story kind of isn't. When T'Challa becomes the Black Panther and King of Wakanda, the main threat comes in the form of a jolly arms dealer called Klaw who has already done all his villainous things before the story starts, and Killmongor, a man who says he is going to do bad things but it isn't apparent how soon that will be an actual problem. Lord knows we don't need another superhero movie about stopping a blue skylaser from blowing up the earth, but Black Panther's alternative doesn't have anywhere near the sense of urgency. In fact, there isn't a lot going on with the plot at all; it's ultimately a character driven thing that has kind of been squashed into a Marvel super hero Structure.
The final product introduces a cool setting and characters, but does not have much of a story to take home afterwards.
Film A good-but-not-great Marvel
Black Panther is good. Is it one of the best Marvel movies? No, but it slots comfortably amongst the good ones, and confirms that Marvel is on a winning streak when it comes to quality outings.
What Black Panther does well, it does very well. The story, while formulaic and fairly predictable, is weighty and dramatic enough to feel invested in. The acting is all-around excellent, with standout performances from Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan and a very solid supporting cast. Wakanda's design is gorgeous when it is allowed some time to sink in and shine, with particular attention to the costume and makeup work, which consistently remain vibrant and striking without merely feeling like a hodgepodge of awkwardly-digested influences. The music is surprisingly good when it's allowed to do its own thing. Erik Killmonger is one of the most compelling antagonists in recent superhero movie memory, and Ulysses Klaue makes for a very entertaining, hammy and quirky villain while he's on-screen. Ryan Coogler manages to put some of his usual directorial flourishes on screen, giving the movie more of a visual identity.
That said, the film does have a few flaws that add up and hold it back from greatness. The special effects can get outright bad at times, with very noticeable and distracting CGI; the supporting cast, while well-acted, can feel somewhat bland and lacking in quirks compared to the main characters; the dialogue has a tendency to overexplain and feels more concerned with delivering big, meaningful speeches than creating enjoyable and organic exchanges between characters; the humor is very hit-or-miss, with some jokes coming in at fairly inappropriate moments (Thor:Ragnarok had the same problem, but it feels stranger here, due to the movie moving away from comedy); finally, the film's much-touted politics come across as very safe and don't truly offer any intelligent insights into real-world problems.
Overall? One more solid stone to the Marvel edifice.
PS: To anyone pretending that this is the first Marvel movie with a "directorial voice": no it's not. The two GOT Gs are *very clearly* Sean Gunn movies. Iron Man 3 is *very clearly* a Shane Black film.
Film Awesome Movie. Good Morals.
Black Panther is awesome all around. Visually its as as well put together as it is unique. I loved the look of the Afro Futuristic Wakanda, and all the little details they added in. The film really knew how to present African tribal culture as sophisticated and Classy. Most of the characters were memorable and entertaining which is always a huge bonus.
I always like to find ways people could misconstrue a movie's message just for the hell of it but I found this film was pretty rock solid with its morals. It forces white people to consider what life would be like on the short end of the stick of racism and forces black people to consider what they would do if they had the long end. All the while promoting globalism and asking people to forgive each other.
My only criticism is that it killed off Andy Serkis's character but that's easily forgivable. I still eagerly await a sequel.
Film Amazing
Speculative fiction is meant to imagine possibilities beyond what we have already seen. And Black Panther does just that. It eschews the blockbuster action style of many superhero movies in favor of something more character-driven. While many have pointed out that some of the fight scene special effects are poorly executed, I feel like if you're going to see the movie for the fight scenes, you're missing the point.
Black Panther takes our world and asks you "Can you imagine...?" Because it can and does. We are treated to characters who vivid, balancing a sense of being both larger than life and relatable. The setting is clearly designed thoughtfully and with great love for the concept. And if you don't get chills at Killmonger's closing lines, well, consult a priest, because you may be lacking a soul.
Film The best movie of the MCU
Black Panther is genuinely good. The characters are well-developed, have great interactions between each others, and all very sympathetic despite their own conflicting views. Some will criticize that T'Challa's development is simple if not simplistic, but I think it works; we don't need another origin story, he was introduced before. One little nitpick I'd have is that Shuri and M'Baku are too laidback to my taste for members of the nobility, but then royal brats do exists. Props to all the actors, but they did take the best ones.
