Black Panther has a visual look that is so expansive, it is worth multiple viewings alone, plus the vibrant action and iconic status of the character. The world building by director Ryan Coogler and the design team is incredible. Equally impressive is the cast led by Chadwick Boseman. He is known for playing Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013), James Brown in Get on Up (2014), and one of his first genre roles was playing the god of wisdom, Thoth in Gods of Egypt (2016). There is just a taste of his character, Black Panther, in Captain America: Civil War (2016), not in terms of Wakanda, but as a flawed character.
Black Panther was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #52 (1966). He had his own title starting with Black Panther #1 (1977) by Kirby. The character had a long run in Jungle Action by Don McGregor. Christopher Priest introduced many characters in the film with his run on Black Panther. Later, T'Challa was relaunched in Black Panther #1 (2005) by Reginald Hudlin. There is also Coogler’s favorite actor, Michael B. Jordan from their earlier collaboration, Creed (2015), he also ventured into superhero territory with the Fantastic Four (2015) film. His Erik Killmonger is complex, Erik’s motivations are not wrong, and it rests in the nature and nurture principle. The script was written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole who previously wrote and directed Amber Lake (2011).
Black Panther was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Fantastic Four #52 (1966). He had his own title starting with Black Panther #1 (1977) by Kirby. The character had a long run in Jungle Action by Don McGregor. Christopher Priest introduced many characters in the film with his run on Black Panther. Later, T'Challa was relaunched in Black Panther #1 (2005) by Reginald Hudlin. There is also Coogler’s favorite actor, Michael B. Jordan from their earlier collaboration, Creed (2015), he also ventured into superhero territory with the Fantastic Four (2015) film. His Erik Killmonger is complex, Erik’s motivations are not wrong, and it rests in the nature and nurture principle. The script was written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole who previously wrote and directed Amber Lake (2011).
The film opens with a fable about Wakanda with the fall of the Vibranium meterorite. Vibranium of course is the mystery metal that forms Captain America’s indestructible shield and Black Panther’s armor and claws. We are told that there were five tribes and the one who eats the Heart-Shaped Herb becomes the first Black Panther. We shift to Oakland, California in 1992 which is the birthplace of director Coogler and represents potential, but also the loss of identity in an urban environment. We find some kids playing basketball with a broken box for a basket.
They notice the building where two men are preparing guns. This is Sterling K. Brown’s character and James (Denzel Whitaker). At their apartment door is some bodyguards, the Dora Milaje, and the Black Panther who reveals himself as T’Chaka (John Kani). Brown’s character recognizes him and bows. He is also a Wakandan, the brother to T’Chaka, N’Jobu. This reminded me just a bit of Lion King (1994) with N’Jobu in the role of Scar. Also royalty living in America is similar to the Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America (1988) which the cast had fun dressing up in Zamundan royalty in playful photos.
They notice the building where two men are preparing guns. This is Sterling K. Brown’s character and James (Denzel Whitaker). At their apartment door is some bodyguards, the Dora Milaje, and the Black Panther who reveals himself as T’Chaka (John Kani). Brown’s character recognizes him and bows. He is also a Wakandan, the brother to T’Chaka, N’Jobu. This reminded me just a bit of Lion King (1994) with N’Jobu in the role of Scar. Also royalty living in America is similar to the Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America (1988) which the cast had fun dressing up in Zamundan royalty in playful photos.
The identity of the Wakandans are known by pulling down their lower lip to show the blue tattoo on their lip. T’Chaka is there to take his brother back and the kids outside see the blue engines of the Royal Talon Fighter in the clouds outside of the apartment. Then, we get the current day above Nigeria with the Royal Talon Fighter piloted by Okoye played by Danai Gurira. She of course plays Michonne from the Walking Dead, but Okoye is far more deadly as a member of the Dora Milaje and a character of honor. Her character was introduced in Black Panther #1 (1998). Okoye is meditating while the ship flies towards a convoy.
She contacts T’Challa played by Boseman and he manipulates a hologram of the trucks to see his target. Okoye says she will fight alongside him, but T’Challa says this is his fight, Okoye tells him, “Don’t freeze.” He notes “I never freeze”, puts on his helmet, and drops from the ship throwing several discs that immobilize the trucks. Gunmen drop out of the trucks and the Black Panther takes them down. He is helped by the “captive”, Nakia played by Lupita Nyong’o who has a few Disney credits with Maz Kanata in Star Wars, Raksha in The Jungle Book (2016), and Queen of Katwe (2016). Now, she gets a strong part as a Wakandan who can’t turn her back from the suffering in other countries. Nakia’s first appearance was also in Black Panther #1 (1998). The women of Black Panther are important for the story and formidable in battle.
She contacts T’Challa played by Boseman and he manipulates a hologram of the trucks to see his target. Okoye says she will fight alongside him, but T’Challa says this is his fight, Okoye tells him, “Don’t freeze.” He notes “I never freeze”, puts on his helmet, and drops from the ship throwing several discs that immobilize the trucks. Gunmen drop out of the trucks and the Black Panther takes them down. He is helped by the “captive”, Nakia played by Lupita Nyong’o who has a few Disney credits with Maz Kanata in Star Wars, Raksha in The Jungle Book (2016), and Queen of Katwe (2016). Now, she gets a strong part as a Wakandan who can’t turn her back from the suffering in other countries. Nakia’s first appearance was also in Black Panther #1 (1998). The women of Black Panther are important for the story and formidable in battle.
