Black Panther Review: Let's All Go to Wakanda!

Disclaimer: Please know I will put some spoilers in this review like all the others. I won't try to put too much of it, but you been warned either way! Thank you.

So today I saw Marvel's latest super hero flick Black Panther. The newest super hero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and  is regarded by many as one of the most important movies out there because of it's representation of Black people in a industry dominated by white people. Black Panther is basically The Wonder Woman to Marvel, as it features a Black Super hero.

Truth be told I don't care much for Marvel's movies. I don't go to see every Marvel or DC movie that gets released. (Which puts me in a bit of a bind when I see Avengers: Infinity War but I digress). The ones I do is for super heroes I am more familar with and like. But I decided to see Black Panther because of many people have been saying that it's really good and it's not your usual Marvel movie. Are they right? Well let's find out.

So Black Panther stars T'Challa, the king of Wakanda and the titular character Black Panther. After his dad, the previous King and Black Panther, is killed during a terrorist attack, T'Challa assumes the mantle of Black Panther, and leads his futuristic nation of Wakanda. However, T'Challa finds his rule challenged by his long lost cousin Killmonger, who is the son of T'Challa's uncle who got killed by his brother, T'Challa's dad. Killmonger plots to overthrow T'Challa and rule Wakanda so that he can start a global race war.

Honestly while the plot isn't bad, it's nothing spectacular. It's a by the numbers super hero plot, that is pretty predictable from the get go. In short it's just average. While that's not a bad thing mind you, the movie isn't winning any originality points. You have the bad wanting to be king, the king and the bad guy duke it out, the king loses and the bad guy becomes king. The king gets a rematch with the bad guy, he wins and becomes king again. That's pretty much the plot right here.

However just because the story telling is average, it doesn't mean the character interactions are. I found all the characters in this movie to be organic and interesting. Killmonger isn't some one dimensional villain who wants to be king. T'Challa questions the actions of his father and isn't proud of it. The characters all hover around a grey area, and it makes them feel fleshed out. Also the actors do a pretty good job at acting, with maybe some hammy acting from the minor actors like Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman. They still do a good job though.

What also makes this movie great is the world building. Wakanda itself is a beauty! You learn much about its world, its culture, it's people, the laws and customs it's citizens abide by. It's all very interesting let me tell you.

My main complaint honestly though is the movie's poor pacing. I mean it's a 2 hour movie, but once the story manages to pick up, it's over before you know it. Once T'Challa meets Killmonger face to face, the movie is pretty much almost over. I wouldn't call it a short movie, but it did feel like one.

Despite having a large cast of Black people, I felt this movie didn't try to hamfist any sort of political message. It's pretty much middle ground truth be told. Wakanda is portrayed as an isolationist country with xenophobic tendencies (For example not wanting to let in refugees into their country or sharing it's knowledge of advanced tech to the world.) Killmonger is portrayed as an extreme SJW who wants to start a race war. I say it does a good job trying to keep things balanced. 

But so yeah, do I reccommend Black Panther even if you're not a Marvel fan? I think it's a pretty good movie, and for the fact that you learn so much about a fictional country makes it worth a watch. The cast of characters were pretty good, the acting, the action and special effects were top notch. Just be prepared for an average predictable story with some pacing problems.