Black Panther: Wakanda Forever theatrical release on Friday, November 11.
Robert Downey Jr was born play Iron Man. This is accepted as a fact and no one disputes it. His sarcastic wit and dry delivery made him an instant icon when he first donned the red metallic suit in 2008. The same could be said for Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, albeit for reasons different. Boseman burst into the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, a film that features an all-star cast of established characters; Yet Black Panther didn’t just go neck and neck with Captain America, he surpassed many of the Avengers team and became an instant highlight of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
From the start, Ryan Coogler and the team behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were caught between a rock and a hard place. Make a Black Panther The sequel without T’Challa seemed impossible, but recasting the role was out of the question. Boseman’s performance had been too iconic and any attempt to replicate or replace it would be met with strong and justified public disdain. It was a classic “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” predicament. However, it is a difficult situation which wakanda forever sails beautifully, paying homage to both T’Challa and Boseman while weaving a story worthy of Wakanda’s incredible stature.
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What does a kingdom do without its king? They rely on the strength of their queen. Luckily, when your queen is Ramonda (portrayed by Angela Bassett in a powerful performance), there’s no better place to lean. Ramonda has lost almost everything dear to her. Her husband and son are dead and her kingdom is under attack from outside forces. First, these forces are rival nations desperate to obtain the precious metal Vibranium that only Wakanda possesses.
However, it is not the land of men that will prove to be Wakanda’s greatest threat. Enter Namor, played with menacing confidence by Tenoch Huerta. Namor is often referred to as “Marvel’s Auquaman”, despite the fact that his comic book debut predates the DC hero by about two years.
Huerta behaves with a cold insensitivity towards his enemies, which is countered by his love and admiration for his own people. It’s a delicate balance that Huerta manages with ease. The best Marvel villains are the ones who don’t think of themselves as the “bad guy”. An antagonist with a moral compass, no matter how skewed, will always be more interesting than an adversary driven by the cliched agenda of “world domination.” Namor is proof of that, establishing himself as a worthy and memorable character in an ever-expanding universe.
There is something special in this film. Even when I couldn’t put my finger on it, it was there. This is Marvel’s multiverse saga, set for an epic showdown with Kang the Conqueror, set to rival the Avenger’s battle with Thanos. It’s a daunting wait, though Black Panther: Wakanda forever merely tells a story set almost entirely in the tiny nation of Wakanda; confident enough to tell a story of struggles and adversity that doesn’t necessarily threaten the world, but does threaten Wakanda’s own peaceful existence.
Fans have been skeptical of the MCU as it struggles to find its way past the Infinity Saga. faux pas with Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Widow have shaken their confidence, and She-Hulk: Lawyer has been the target of online trolls and social commentary backlash. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is here to ease those worries and strengthen the bond between the MCU and its die-hard fans. This is exactly what a solo MCU movie should be. A heartfelt action epic that legitimately advances these characters’ stories and introduces new ones along the way.
I have a weakness for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Sam Raimi is my childhood idol and Doctor Strange is one of my favorite Marvel heroes. Still, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever triumph over nearly all of Marvel’s Phase Four, rivaled only by Spider-Man: No Coming Home. It’s an achievement all the more impressive given the tragic circumstances surrounding it.
Last week, I was convinced that a real Black Panther movie couldn’t exist without Boseman or King T’Challa. As a result, my expectations were falsified upon entering wakanda forever. It made my experience all the more extraordinary. It was around two o’clock when the thought randomly occurred to me that T’Challa wasn’t there, and yet I was completely immersed in the story and journey of these characters. A true sign of superb writing and storytelling.
The film is not without flaws; however, these flaws are minimal and easily forgiven. With a battery life of around two hours and forty minutes, it runs a bit longer than necessary. Keep in mind that I never got bored or disconnected. However, I think dragging the climax of the film around twenty to thirty minutes would have made for a tighter and more exciting viewing experience. There are moments of wonky CGI, but never significant enough to drag me out of the experience.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever surpasses its predecessor in the areas of storytelling, character building, and action. And while the hole left by Chadwick Boseman’s absence can never be filled, wakanda forever spectacularly honors his legacy and restores the tradition of the Black Panther. A meaningful tribute, gripping story, and heart-pounding action. Wakanda forever.
8/10
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