True, Black Panther is not actually the first movie with a black
superhero. But as a major blockbuster film with a majority-black cast and a
black director, and so proudly Afrofuturistic in aesthetic and outlook, it’s
plain to see why this picture means so much to audiences, especially in today’s
climate. The film shoulders such expectations with ease, while delivering one
of the very best pictures in the Marvel canon. And it feels exciting and new, never
repetitive or derivative of entries that came before it.
It’s undoubtedly a recognizable
Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe product. Like he did with Creed, though, director Ryan Coogler livens up a working formula
with some distinct touches. The most obvious being the action sequences,
particularly an eye-catching long-take fight scene that recalls Creed’s thrilling boxing bouts. The
patented Marvel humor is there, but a little less silly. The Kendrick Lamar
soundtrack is killer. And the moments of stoic character introspection present
in Coogler’s previous work take creative turns here.
The film’s setting is the
fictional African nation of Wakanda, which presents itself to the world as a
poor, reclusive country. In reality, it’s a technologically advanced kingdom
sitting on top of a massive deposit of vibranium, an indestructible metal from
space with tremendous properties. After the death of his father (John Kani) in Captain America: Civil War, the prince
T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) inherits the crown of Wakanda and the mantle of the
country’s protector: the Black Panther. His reign is tested early by a South
African vibranium smuggler (Andy Serkis) and an American assassin (Michael B.
Jordan) with Wakandan ties.
The world of Wakanda is wondrously
realized, a gorgeous, stunning mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and African culture. Newcomers
to this corner of the Marvel universe will be sucked in and awed, while comic-readers
will be pleased (and as a white viewer, I can only imagine what it means to some audiences as far as
representation). In fact, it feels bigger than a single movie, like Wakanda
could sustain its very own franchise of interconnected individual films and team-ups.
And it’s a world populated by
so many compelling figures. Boseman is impeccable, resolute and charismatic
while betraying just enough doubt to render him human. Jordan makes a case for
the best Marvel villain ever. Despite a hardnosed brutality that’s effective, he
has moments that catch the viewer off-guard and have them feeling a little
empathy for him and his worldview. Besides hero and villain, a rich cast of
characters is filled out by A-listers and at least half-a-dozen performers whose
roles could be called star-making. Not a single one of the other MCU heroes
makes an appearance, and yet the ensemble work rivals that of the Avengers movies (maybe even surpasses them,
because every part here feels organically important to the whole, while the Avengers films always feel
first and foremost like team-ups).
This film’s release has rocketed
past the typical once-or-twice-a-year Marvel tentpole opening to become a major,
even sociopolitical event. Far from falling short of the expectations built around and
placed upon it, Black Panther has an
outsized scope, spirit, and sense of joy befitting such a pop culture moment.