Killmonger is the best villain since Loki, and he's got way better scenes showcasing how badass, unhinged, but also sad he is deep down. In genuinely teared up for him in the ancestral planes. Klaue works well as a joker expy, a perfect minor villain who's memorable but doesn't overshadow anyone.
I love how Wakanda is fleshed out. It has the best landscapes since Asgards, but also the costumes and all the specific cultural stuff like hidden tattoos, the mix of traditional culture and modernity. So props the photography director, costume director and all who had a hand in these. The musics too are very effective although none really qualifies as an ear worm which is a pity.
I'm partial to CQC in terms of action, so Black Panther's richer use of fistfights, rings, and spear wielding is a plus for me. The movie has beautiful choregraphies, occasional impressive moves enhanced by great direction, and Black Panther's acrobatic fighting style is a pleasure to witness.
The greatest weaknesses of this movies are some of the shortcuts the plot takes, like how Wakandian intelligence manages to learn Klaue will be in Korea or a certain disney death. Some SFX come straight out of the first X-Men movie, and again a disappointing final battle arena (come on, a train track, really Coogler?). But I don't think not great SFX and plot shortcuts really work against the movie.
Overall the movie benefits from the strengths of introducing an exotic cast and part of the MCU, but is also beautiful, actually takes the time to make me empathize with the cast in its entirety. It's a great watch.
Film A very good movie, and a good reminder that not all films are made for me.
So, this was a very good movie. Good action, comedy was almost always on point and rarely detracted from the stakes, easily my favorite villain of the MCU, and probably the best worldbuilding we've seen, especially given the handicap that Afro-Futurism has when it comes to the average audience member.
But no, not every piece of it resonated with this white guy. Which is fine, not everything has to be made for me and mine, and it was a more than fun ride all the way through.
Particular standout was not deifying Wakanda or the kings that came before. Wakanda's "Fuck you got mine" attitude is criticized sharply, and it's a good message to remember.
In the end, for people like me, this might be a better movie to listen to other people talk about. I got a few things (Killmonger making an improvised Zulu Iklwa for example), but this feels like it's made to resonate to a lot of other people, and I'd love to see what they have to say.
Film Great performances and effects, but a misfire.
I went into this film with high hopes, having loved T'Challa's debut in Captain America: Civil War. As it turned out, it became one of my least favorite MCU entries, though Avengers: Infinity War more than made up for it.
I'll get the good stuff out of the way first: Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan both deliver powerhouse performances, especially when you consider the former did this while fighting cancer (which, as a lymphoma survivor, I can appreciate). The music is impressive and really stands out from other MCU scores, and the visual effects of Wakanda are quite stunning.
One issue I had is that the stakes of the film seem more limited, as the essential conflict boils down to a conflict over who will rule Wakanda, and despite Killmonger having a vague plan to spark a global insurrection, the plan doesn't even come close to getting off the ground, and we never even see the rest of the world being aware of what's going on.
Andy Serkis as Klaue is fun to watch, but the film spends a lot of time building up the plotline of T'Challa finding Klaue to bring him to justice, but then abruptly kills Klaue off so Killmonger can take over, which renders the first half of the movie pointless just for the sake of a twist. The film then turns into the time-honored "pacifist hero vs militant villain" conflict, which was most recently done in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which I feel did it much better.
While Killmonger is great to watch, it's clearly for what the film considers the wrong reasons, as he's so fleshed-out that I found it hard to root against him, due to his goal of avenging his father's death and helping oppressed people when Wakanda seems unwilling to do so. It almost comes off like the filmmakers realized too late that they had made him too sympathetic, so they gave him some random Kick the Dog moments, like killing his girlfriend (a character who adds nothing to the story) or choking out an old woman, just to hammer it in that you shouldn't be rooting for him.
On a more political note, for a film about black empowerment, it comes off as oddly conservative in its message, with the biggest threat to Wakanda being an African-American who is portrayed as overzealous in fighting oppression, and the film tries to portray him as an irredeemable sociopath who simply wants to burn everything down, sort of like a right-wing stereotype of black activism.
That said, if you turn your brain off, the film is still fairly entertaining, and is worth seeing just for Boseman and Jordan's performances, with the latter nearly salvaging Killmonger's character for me despite the problems I had with him from a writing standpoint. I'd score this at about 4 out of 10.