18 – Black Panther
Ever since Prince T’Challa was introduced in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, fans have really been looking forward to a solo movie for Black Panther. The one we got knocked it out of the park. We got a host of new characters that were just as awesome as the title character. The casting was incredible, the acting was commendable, the set and costume design were top-notch, the visual effects were amazing, the script was smart, and the action was exciting.
If I had any complaints, it would be a complaint I have with most Marvel movies – the villain. The MCU has a built in problem with its bad guys. They often craft a super-villain that roughly matches the abilities and power-levels of the heroes. Just look at other Marvel films. Iron Man had Iron Monger. The Hulk had The Abomination. Yes, Thor was a little different, he had his brother Loki, kind-of, and his own arrogance. But then we went back to Captain America and The Winter Soldier. Ant-Man had Yellowjacket. Dr. Strange had Kaecilius. The list goes on and on. And here we have Black Panther matched against Killmonger.
But that being said, Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, was pretty bad-ass. He had an emotional stake in the story, and he, like most Marvel bad guys, was really under-developed, which I also kind-of don’t have a problem with. Yes, we care more when the hero wins if we know more about the bad guy. But we’re here to see the good guy win. We don’t need to know too much about the bad guy because we know he isn’t going to last beyond this movie. The back story we really need is that of the good guy. And Chadwick Boseman really did such a fantastic job as T’Challa. The character had to deal with his father’s death and replacing him as King of a powerful nation. Boseman really played that balance between grief and responsibility well. We fell in love with him, which just made the actor’s death in 2020 so much more tragic.
We also met some other great characters like T’Challa’s sister, super scientist Shuri, his love interest, Nakia, the head of his personal guard, Okoye, the chief of a rival tribe, M’Baku, his mother, Ramonda, and one of the elders of his tribe, Zuri. We also meet an American CIA agent, Everett Ross, and the criminal his is pursuing, Ulysses Klaue. And the got some pretty big names to fill these roles like Angela Bassett, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, and Lupita Nyong’o. I particularly loved Winston Duke as M’Baku.
But this film also did a great job of tying into the larger MCU tapestry. In delving into the history of Wakanda, their attitudes and policies regarding vibranium and the secret of the heart-shaped herb, and how they interact with the rest of the world. Also, they used Klaue, one of the criminals from The Avengers: Age of Ultron. And I know that Martin Freeman’s Agent Ross, goes on to be used in future MCU projects, as well. And of course, in this film’s post-credit scene, we see a bit of Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barns.
And as all MCU films, the action sequences were thrilling to watch. There was the sequence in which Klaue is tracked and apprehended, the big battle in the fields outside T’Challa’s palace, and the short climactic fight between Black Panther and Killmonger in the vibranium mine. Not to mention the ritual combat scenes when a new King is appointed. The use of CGI was flawless, and the super-futuristic tech of all the Wakandan warriors was so cool! Their cloak shields were great! I also loved the armored battle rhinos.
And as a final thought, I have to mention how much I love Angela Bassett. I have never seen her do a bad job in any movie. She is a very good actress, the kind that really draws my attention every time she is on the screen. She has a kind of intensity, a nobility, and a confidence to her that comes across in the way she carries herself and the way she interacts with her fellow actors.
Top 10 Favorite Parts
- The Ritual combat between T’Challa and M’Baku.
- T’Challa’s visit to the Ancestral Plains.
- The entire South Korea sequence – The casino fight and the car chase where Shuri remote controls a car.
- Agent Ross is healed by Shuri
- Killmonger brings Klaue’s dead body to Wakanda and confronts the council and the royal family.
- T’Challa and Killmonger fight the ritual combat for Kingship.
- Killmonger’s visit to the Ancestral Plain.
- Nakia, Shuri, Ramonda, and Ross go to the Jabari Tribe for help, and find that T’Challa is still alive.
- Okoye and the Palace guard fight with Killmonger while Agent Ross remote-controls a Wakandan ship to prevent vibranium from leaving Wakanda.
- The final fight between Black Panther and Killmonger in the vibranium mine.