Black Panther (2018)

 

In the heart of Africa lies the apparently poor and insignificant country of Wakanda.  In secret, however, this is the most advanced, most powerful nation in the world.  Its strength comes from two sources.  The first is the mountain of Vibranium at its heart.  This mineral is lighter than steel, but also far stronger.  With it, Wakanda has forged technology decades in advance of the rest of the world.

The second source, meanwhile, is that Wakanda is protected by Black Panther, a superhuman warrior who gains heightened strength, speed and resilience from the 'heart shaped herb', a unique plant which grows only in vibranium-enriched soil.

The current Black Panther is the new Wakandan king, T'Challa.  Barely has he assumed the mantle, however, than T'Challa faces a danger that may not only claim his throne and his life, but destroy the very fabric of Wakandan society.  This is the renegade Killmonger, a renegade of noble Wakandan blood who intends to seize both the crown and the powers of the Black Panther for himself.

Marvel movies have dominated the box office for some years now, but even by their standards, Black Panther was a monster success.  The film received rave reviews and grossed well over 1.3 billion dollars at the box office.  I fully believe it deserved this success.

Firstly, the film has an excellent cast.  Chadwick Boseman, who is sadly no longer with us, brings dignity and strength to the role of T'Challa, and were it not for cancer, was surely destined to be a huge star.  He is ably supported by the rest of the cast, particularly the redoubtable Angela Basset as T'Challa's mother, Ramonda.

Second, there is the villain.  Marvel is sometimes criticised for forgettable antagonists who are simply evil counterparts of the protagonist.  But while Killmonger is indeed T'Challa's evil twin, he is also one of their strongerst villainous offerings.  Killmonger has valid motivations for his actions, however reprehensible and misguided they are, and he forces T'Challa to re-examine his own choices and strive to become a better man and monarch as a consequence. 

On top of these qualities, the film profits from the MCU's usual strong production design and quality.  The sets and effects are excellent, and I like the care and attention paid to presenting an authentically African city and culture.

If I had to try and find a flaw with the film, it would probably be that some of the action scenes are perhaps a smidgen longer than their narrative purpose requires.  But even then, they're every bit as spectacular as we've come to expect from the MCU.  And even more importantly, they do always have a narrative purpose, not just in terms of resolving the immediate situation but also in setting up future themes and plot points.

It's a very good film.