This is the central conflict of the film, an isolationist country that is prosperous when the rest of world is troubled. T’Challa tells Nakia that his father has died and he is to be crowned king. She agrees to return with him to Wakanda. We see some herders in this gentle country, but hidden away by holograms, it is revealed to be technological city in harmony with the land. A hidden kingdom in Africa is one of the mainstays of pulp fiction including She (1887) by H. Rider Haggard. The Golden City of Wakanda is well constructed and seems more like a real city than Asgard in the Thor films.
They are greeted by Ramonda, the mother of T’Challa played by Angela Bassett, who has a long genre list with American Horror Story, a comic book role in Green Lantern (2011), and Contact (1997). She is advisor and support for T’Challa. Ramonda’s first appearance was in Marvel Comics Presents #14 (1989). Also, there is Shuri played by Letitia Wright who is also in this year's Ready Player One, she was in a 2017 episode of Black Mirror, and had a role in the UK sci fi series, Humans. Wright very nearly steals the entire movie, she is a genius level inventor of most Wakandan tech, and her lines got most of the laughs so pay attention to her dialogue. Shuri was introduced in Black Panther #2 (2005).
They are greeted by Ramonda, the mother of T’Challa played by Angela Bassett, who has a long genre list with American Horror Story, a comic book role in Green Lantern (2011), and Contact (1997). She is advisor and support for T’Challa. Ramonda’s first appearance was in Marvel Comics Presents #14 (1989). Also, there is Shuri played by Letitia Wright who is also in this year's Ready Player One, she was in a 2017 episode of Black Mirror, and had a role in the UK sci fi series, Humans. Wright very nearly steals the entire movie, she is a genius level inventor of most Wakandan tech, and her lines got most of the laughs so pay attention to her dialogue. Shuri was introduced in Black Panther #2 (2005).
The coronation of T’Challa has gathered all of the tribes to Warrior Falls. He confides in his advisor, Zuri, about being king without his father. Forest Whitaker plays Zuri and he’s had a few genre roles including Saw Guerrera in Rogue One (2016), Arrival (2016), and of course played Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006) for which he won the Academy Award. The first appearance of Zuri was in Black Panther #1 (1998). This also a time when the Black Panther will take on any challengers. The one standout challenger is M’Baku from the mountain tribe played by Winston Duke. M'Baku's introduction was in Avengers #62 (1969).
Zuri gives T’Challa a drink that will take away his Panther powers and the two fighters are surrounded by the spears of the Dora Milaje and M’Baku’s tribe slowly closing them to the edge of the waterfall. M’Baku seems brutal, but there is more to his character. Later, we see W’Kabi, T’Challa’s good friend and boyfriend to Okoye. He is played by Daniel Kaluuya who has garnered attention with last year’s Get Out. W’Kabi tends to a rhinoceros kept in a pen, but is ready to fight. In London, at a museum, Erik Stevens (Jordan) contemplates African artifacts. He focuses on an axe which he knows is actually from Wakanda and made of vibranium. He is also known as Killmonger and first appeared in Jungle Action #6 (1973).
Zuri gives T’Challa a drink that will take away his Panther powers and the two fighters are surrounded by the spears of the Dora Milaje and M’Baku’s tribe slowly closing them to the edge of the waterfall. M’Baku seems brutal, but there is more to his character. Later, we see W’Kabi, T’Challa’s good friend and boyfriend to Okoye. He is played by Daniel Kaluuya who has garnered attention with last year’s Get Out. W’Kabi tends to a rhinoceros kept in a pen, but is ready to fight. In London, at a museum, Erik Stevens (Jordan) contemplates African artifacts. He focuses on an axe which he knows is actually from Wakanda and made of vibranium. He is also known as Killmonger and first appeared in Jungle Action #6 (1973).
Erik’s plan to take the axe as a well as an African mask is helped by Linda (Naiyah Be), his girlfriend (she is known as Nightshade in the comics), and the merciless gunman, Ulysses Klaue. He of course is played by Andy Serkis who was last seen as Klaue in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). We find out later that his arm lost to Ultron is replaced with a sonic weapon. Klaw is Black Panther’s foremost menace in the comics and first appeared in Fantastic Four #53 (1966). Erik’s crew will lead to the streets of Busan, South Korea to the overthrow of T’Challa’s rule in Wakanda.
The trail of the vibranium and the mastermind behind its theft is picked up by Everett Ross played by Martin Freeman. He was also introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Ross is closely associated to Black Panther in the comics. He first appeared in Ka-Zar #17 (1998). The film stands apart from other Marvel films not from the world of Wakanda, but it’s themes and characters. Coogler has assembled an incredible team from the costumes by Ruth E. Carter to the production design by Hannah Bleacher that seamlessly blend together. Rachel Morrison's cinematography is epic sweeping across real and imagined landscapes, powerful action scenes, and strong character moments. She previously worked with Coogler on his first movie, Fruitvale Station (2013). The characters have their roots in comic books, but are fully developed here. Still, there is enough action and humor to get audiences booking a return trip to Wakanda!
The trail of the vibranium and the mastermind behind its theft is picked up by Everett Ross played by Martin Freeman. He was also introduced in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Ross is closely associated to Black Panther in the comics. He first appeared in Ka-Zar #17 (1998). The film stands apart from other Marvel films not from the world of Wakanda, but it’s themes and characters. Coogler has assembled an incredible team from the costumes by Ruth E. Carter to the production design by Hannah Bleacher that seamlessly blend together. Rachel Morrison's cinematography is epic sweeping across real and imagined landscapes, powerful action scenes, and strong character moments. She previously worked with Coogler on his first movie, Fruitvale Station (2013). The characters have their roots in comic books, but are fully developed here. Still, there is enough action and humor to get audiences booking a return trip to Wakanda!
Five Heart-Shaped Herbs out of Five!
#BlackPanther, #RyanCoogler, #ChadwickBoseman, #LetitiaWright
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