Black Panther

Just meh. Nothing special just an ever age superhero movie which for some reason people praise way too much. No idea why.

At a time when Marvel was excelling in every project, a very unique one appeared.

After all, we hadn't had any risky proposals, and "Black Panther" certainly was.

With Ryan Coogler at the helm and Chadwick Boseman (RIP) as T'chala, this film became a milestone, so much so that it earned Oscar nominations, being the only MCU film to do so.

The big question here is whether it's that big a deal or was it simply a scheduling issue and nothing more.

I think this film is a gray area, a middle ground. Black Panther had already been presented in "Captain America: Civil War," being one of the highest points and highlights, so a standalone film was a safe bet.

If we add the imposing presence of Michael B. Jordan, this combination had everything going for it.

Its box office takings shouldn't deceive you by the fact that this film has several flaws in the script, especially in the CGI. To this day, the fight between the two Black Panthers on the train tracks is an eternal meme.

Regardless, I consider it a film with soul, and each of its members gave their all. We saw it and see it every time we rewatch the film.

It kicked off the entire finale of the Infinity Saga.

I remember it fondly, but it's definitely not the work of art that most people believe it to be or want us to believe it to be.

"Black Panther" follows some typical superhero plot points, but it does make a few changes along the way. Perhaps the biggest is in how the villain is represented. He doesn't really play a big part until close to an hour into the film. Until then, we are entertained by a more minor villain named Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). There are several stabs at humor (not unusual for a Marvel flick), and thankfully the jokes are very good-natured and funny.

Speaking of the villain, he's one of the most interesting villains Marvel's put together. He's given interesting reasons behind taking over Wakanda. Michael B. Jordan gives an energetic performance that adds a layer or two more than what you might expect a villain to have. As for Boseman, he aptly provides the heart and soul of the strong but gentle-hearted character. Lupita N'yongo gives a memorable performance as the kind Nakia. Movie fans and "Lord of the Rings"/"Hobbit" fans, may be excited to see Martin Freeman (reprising from "Civil War") and Serkis together again in an interesting scene. There are a lot of characters to keep up with, however. This makes veteran actors such as Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker have less screentime than people might have hoped for.

Ludwig Gorannson's score cleverly mixes African beats with some orchestral pieces. The production design and costume design carry bits and pieces of originality and uniqueness. The visual effects, like most superhero movies, are impressive, but sometimes over-the-top. The action sequences are exciting, but the camera work is a bit shaky in places.

As for the usual Marvel elements, Stan Lee's cameo doesn't disappoint. And the second post-credits scene is worth waiting for.

Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler, tells the story of the new King T'Challa of Wakanda who must learn to handle the responsibilities of this title. Chadwick Boseman reprises his role as the Black Panther and goes up against his nemesis Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan.

Pros: Coogler has already proven himself to be an excellent director after movies like Fruitvale Station and Creed (both starring Jordan), but he showcases his full talents in Black Panther when given a huge budget to work with. The movie looks beautiful with bright lush colors. The soundtrack and musical score are also very good. At its heart, the movie's message is very profound and relevant to real world politics.

As expected, Boseman is awesome as T'Challa. His character goes through so much and his development throughout is handled perfectly. The best scenes of this movie are when he has to look within himself to find answers when the people he always trusted let him down. The cast in general has very good chemistry. T'Challa's relationship with his sister Shuri (Letiitia Wright) is very funny and it's easy to buy them as siblings. His relationship with his love Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) is even better. It would be criminal not to mention Danai Gurira and what she gives this movie from an action standpoint. Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger is without a doubt the best villain the MCU has presented so far. His motivations are so clear and his ideology directly challenges T'Challa's. He is physically and psychologically the perfect adversary for Black Panther.

Cons: The pacing of the movie is a bit odd. It moves pretty quickly until everything comes to a head at the very end. More time should have been spent in between to flesh out the side characters and let the emotions sink in. In addition, the action scenes are not among Marvel's best. The last battle between Panther and Killmonger in particular is pretty disappointing in all honesty. The CGI felt unfinished and they could have been cut together better.

Overall, Black Panther is a triumph for the MCU and its societal connotations. This is, in my opinion, the best origin movie that Marvel has made because of its amazing hero, great cast of role characters, and truly menacing villain.

Black Panther gets an A.

I'd heard this movie was good and finally got around to watching it. When it was done I looked on IMDB and saw hundreds of 1 and 2 star reviews that I can only fathom were written by people who would hate anything with an almost entirely black cast that focused on a fictional or real African culture, or dislike seeing empowered women characters. Was it my favorite in the MCU? No. Are there people who give it 10 stars just because of the all black cast? Maybe. But 1 Star? Please. That's just Alt-Right spamming. It's a good contribution to the overarching MCU storyline. Worth watching.