Review of Black Panther (2018) by Caleb B — 22 Nov 2018

This movie should really be called "Black Panther and His Way More Awesome Black Friends". If there has ever been a movie that has been defined by its supporting characters, this is it. The movie is fun and smart and a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but none of it is due to the Panther himself, who is dwarfed by the superior badassery of everyone around him.

I am just not digging this character. He is just so - pardon the expression - vanilla. Seriously, this guy is more wholesome than Captain America. I like a little grit to my superheroes, and found BP's numerous sidekicks and the villains to be infinitely more compelling characters.

And most of them are women! Who have agency and actually affect the outcome of the film! Imagine!!! The villains are also really great, though I would have liked Michael B. Jordan's "Killmonger" to have had more screen-time (for more than one reason.

.. yowza!). This is the first time I think I've ever seen a villain who actually has a valid point. Dude is stone cold, but he's not wrong. Regardless of his actions, his motivations are completely unselfish, and I gotta admit, part of me wanted him to win.

The movie spends a good chunk of time establishing the rich culture of Wakanda, which is a weird mix of the primitive and the technologically advanced (they can heal a gunshot wound in a day, but yet still rely on a system of government where the guy who can kick everyone else's ass gets to rule.

.. so you figure it out). While I appreciate how different it looks and feels from other Marvel films, I found the extended setup to be the weakest part of the film. The fun really starts after they get out of Wakanda.

Director Ryan Coogler knows how to tell a story, and he does it with succinctness and flair. This is actually a serious film with serious themes - its message about foreign policy and isolationism really hit home given the current political climate - but it's playful enough and adds just the right amount of action and humor to keep it from being too heavy.

While the movie does follow the basic comic-book formula, it's probably the least formulaic of any of the MCU films. Even so, it's not even close to the best film in the MCU. It's enjoyable and worth a trip to the movies, but it doesn't live up to the hype.

Though to be fair, I don't know how it possibly could have.