Review of Black Panther (2018) by Wiscojoe — 16 Feb 2018

For a few exhilarating moments in Black Panther, the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes tantalizing close to achieving the "cinematic" feel that the franchise has studiously avoided for almost a decade.

That Ryan Coogler shows a glimpse of what could be possible with these movies just heightens the feeling of disappointment that comes from watching great potential squandered by obsequious mediocrity.

Watching the movie is like watching a great artist coloring inside the lines, doing his best to push the boundaries without being able to do anything too risky or original in deference to the mandated design he's working within.

With Creed, Coogler proved that he could breathe life and a fresh perspective into stagnant intellectual property, working his magic within the confines of studio product. With Black Panther, the MCU proves just how resistant it is to the intelligence and artistry of a filmmaker like Coogler.

Coogler at least manages to maintain much of the film's dignity and strong sense of purpose, largely avoiding the self-reflexive slapstick and one-liners that have rendered lesser Marvel fare into patronizing pantomimes.

At its best, the movie slows down enough to focus on its characters and themes, with the good, but uneven, cast doing its best to imbue personalities into thinly-written ciphers that are never allowed a full range of emotion beyond "good," "petulant," and "dignified.

" At its most crowd pleasing, the film pays homage to James Bond and Star Wars/Star Trek, influences that are not far from the actual comic book source material. At its worst, the movie goes out of its way to deflate any sense of suspense, tension, escalation, or subtext to the point where the plot becomes repetitive and predictable, marginalizing the promising story and trivializing what should be an epic conflict with emotional stakes.

The distinctive production design, eclectic score and better-than-average cinematography goes a long way to building an enticing new world, but as the film barrels on through its checklist of studio demands, it all starts to seem like nothing more than a theme-park trinket given a fresh coat of paint and passed off as a priceless artifact.

As one of the many exposition-heavy characters states in the film’s typically banal dialogue, "It's not magic. It's technology." A decade into the MCU, this now seems like a corporate mission statement, as the potential magic inherent in cinema is relentlessly drowned out by the whirring of studio machinery.

Ultimately, Black Panther is an exercise in compromise representing a huge step back for Ryan Coogler but a small step forward for Disney/Marvel. If you liked the 15 or so Marvel movies that preceded this one or don't expect much from the genre except for fun-for-the-whole family spectacle, you'll probably like Black Panther.

If you feel the franchise has been hit-or-miss or has lost its luster through sheer force of repetition, there's nothing here that will likely change your mind. If anything, watching Coogler strain against franchise formula will serve as a reminder of the inherent flaws in this seemingly foolproof design.