Review: Black Panther (2018)

Kevthewriter reviews Black Panther.

So I’ve enjoyed most of the Marvel films. None of them are the best comic book films ever made but they aren’t the worst either. Many of them are fun, entertaining, and sometimes forgettable romps. Even the worst ones are miles better than the worst comic book movies of all time. Is Black Panther just another Marvel movie or is it be something special?

Well I’ll say it’s pretty good and definitely one of the better Marvel movies. I don’t know if it’s going to be one of my favorites of the year or if I’d call it anything TOO special but we’ll see.

One thing I appreciate about this movie is that it knew when to be funny and it knew when to be serious. In the past, Marvel’s comedy hasn’t bothered me but, starting with Doctor Strange, it did start to feel like ALL of the Marvel movies were trying too hard to be “the funny one”.

Granted, with GOTG Volume 2, it’s expected because that franchise is supposed to be funny and Homecoming‘s comedy didn’t bug me too much but it did seem like, of the four recent ones, there wasn’t an MCU movie that was really a big event movie, a movie where the stakes are going to get higher and lead to Infinity War, it felt like all four of the last MCU movies were the light-hearted intro to something bigger happening.  In other words, it felt like the last 4 MCU movies were the Ant-Man to the Civil War that never came out.

Finally, though, we have an MCU movie that, while it definitely has jokes, only had jokes when the situation called for it. And, when things get serious, it’s not afraid to be serious. Finally we have the Civil War of the bunch.

But the balance between comedy and drama wasn’t the only good thing about the movie.  The title character had a good arc about what it truly means to be a king and the issues he faced led to some interesting social commentary that ties into real political events.

The world-building was also great. The land of Wakanda had some very unique, creative designs and it felt like a full, developed world and they really showed both the great things happening in it and all the flaws of the ideology of the Wakandans, showing that the country is hardly perfect.

Most of the cast is good and they have good chemistry with each other. It’s nice to see Lupita Nyong’o NOT play a Mother for once. Seriously what is with Disney’s obsession with casting this thirtysomething actress in Mom roles all the time? They don’t do it for Scarlett Johansson even though she’s around the same age!

The music is also good and very unique for a Marvel movie.

But I do feel there are some flaws that hold it back from greatness. For example, the action scenes are a mixed bag. The car chase is fun and all but some of them are poorly shot or poorly lit and it’s hard to see them.  The special effects are also a little bit of a mixed bag. Some of it, like the ships and the tech, look great but other parts of the CGI, like those rhinos, look terrible.

Also, while most of the cast is good, I wasn’t fond of the villain. I did like that they explored the villain more than they usually do and show what made him evil in the first place but Killmonger was a little too similar to Loki for my liking. And, I’m sorry, but I thought Michael B. Jordan was miscast. He was great in Ryan Coogler’s previous two films but I just don’t think he has the presence to play a villain, he just doesn’t come off as much of a threat, and what doesn’t help is that, in my opinion, his line delivery was a little off.

Also Angela Bassett was a little wasted. Why does Marvel insist on hiring well-known actresses to play middle-aged women that don’t do anything? First Rene Russo then Glenn Close now her. Apparently Sharon Stone was supposed to be in a Marvel movie but she said that back in 2016 meaning her scene must’ve been cut or she was recast. Whatever the case, considering their track record for how they utilize these actresses, she might’ve been lucky!

I mean, listen, I don’t blame these actresses for agreeing to be in a successful franchise like the MCU but Feige, buddy, if they agree to be in your movie then do something with them!

Other than those things, and most of them are small nitpicks, I really did enjoy Black Panther. It was surprisingly smart, intriguing, and fun overall. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s Marvel’s first fantastic film but it’s a step in the right direction.

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robbushblog
robbushblog
6 years ago

I had issues with some of the action scenes and CGI as well. I thought Jordan was fine, but I didn’t entirely believe him on FRUITVALE STATION for the same reason you state here. His line reading seemed off to me in THAT movie.

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