Ryan Coogler’s masterful superhero drama is unlike any other, featuring outstanding acting, breath-taking art direction, fascinating royal intrigue, memorable action sequences, and surprising depth- it’s that depth of character, of storyline, of relevancy, that makes Black Panther shine, as Chadwick Boseman’s T’challa takes the mantle of king with enormous uncertainty about whether to share Wakanda’s resource with the world.
With the exception of his second-in-command W’kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) , T’challa surrounds himself with an inner circle of influencial women: Okoye (Danai Gurina), Nakia (Lupita Nyongo), His Mother(Angela Bassett) and his genius younger sister, scientist/tech inventor Shuri (Letitica Wright).
Each one of them contributes much to the story, with Gurina’s spear-wielding Okoye, the movie’s clear scene-stealer, Wright, the clever comic relief, and Nyong’o offering a wee bit of romance. Even the central villain, played by Coogler collaborator, Jordan, is all-rounded and humanised, with the actor doing a great work opposed to the equally nuanced Boseman.
There’s so much to appreciate in Black Panther; from its pulsing score, featuring a soundtrack overseen by the award-winning rapper, Kendrick Lamar, to the mesmerizing cinematography courtesy of director of photography, Rachel Morrison, gorgeous tribal costumes and vibrant production designs.
There’s not as much laugh-aloud banter as viewers may have come to expect from Marvel movies, but the beats of humour that are present, thanks to plucky Shuri or mountain-tribe leader M’baku( Winston Duke), are extra funny.
Ultimately, the film’s success comes down to the thoughtful, compelling storytelling from director, Coogler and writer Joe Robert Cole, as interpreted by a terrific cast of actors. This is not just another highly entertaining but formulaic superhero story, it’s also poignant and powerful and so earns its place toward the top of Marvel’s movie list.
Grade:8/10
Naomi Ehi-iden
With the exception of his second-in-command W’kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) , T’challa surrounds himself with an inner circle of influencial women: Okoye (Danai Gurina), Nakia (Lupita Nyongo), His Mother(Angela Bassett) and his genius younger sister, scientist/tech inventor Shuri (Letitica Wright).
Each one of them contributes much to the story, with Gurina’s spear-wielding Okoye, the movie’s clear scene-stealer, Wright, the clever comic relief, and Nyong’o offering a wee bit of romance. Even the central villain, played by Coogler collaborator, Jordan, is all-rounded and humanised, with the actor doing a great work opposed to the equally nuanced Boseman.
There’s so much to appreciate in Black Panther; from its pulsing score, featuring a soundtrack overseen by the award-winning rapper, Kendrick Lamar, to the mesmerizing cinematography courtesy of director of photography, Rachel Morrison, gorgeous tribal costumes and vibrant production designs.
There’s not as much laugh-aloud banter as viewers may have come to expect from Marvel movies, but the beats of humour that are present, thanks to plucky Shuri or mountain-tribe leader M’baku( Winston Duke), are extra funny.
Ultimately, the film’s success comes down to the thoughtful, compelling storytelling from director, Coogler and writer Joe Robert Cole, as interpreted by a terrific cast of actors. This is not just another highly entertaining but formulaic superhero story, it’s also poignant and powerful and so earns its place toward the top of Marvel’s movie list.
Grade:8/10
Naomi Ehi-iden
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