By Jeffrey Waitkevich
“Black Panther” is ahead of its time.
The movie combines the theme of black power with the message that arming black people with super-weapons is not the answer to racism.
This combination is what propels the movie to greatness, while overcoming a predictable plot.
“Black Panther” is the first superhero film to feature a predominantly black cast, alongside a black director and screenwriter.
The movie stars Chadwick Boseman as T’challa, the Black Panther and newly-appointed king of Wakanda. Boseman has shown how well he can play a soft-spoken revolutionary in previous roles – building on his success as Jackie Robinson in “42” and Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, in “Marshall.”
However, Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, the Oakland-raised opposition to the throne, steals the show. He is everything T’challa isn’t.
Killmonger is loud; he’s brash; and he’s so cool that trying to root against him is near impossible.
His goal is to overthrow T’Challa and use the high-tech vibranium weapons to arm all black people, not just Wakandans, and essentially take over the world.
Rounding out the cast is a trio of strong female characters, which gives the film another strong leg to stand on.
Okoye (Danai Gurira) is the general of the Wakandan army and is the loyal badass backing up the King.
Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) acts as the love-interest, but instead of being a damsel in distress, she’s every bit as brave and strong as T’challa.
T’Challa’s little sister, Shuri (Latitia Wright), completes the trifecta. She is the tech expert archetype who updates the Black Panther suit with the latest technology and provides her brother with weapons that would rival the best of any caped crusader.
The biggest disappointment was the lack of Kendrick Lamar tracks throughout the movie after the hype that surrounded the soundtrack.
The fight scenes were often-times mundane, though there is only so much that can be done with a superhero whose main weapon is claws. Sorry, Wolverine.
There were a few jokes that didn’t quite hit. A corny reference to the “what are those?” meme while pointing to shoes was the most notable swing and miss.
Otherwise, the bulk of the dialogue was calculated and moving, especially any time Killmonger spoke.
The costumes were gorgeous, and the effects were impressive – making the movie a visual gem.
The movie also capitalized on the booming superhero genre without becoming a comic book version of “The Lion King.”
While this movie is monumental for pop culture, its fit in the mostly-white Marvel Cinematic Universe is imperfect due to how transcendent it is.
T’challa will go back to being “the black superhero” in “Avengers: Infinity War,” where the only other black characters are Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), aka Falcon, and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle).
Nevertheless, that integration is for directors Anthony and Joe Russo to figure out. Until then, enjoy the greatness of “Black Panther.”
4.5/5 Stars
The Crow’s Nest rates movies between one and five stars, with five stars being the highest possible score.
Header photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
