Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is spectacular and colourful – the characters, the production design, the costumes and the excellent arrangements by soundtrack composer Göransson. But it’s also inordinately long, with repetitive dialogue rehashing the same things, a mighty villain with a weak personality, an underwater world that’s not nearly as sophisticated as the one in Aquaman, and the borrowing of ideas from other Marvel movies that don’t fit here (e.g. Iron-Man costumes and flying in them). The first Black Panther was surprising with its distinctive soul and the compelling African mystique of the ethnic roots of a new, superbly functioning superhero movement. This is still a respectable Marvel formula, but altered only for effect. (06.03.2023)

Black Panther died from COVID and his mum and sister have to look after Wakanda. Coogler presents a sprawling project with many supporting themes in a very terse way. He jumps from scene to scene and the plot rushes instead of flowing. T'Challa's absence is especially noticeable in the moments when the film needs to breathe. The lighthearted jokes and would-be catchphrases of the girls during Iron Heart's introduction, in the context of Bossman's death, feel like a caress against the grain. Everything of course is saved by Namor and his Atlan... Mayas. Tying the new empire to Central America and their rich culture was a very cool idea. Huerta is awesome and I'm really looking forward to his next stint at Marvel. The final scene, where Kukalkan explains that those dickheads will eventually antagonize Wakanda, and then the fun will begin, is very impressive. The sister's scene from beyond the grave is chilling, and the action and the one-to-one fight works quite well. So it's a shame about the inconsistent introduction. The music is a chapter unto itself. Goransonn outdoes himself, the theme of the new Panther is unexpectedly brutal. (15.11.2022)

This return to the more traditionally constructed Marvel films of yesteryear is certainly welcome. It's nice Black Panther, except for a few moments, tries to look serious – within the confines of a superhero movie, of course – and doesn't make idiotic jokes like Thor. It probably wouldn’t been fitting, since mourning for Chadwick Boseman, or in this case T'Challa, is supposed to be one of the pillars of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And it's a bit of a problem. Because as we are mourning, we are introduced to quite a few new characters and an undersea civilization whose city we also have to look into. And while it's all nice and visually imaginative, the first half seems to forget that the film has to have a plot. The second Black Panther doesn't really get going until about an hour in, and unfortunately it comes too late, because by the closing credits Ryan Coogler doesn't have time to properly involve the new (and often old) characters in the plot and there's just too much going on. The moments when the film turns into a fine political thriller, at least for a while, or when the characters start to deal more with their emotions and traumas, are interesting. But having to deal with a huge amount of stuff and build up to the big finale, or rather the big finale and even bigger invasion of Wakanda in the middle, results in even the two and a half hours being simply too little to serve up everything they wanted to cook up. Not to mention that Letitia Wright unfortunately doesn't have the talent to pull off the lead role in such a complex story, and that Riri Williams, the future driving force, has so far profiled herself as more of a whiny sidekick than someone I'd want to see on screen more often. (10.11.2022)

A modest, sensitive, and respectful tribute to an icon, who for inexplicable reasons appears in a movie that lasts three hours. Sometimes less is truly more, and I could have done without several of the action scenes. Whether it was due to budget constraints or the difficulty of filming, the first half of the film practically takes place in darkness, shadow, or underwater every time there's a fight or something particularly dramatic happening. I can't explain how a last farewell to Chadwick Boseman, a therapeutic guide to coping with the loss of a loved one, a political thriller, a battle of empires, and an effort to overcome one's own shadow can all work together, but somehow it does. Maybe thanks to the phenomenal Angela Bassett, maybe thanks to the long-awaited, but inevitable, appearance of the titular suit. 70% (07.07.2023)

An enchanting and transcendent cinematic experience. Absolutely Beautiful! Marvel is back on top and Ryan Coogler has made the most complex and mature Marvel movie ever. Black Panther sets up a powerfully emotional and sad funeral from the opening, with all of Wakanda mourning in grief and it's very palpable. The plot then shifts a year and a brilliantly written political drama begins to unfold (the Queen's speech at the UN is like something out of an Oscar drama, not to mention the speech in Wakanda, everyone was holding their breath there!). The battle for vibranium begins and the new undersea civilization of Talokan comes into play with a stunningly filmed city, impressive depiction of life there and most importantly a villain who quite possibly is one of the best Marvel has ever created, Namor! Anti-hero, snake god, a symbol with good motivation, great backgrounds (the flashback with the conquistadors is great!), and the insight into Mayan culture was also brilliant. Tenoch Huerta is a strong cast hit and whenever he's on set he rips everything from action, to dialogue to dense drama for himself. I also enjoyed Namor's main fighters, they really commanded respect and that fight on the bridge with Okoye is an action packed treat. I liked the way the film is conceived in a very serious, adult, fateful and emotional way. There’s probably the least humour of all the Marvel films, but given the mood that's a good thing. The music is amazing, with Ludwig Göransson delivering another masterpiece and deserving another Oscar. The song “Con la Brisa” during the Talocan introduction is burned into my heart and I listen to it all day, but every single piece fits like a glove and I had my soundtrack list increased by at least 5 tracks. Best music in cinema this year without a doubt. I also enjoyed the action, even though there isn't much of it, it’s grounded, it's not the typical CGI mess where everything just explodes, but it cuts to the chase beautifully. The invasion of Wakanda is filmed in such a way that it takes your breath away, and the finale on the ship is such an epic carnage that it could be compared to the battle in Avengers. There are interesting themes and ideas running throughout the film, I enjoyed getting a glimpse into African culture again, the politics, drama, action, visuals, music, epicness and emotion all work, this is simply one hell of a mature film that has something from everyone and it all works flawlessly. I got goosebumps several times and even held my breath a few times. The peace and quiet in the cinema was really palpable, everyone was blown away. Audiovisual porn, brutal action, emotional inferno, that's all you need to know. Oh, and Letitia Wright handled it more than well. 9/10. (13.11.2022)