REVIEW: Black Panther

Courtesy of Marvel

Black Panther is arguably the most anticipated Marvel movie since The Avengers, and visionary director Ryan Coogler (who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole) has created a stirring saga, filled with political intrigue and family dynamics that would make Shakespeare drool, that more than lives up to the hype. While it does possess a few flaws, including a big one that comes close to hobbling the movie from the start, Coogler quickly finds his footing and continues the astonishing hot streak he began with Fruitvale Station and Creed.

Picking up shortly after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) travels back to his nation of Wakanda to assume the mantle of king after his father was killed in a terrorist attack. Right away, he must decide if he will continue to keep his rich, technologically advanced nation a secret from the outside world. Or does he use his kingdom’s resources to help other poverty-stricken nations?

Not everyone is happy that T’Challa is the new king. That includes Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan, incredible as always), a mysterious outsider who comes to Wakanda holding a grudge and claiming he has a right to challenge the throne. If T’Challa is going to maintain control of his nation, he must uncover Killmonger’s hidden motive.

Fortunately, he has a secret weapon: his superhero alter ego Black Panther. With the help of his brilliant sister (Letitia Wright, in a breakthrough performance), fierce bodyguard (Danai Gurira) and a skeptical CIA operative (Martin Freeman), T’Challa seeks to defeat this new enemy and radically transform his country.

Marvel has become the cliched well-oiled machine, cranking out several releases a year. It’s understandable that some have started to think of their movies as product rather than stand-alone narratives with their own personalities and points of view; I disagree, but to each their own. Nevertheless, Coogler shatters that notion almost immediately.
Black Panther is an intensely personal story and the most explicitly political movie Marvel has ever made. Coogler has something to say, and he proclaims it loudly. That strange noise you’ll hear once the film opens to massive numbers this weekend is the sound of Sean Hannity’s head exploding.

As I mentioned above, the film isn’t perfect. There’s a ton of clunky exposition right away, threatening to derail narrative momentum before it can take hold. Then, the story shifts to Oakland, Calif. in the early 1990s. Eventually, Coogler reveals the devastating reason (made even more poignant by Sterling K. Brown’s brief but emotionally resonant performance), but many viewers might be scratching their heads until that happens.

Still, there’s so much awesomeness throughout the rest of the film’s 134-minute running time that it’s easy to overlook the occasional speed bumps. Boseman is strong as the regal, stoic T’Challa, but the best performances come from the actors around him. Wright is an absolute scene-stealer, infusing the movie with joy and energy any time she’s on screen. Freeman and Andy Serkis, reprising his role as the villainous Ulysses Klaue, are also good. They provide welcome comic relief of the dry and scenery-chewing variety, respectively.

However, most people will leave the theater talking about how amazing Jordan is. The Robert De Niro to Coogler’s Martin Scorsese, he delivers a powerhouse performance that almost singlehandedly solves Marvel’s long-standing problem with memorable villains. What’s more, he’s the best kind of bad guy – his motives are understandable and you could almost root for him under different circumstances. You won’t be able to take your eyes off the dude whenever he’s onscreen. There’s a reason he’s one of my favorite actors.

The next time you hear someone complain that Hollywood is making too many comic book movies, be sure to bring up Black Panther. Coogler uses a big budget blockbuster to sneak in some surprising themes and, to top it off, it’s going to make insane amounts of money in the process. I can’t wait to see how this film revolutionizes the genre.

Black Panther is rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture.

Grade: B+