No doubt you have heard about the Black Panther movie. And I’m sure that you’ve already heard about how great it is. I can’t add more to that, but I can give you a little insight into the movie. I don’t know how different it will be from anyone else’s as I haven’t read any other reviews, but here it goes:
The movie is based on a Marvel character that made it’s first appearance in 1966, in a Fantastic Four film. I’m sure it’s already been pointed out that Michael B. Jordan was in Fantastic Four and plays Killmonger in Black Panther, but since they won’t be using that version of FF anymore; that’s a moot point. Let’s be honest, they should give up on FF. But, that’s another story. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created the character and it hadn’t had a huge following that I had ever known of. But, then it got inked for a movie and blew up. Of course, that’s not the entire chronology of the comic. But, you aren’t here to read about the comic. You’re here about the movie.
I had a bit of a problem with the music in the film. Not so much the music itself, which I thought was great Just that when I watch a movie, I think that the music in it should enhance their scenes in some way. You can tell that the music was meant to be a chart topper or for a music video and not something for a movie or to compliment a storyline. It felt very detached for me and almost made me think I was watching a really long music video. It was a little distracting for me.
The acting was great and looking at the cast, you would expect no less. Walking in with that expectation is fine, since it is met and even exceeded. I never lost the characters to the actors for a moment. I thought they all stayed in character well and throughout the film. I think they all did amazing jobs encompassing those characters, what bit I am familiar with them from the comics. I can’t say that I would change anything on that front. There is even a moment when they end up in Korea and Nakia speaks Korean. I always find it funny when a character speaks another language perfectly, so I found it perfect that she spoke Korean with an accent that carried over from the one she had in the film (Cocincidentally, my mother is Korean and I am familiar with the sound of the language. Just don’t ask me to say anything beyond “May I have a beer” and “where is the bathroom?”).
The palate of the film was great and really accentuated the fact that Wakanda is so advanced and beautiful, as well as the lively backdrop that Korea has to offer. There are plenty of visuals for those who love them. Don’t expect anything innovative aesthetically, but do know that you won’t get tired of seeing what they want you to see. For those techies out there, you will be happy to see some amazing tech! There were items I had never seen or heard of before and they were all things that seemed more Bond-y than any James Bond film I’ve seen. You’ll be pretty happy with what they show you and the theories behind it. I almost thought that Vibranium was real and something we can look forward to seeing.
The direction was great and so was the writing. There were plenty of moments that made me authentically laugh. They weren’t cute moments that felt like they wanted me to chuckle. They were moments that seemed natural and just happened to be funny. Which I love. If you love action, you’ll be happy for some parts of this film and the choreography they used. It didn’t feel rehearsed or predictable. And it didn’t seem like something that was supposed to be fast action, but slowed down so that you could see it. It felt real and natural to me, which was great. I always have a problem knowing that fight scenes or choreographed, predictable or just too slow. None of these were the case.
The storyline was one that I was really happy about. I always have a problem with super heroes who go through something and all of a sudden want to save everyone else. And that tends to happen a lot in Marvel movies. I was really happy this wasn’t the case. In this movie, T’Challa struggles with being king. He loved and missed his father dearly and now doesn’t know how to move forward without him. He wants to be what Wakanda needs. And because he couldn’t protect his father, he feels he needs to protect Wakanda more. But, Killmonger wants power and Vibranium and he is willing to go through the king to get to it. At any cost. He feels like vengeance is owed him and he not only wants full payment, but a rather high interest.
Overall, I thought it was a great movie! I will admit that it didn’t live up to the high hopes I had exactly, but I loved it. The music was a bit off putting, but it sounded good. There were a few moments that had me fighting tears and others that made me want to lean forward. The Dora Milaje were more inspirational to me than any moment in Wonder Woman and I have to say they were executed will in the film. The acting was great, the film was beautiful and I loved that the storyline wasn’t a superhero’s story, but the journey of a king who wants to save and protect his country. It was one that was beautifully done and left me feeling hopeful that more would come. I give it an eight and think that it would be worth a full price ticket.
