Black Panther is finally here, and the hotly anticipated latest installment in the Marvel
Cinematic Universe has arrived with a record-breaking bang at the box office.
The film brings the fictional nation of Wakanda to life under the expert guidance of director
Ryan Coogler and features a cast of characters that all make for welcome additions to the
franchise.
The film is a breath of fresh air for superhero cinema and features a lot of elements that
are instant favorites for Marvel fans.
At the same time, there are some bits of the picture that are not quite as stellar as the
rest, so let's break down the best and worst elements of Black Panther.
You don't have to be as smart as Shuri to know there are spoilers ahead.
Best: Wakanda
Whereas some of the other Marvel films have treated their locations like set dressing,
Black Panther allows us to fall in love with Wakanda long before it becomes the site of
the central skirmish.
The home nation of T'Challa is not technically a character, of course.
But thanks to its citizens, design, and traditions, Wakanda feels like a real place -- a living,
breathing nation that we care about.
Without sending a single Helicarrier crashing into a building, we feel the real damage caused
to the nation through the events of the film.
"I'mma burn it all!"
More importantly, we care about that repercussions of that damage.
Worst: The first act
Although Black Panther as a whole is completely engaging, the first act is a little bit clunky.
In fact, the film doesn't really feel like it hits its stride until Killmonger arrives
in Wakanda.
Once he does, the emotional family dynamics and rivalry between T'Challa and Killmonger
elevate the the film to a higher level, but still, it takes a third of the movie to get
there.
Sure, it's got quite a lot to set up — from the rules and functions of Wakanda to T'Challa's
various relationships with family and friends — but it makes for an uneven 45 minutes.
Luckily, however, once the film gets going, it really gets going.
Best: Something to say
Most MCU films come down to the question of "What does it mean to be a hero?"
But Black Panther stands out as one of the few Marvel films to explore new themes that
strengthen the film's emotional punch.
From the get-go, the film sets up a conflict of tradition versus progression.
The technologically advanced nation keeps its developments to itself and T'Challa, as
the new king, finds himself confronted with the idea that this has caused long-term damage
to the outside world.
His adversary, Erik Killmonger, serves as an avatar of these negative repercussions
and challenges not only T'Challa, but the very essence of old Wakanda.
The film also explores colonialism and loyalty to friends and family over country, and it's
all handled immaculately under Coogler's direction.
He's managed to make the rare superhero film that is both fun to watch and intellectually
engaging.
Worst: What CAN'T vibranium do?
Before Black Panther, the only real exposure to vibranium we had in the MCU came through
Captain America's shield and the robotic Ultron.
Both were made of the precious metal and were impenetrably hard and strong as a result.
In Black Panther, however, we not only see more vibranium than was previously imaginable,
but we learn that it's the basis of everything that makes Wakanda such a force, from those
snazzy communication devices to the sophisticated monorail system.
At some point you've got to step back and wonder if there's anything this new element
can't do.
Very little of the writing in Black Panther comes off as lazy, but the fact that vibranium
is a catch-all that can serve every plot device does seem a little too convenient at times.
Best: An engaging villain
It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to his career
but Michael B. Jordan is excellent in Black Panther.
From The Wire to Creed, Jordan has become one of the most engaging, magnetic actors
working today, and he delivers one of the most compelling villainous performances in
the MCU to-date.
Of course, it didn't hurt that he was given good material to work with.
Erik Killmonger is a great villain because his perspective isn't completely wrong.
He believes in his birthright to the throne and avenging his late father, and he wants
Wakanda to share its treasures with the world so that racial oppression can come to an end.
If it weren't for his call for merciless violence and his desire to rule the world, well, it'd
be pretty hard to argue with his rationale.
Worst: Everett Ross
It's common for Marvel films to feature characters that serve as connective tissue between the
realms we know and those that are all-new, which is why CIA Agent Everett Ross comes
into the picture for Black Panther.
The problem with him, though, is that the nation has already been established without
him by the time he shows up in the country, and he doesn't have a particularly compelling
arc either.
Sure, he steps up to help stop Killmonger's weapons transfer in the end, but he hardly
sacrifices anything in the process.
As talented as Martin Freeman may be, the character never ends up living up to his potential
and ends up sucking the life from most scenes he's in.
Best: Women of Wakanda
As great as Chadwick Boseman is as the title hero, the women of Wakanda outshine him at
almost every chance.
The characters Shuri , Nakia, and Okoye are so talented and engrossing that they steal
every scene.
From Okoye's unwavering voice of reason and supreme combat skills to Nakia's brute determination
and sense of morality to Shuri's wit and innovation, the ladies of Black Panther downright made
the movie what it was.
"Show off."
Worst: A final battle that gives us deja vu
Black Panther is refreshing in its refusal to recycle formulas, tropes, and story structures
so often utilized by superhero movies.
Unfortunately, though, it does lean hard on one groan-worthy tradition: having the hero
fight someone in a similar suit.
In the end, Erik sports his own version of the Black Panther costume -- just as the villains
did in the first two Iron Man movies, Ant-Man, and more.
You can argue that Killmonger wearing the armor emphasizes the fact that he's a mirror
image of T'Challa, but it's still the same metaphor that so many movies before it tapped
into, so it seems a little trite at this point.
Best: The second-act twist
Unlike most of its predecessors, there's a significant portion of Black Panther that
carries on without its protagonist.
Sure, T'Challa doesn't actually die in his challenge bout with Killmonger, but he does
come awfully close, which leaves his family and friends to fight for Wakanda without him.
Marvel films take a great deal of inspiration from the Hero's Journey template, which requires
that the hero be present.
But Black Panther breaks from this norm by taking the time to show the audience what
happens in the wake of T'Challa's apparent demise.
It's easily the strongest chunk of the movie, giving a depth to the story and its characters
that no Marvel movie has ever achieved.
Worst: The first post-credits scene
The first post-credits scene in Black Panther features T'Challa formally announcing to the
world that Wakanda will be doing away with its isolationism.
The scene might draw a smile when a diplomat questions what good a third-world country
could offer anyone, but the reality is, the clip is redundant.
The film's proper ending already establishes the opening of a Wakandan Outreach Center,
so other than allowing T'Challa to get the last laugh, it serves very little purpose.
Considering Marvel's post-credit scenes usually either make us laugh or introduce something
new, Black Panther's bonus scene is a rare miss.
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