[rating=9.00]
Right as they risked going too stale to maintain, Marvel has delivered a film so unique and so delightful that the entire franchise feels instantly rejuvenated. Black Panther has clawed its way to the top of the MCU pantheon, breathing new life into now 18-film-strong series, and hopefully setting the tone for the Marvel films yet to come.
Stunning. Bold. Rapturous. Black Panther achieves these heights by transcending not just the genre of comic book movies, but also the formulaic Marvel house style. While the nature of these films is such that the house style can never truly be demolished (has any hero ever felt truly at risk an in MCU movie?) director Ryan Coogler (Creed) has proven himself a master at taking a formula and molding it to his aims as opposed to letting a formula dictate those aims for him.
It’s no secret that the best MCU films—Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Thor: Ragnarok—were the ones where formula and directorial intent melded together to create something new and different, and hopefully with Black Panther Marvel learns to allow directors a bit of leeway in the creation of their films. Hopefully, the age of the hired gun is over, and the age of the superhero auteur has begun.
Maybe it’s too early to call it that just yet. Most Marvel films remain more consumer product than art, even if they’re products I particularly enjoy. Rare is the superhero film that even approaches the level of art, but if Black Panther does nothing else, it certainly proves that the idea is not at all far-fetched.
Coogler’s hand is elegant, guiding Black Panther to areas the MCU has previously left unexplored. I don’t just mean Wakanda, the fictional African country that serves as the backdrop for the film, but also thematically. Coogler, who co-wrote the film with Joe Robert Cole (American Crime Story), explores issues of post-colonial trepidations, social injustice, and the nature of power in his film, using the comic book formula to bring to light serious issues worthy of thought and consideration.
Black Panther does all of this while remaining a fantastically entertaining, action-packed extravaganza worthy of the name Marvel. It’s a delicate balancing act to maintain, and Coogler walks it with a certainty of a true master.
The film begins shortly following the events of Captain America: Civil War, with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) ascending to the Wakandan throne after the assassination of his father, T’Chaka (John Kani). Immediately his reign is threatened by outside forces, led by Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), who want Wakanda’s secret technology for their own aims. Fighting the threat might mean opening the doors of Wakanda for the first time in its long history, and threatening their entire way of life.
Every bit a political intrigue thriller as it is a rollicking sci-fi epic, Black Panther is a perfectly balanced film that never feels as if it’s wasting a moment. Even coming in at a somewhat long 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film manages to align its multitude of themes and plot points in such a way that nothing feels lessened or forgotten in the fray. That’s a complicated task to achieve for any director, but Coogler, who has long since established himself as a director capable of narrative complexity, pulls it off with an almost breathless ease.
Wakanda, and all of its marvelous wonders, both technological and natural, are brought to stunning life. The easy comparison to make within the MCU oeuvre is Thor: Ragnarok, or even parts of the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Fueled by vibranium, the fictional element that serves as the source of much of the MCU’s magical wonders, Wakanda is a city unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU (at least on Earth). Flying vehicles, holographic controls, otherworldly medical technology all play a role in Wakanda’s strengths, even as the nation hides itself from outside meddling.
The parallels to reality here are subtle, but evident. Wakanda exists as it does due to the fact that its secrets are well kept; with nothing seemingly to offer the outside, it remains largely ignored. That has allowed them to thrive as a nation, giving them the ability to progress with stunning speed. Much of modern Africa’s real life problems stem still from the effects of colonialism on the continent, and the implications of Wakanda, despite its otherworldliness, force us to wonder what position the continent and its nations might be in had its resources not been so greedily plundered by outside forces for centuries.
Which cuts right to the heart of many of themes of Black Panther. While still “just” a superhero movie, Coogler and Cole use that conceit to explore real world problems—in much the same way that Marvel Comics have always done—in a way that’s accessible and palatable to the average audiences. And they do so by relying equally on subtext as they do text. The film’s statements on injustice and Africanism aren’t always overt, and often require more thought than is typically needed to enjoy a superhero film.
Their cast does a fantastic job at portraying the themes Coogler and Cole have embedded in the text. Boseman, who first wowed us in Civil War, is allowed more depth as a character than he was in his first appearance, and he handles it beautifully. While in many respects this is still just an origin movie, his previous existence within the continuity allows the character to be explored deeper and with more actualization than is typical for introductions.
For his part, Boseman pivots remarkably from the hero we met in Civil War to the hero he becomes in Black Panther. Where previously he was a prince beset by grief, here he is a king—one with a keen awareness of his responsibilities to both his nation and his people. Boseman, and subsequently T’Challa, are given ample room to breathe as they’re thrust into starring roles, and the result is magnificent.
He’s helped immensely by his supporting cast, which consists largely of strong, fully realized female characters. Letitia Wright, especially, is captivating as Shuri, T’Challa’s sister and Wakanda’s chief scientist. She is, in many respects, the heart and soul of Black Panther, serving as the audience’s guide to the technological marvels of Wakanda. In many respects, she’s the Q to T’Challa’s Bond, though with vastly more emotional relevance to both the narrative and the other characters.
Of course, a comic book hero is only as great as his opponent, and Kilmonger easily ranks among the best villains the MCU has yet to offer. Kilmonger is great because, well, he kind of has a point, even if his methodology is wrong. He is far more than the dastardly mustache twirler of so many big screen supervillains. His agenda is, if nothing else, worthy of discussion. Jordan absolutely brings it for this role. His is a nuanced, heartfelt performance that adds even more depth to a film that doesn’t hesitate to swim in the deepest waters.
Black Panther is the kind of movie Marvel needs to focus on making should they wish to continue flooding our theaters with release after release. This is a film that feels like a ray of freshness amidst a genre threatening to go bad. There are lessons Marvel, and even DC, can learn from the impending success of Black Panther, which is already breaking ticket sales records even before it’s official release. House styles are important, but so too is allowing a director to bend and shape the style as they need. Action is great, but so is nuance and sophistication. Comic book movies don’t need to be the same formula repeated ad nauseam. If the genre is going to continue (as it seems it indefinitely will) then it absolutely needs to grow with its audience. With any luck, Black Panther will set the new standard going forward.
Black Panther is now playing in theaters everywhere.
