Unlike the other characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I admit that I'm not that familiar with the Black Panther; short of his appearance in "Captain America : Civil War." I went into this movie not sure what to expect, and at the mercy of whatever wonders it has to show me. Needless to say, after seeing this movie, I really want to read his comic books now.
Wow what a film! Director Ryan Coogler gave us a superhero movie, that didn't feel like a superhero movie. I know it's a little bit cliche to say that, but I'm more inclined to compare this movie to "the Lion King," if anything else. In doing so, I'm more inclined to compare it to Shakespeare than another Iron Man or Batman.
Speaking of which, both 2008's "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight," were able to set themselves apart from being typical super hero movies, by being able to balance the comic book aspects of it with a more straightforward dramatic narrative that you might find in other films not involving capes or super villains. "Black Panther" gave me that same feeling, and it was really easy to treat it like it's own entity that isn't connected to the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Black Panther" gave us some thoughtful themes involving global issues about isolationism, prejudice, and more. While it teased us a bit about royalty politics with individuals fighting for a throne, and the agendas that different rulers can have, the movie was thankfully more interested in conveying it's feelings about the more worldly issues. There's a lot to tackle in the narrative, which I greatly appreciate the ambitions of this film, and it's what sets this apart from other MCU movies. However, I won't go so far and say that the themes are completely nuanced.
As an action adventure movie, it hits all the right spots. From chase sequences with some creative twists, the pageantry of duels, fantastic battle sequences, to a whole covert operation this side of James Bond. All those amazing elements of the movie however wouldn't be as good as they are if it weren't for the cast. Chadwick Boseman fits the role of the title character well. Michael B Jordan plays an interesting antagonist. Letitia Wright is the very welcome scene stealer. Danai Gurira is such a badass. So many more of the acting crew are so good in this, I wanted even more time with them past the 135 minutes run-time of this film.
It exceeded my expectations, and I now understand why some people are calling "Black Panther" an instant masterpiece. It's easy to get swept in with all the accolades that this film is getting, and maybe I should be more pragmatic with my reactions for it. Nah, it deserves all the praises. Such an amazingly entertaining movie.
LOVED IT enjoyeditlikedititsokayitsmehitsterrible
