Released in theatres this weekend, Black Panther is the latest Marvel Studios film based on a comic book character and stars Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan. First introduced in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa (Boseman) now returns home to the mysterious African nation of Wakanda to take over as king and deals with a number of threats. Two of those threats are the charismatic and entertaining Michael B. Jordan and Andy Serkis. Serkis looks like he is having so much fun being a baddie in the Marvel universe and Jordan fleshes out a complete character, with complicated motivations that are not simply dismissed as wrong. He, like the Black Panther himself Boseman, look great on the big screen exploring both the drama with each other and in costumes doing battle. The action scenes are great eye candy, seeing the panther like movements of the hero dodging, attacking, and using his powers. Mostly filmed in Georgia, with some from South Korea, Black Panther takes its time to develop a variety of supporting characters, giving each a back story and explainable motivations. The character first appeared in comics in 1966, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and the movie was co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler who also made Creed and Fruitvale Station, (both starring Michael B. Jordan). Kendrick Lamar produced the R&B/hip-hop soundtrack and is on 5 of the tracks. Also appearing in the film are Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker. Immerse yourself in a new world of the Marvel universe, see a powerful ensemble, and enjoy the stunning visual effects that are all making Black Panther a box office success.

Black Panther

IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/?ref_=nv_sr_1

2018, PG, 2h 14m

Spoilers

(please do not continue reading if you have not seen the movie and do not want to read a spoiler)

This film has no Avengers, other than the Black Panther himself, which forces you to get to know new characters and thankfully they are worth getting to know. Supporting roles can sometimes simplify an approach to a role but in this film all the actors (and the script as well) made the effort to breathe life into them, creating well rounded (and relatable) characters. Only having 2 speaking roles for white actors allows the movie to tell its story and gives a number of actors the opportunity to shine in a big budget, superhero blockbuster. The sequence of the 3 heroes being undercover, talking to each other through earpieces reminded me of the coolest moments in a Mission: Impossible movie, and gave the film another sequence to set itself apart from the standard fighting in tights. Killmonger and Klaue stole the film for me as I was loving seeing the villains and was sad to see how their team up was resolved, (I wanted a 2 on 1 vs the Black Panther, with the chance that other Wakandans would jump in, still preserving the team dynamic). When Klaue was exclaiming, “That was awesome!” at some explosions he set off in a tense scene made me laugh out loud and Killmonger putting on the old mask, along with his body armour and hairdo, was so much a cinematic villain. Along with Wonder Woman last year, Black Panther answers the question if this kind of film can be made without a white, male lead with a resounding- yes! Get a talented cast and crew, people passionate to the source material, and have a budget matching the demands of the script and a solid film can be produced. That and a Kendrick Lamar produced soundtrack.