After his impressive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in Captain America: Civil War, I was never that worried about how good Black Panther’s first solo outing would be.
Chadwick Boseman’s charismatic turn as King T’Challa of Wakanda (a fictional African nation) and his awesome Black Panther suit were met with near-universal approval, but we only got a glimpse of his beautiful homeland.
That changes in this Ryan Coogler-directed offering, with Wakanda, a stellar set of characters and a memorable villain ensuring Black Panther very much stands out in the ever-expanding MCU.
After the (spoiler alert) death of his father in Civil War, we meet up with T’Challa on his return to Wakanda, where his coronation as King needs to be formalised.
For those of you not in the know, Wakanda is a world superpower disguised as a third-world country. Having been hit by an asteroid made of Vibranium (the material used to make Captain
America’s trademark shield) in ancient times, the natives have kept its existence a secret.
The Vibranium has allowed them to make huge strides, meaning they’re secretly the most technically advanced nation on the world.
That’s perhaps underselling just how impressive Wakanda is, but you can rest assured it’s a cinematic marvel on the big screen. In a nutshell, Wakanda and its standing in the world is T’Challa’s chief underlying issue in Black Panther. More on that later.
What’s different about the base story here is that T’Challa is a hero that doesn’t need to “level up”, he’s already where he should be.
However, that changes when Michael B Jordan’s Erik “Killmonger” Stevens enters the equation. An American with a genuine beef against T’Challa, he’s a villain whose motives you can sympathise with. They may be extreme, but he’s at least not looking to achieve world domination or commit mass murder for no obvious reason.
The way in which Killmonger delves into T’Challa’s world is very clever and allows you to forgive a few of the more telegraphed story moments that do slightly let Black Panther down.
But it’s not all about those two – Marvel’s latest superhero outing is blessed with a stellar cast.
Almost stealing the show is Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister who is in charge of the tech lab inside Wakanda. She’s funny and has a great heart, making all of her scenes must-see.
Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead’s Michonne) is also brilliant as Okoye, the head of T’Challa’s royal guard, while Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia is way more than just a love interest for the King.
Two other new characters introduced are W’Kabi (Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya) and M’Baku (Winston Duke). Both play small, but significant, roles in the main plot.
Alongside the host of Wakanda-based characters, we’re also treated to typically strong showings from Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman as the returning Ulysses Klaue and CIA Agent Everett Ross respectively.
For those of you educated in the MCU, Klaue’s presence isn’t a surprise. It’s great to see Serkis play such an unhinged character and his scenes with T’Challa in South Korea are among some of the best in the film.
Black Panther isn’t the best MCU film, but it’s certainly one of the most unique. It doesn’t advance the overall plot for the universe, but Wakanda is easily the most beautiful and intriguing place depicted so far.
For that alone, this is worth your time and money.
Voice Verdict: 8.5/10
+ Good characters across the board
+ Beautiful Wakanda
+ A new corner of ther MCU open
– A tad predictable
SHOWTIMES
Boston’s West End Cinema (Fri, Feb 23 to Thurs, March 1)
FINDING YOUR FEET (12A)
12.50pm (Sat/Sun/Weds), 3.15pm (daily), 5.45pm (daily), 8.20pm (daily)
RED SPARROW (15)
8.20pm (Thurs)
BLACK PANTHER (12A)
11.30am (Sat/Sun), 2.30pm (daily), 8.30pm (daily)
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (15)
3pm (Fri), 8.10pm (Mon)
FATHER FIGURES (15)
10am (Sat/Sun), 12.30pm (Wed), 3pm (Fri)
EARLY MAN (PG)
10am (Sat/Sun), noon (Sat), 2pm (Sat/Sun), 4pm (Sat/Sun)
FIFTY SHADES FREED (18)
5.40pm (Fri-Mon), 8.10pm (Not Mon)
THE SHAPE OF WATER (15)
3.20pm (Mon-Thurs), 6pm (daily), 8.40pm (not Thurs)
COCO (PG)
12.30pm (Sun), 3pm (Sat/Sun)
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (PG)
3pm (Mon-Thurs), 6pm (daily), 8.30pm (Fri-Sun)
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN SING A LONG (PG)
3pm (Sat/Sun)
DARKEST HOUR (PG)
3pm (Mon-Thurs)
TAD THE LOST EXPLORER AND THE SECRET KINGS OF MIDAS (U)
10.15am (Sat/Sun)
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (12A)
12.20pm (Sat/Sun)
KIDS’ CLUB
10.15am Sat/Sun – Ferdinand (U)
SILVER SCREEN
11.30am Wed – The Shape of Water (15)
SUBTITLED SHOWING
8.20pm Mon – Black Panther (12A)
