Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This weekend, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever released in theaters. In the wake of King T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) death, Wakanda works to protect their home from intervening world powers that are trying to take advantage of the loss of the Black Panther. While trying to push back the rest of the world, a new power emerges that threatens both Wakanda and the rest of the world. This movie was dealt a really tough hand. Between the loss of Chadwick Boseman as well as trying to make a movie during the pandemic, everyone was very anxious about how Marvel would pull this off. It needed to introduce a new villain, set up a replacement for T'Challa, properly follow up the previous film, pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman and just be a good movie.

Thankfully, this movie was very well done. It perfectly nails the tone expected from a movie like this by not being too jokey like other MCU films. The motif of the film is that of mourning and loss which can be felt in the tone throughout the entire film. The film is also able to provide some very emotional moments in an organic way that adds to the story. I also felt that the movie does a very good job of paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman throughout the film. His presence is felt by all of the characters throughout the film and his loss is interwoven throughout the story. The movie gives each character moments to process the loss while still moving forward in the story. With T'Challa missing from the story, the other characters, M 'Baku, Shuri, Queen Ramonda, Okoye, and Nakia, really step up to fill the hole. Specifically, Shuri and Queen Ramonda really pick up the pieces and shine in this movie. Shuri is given center stage in the film, while Ramonda is really strong in the supporting role. Both actresses give such great layered performances showing how their characters are handling their grief and how it impacts their life moving forward. Another standout in the film is Namor as the villain. He is given a great introduction as well is made to be likable. While he still does bad things, from his perspective, he is just trying to protect his people. If the movie were told from his perspective, he would be seen as the hero which always means they are a great villain.

However, there are a few negatives I have about the film. First, I found it to be a bit too long. I felt it meandered just a tad especially in the middle act. I also thought that some of the storytelling and setting transitions were just a bit too clunky. It felt like the film was jumping from place to place a bit too much.

Overall, this is a very well-done movie that was able to deliver the perfect tone, pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman and move the story forward in a great way. If the film had been tightened up by about 20 minutes and had a bit less jumping around, it would have added just the right touch to make this movie even more special.

Score: 8.8/10 Grade: A- Recommendation: Go see it