Black Panther (Review)

By: Well...most of us!We're a little late to the hype train, but a good portion of our writers went and saw Black Panther and have their opinions and review ready for you to enjoy!

A lot of people told me that Black Panther was going to be a serious story for a Marvel movie. After watching it, I realized that the serious portion had to do with the question of racism fro Wakanda. If you have the power, why not stop racism by killing everyone and making yourself in charge of the world? While it sounds great, T'challa does point out that death doesn't solve issues. This is a little undermined when he kills his main opponent who was causing issues. But to be fair he did try to talk him out of having to fight him. But it does raise an interesting question to those of us in positions of influence, why aren't you doing more? Granted it's definitely easy for those of us to asks those with, but I'm glad that the question is raised and might inspire people to do something.

While we're on the subject, I had to gird myself a little when I realized a ceremony was going to be performed for T'challa to become king. I thought this could go one of two ways, the first being a white washing where T'challa is crowned and his coronation looks more like something in medieval Europe. The second is for them to dip into African culture for inspiration. Which given the current social environment seemed like giving a blind man a bat, telling him there was a pinata hanging in a room and string up contact sensitive explosives around the pinata. But I was surprised, it seemed like there was a modern take on the ceremony while still paying homage to the ancient ways that the country founded itself upon. One of the characters, T'challa's sister even made a joke of the outfit she needed to wear and I think this gave somewhat of a pass to the movie because it's someone from inside the society pointing out how silly it all was.

 It also didn't do what other movies have done which makes the black person's enemy white. There is a repeat villain who is white but it turns out he's not the bad guy for us to hate. Honestly, even when the main villain did arrive, I couldn't actually hate him or the things that he wanted. It turned the troupe from a battle over morality to a battle over ideologies. Neither is wrong, and even though you know who wins you can tell that the exposure to what was a radical idea causes a change in the Wakandan relationship with the world. So it comes as a breathe of fresh air to the series, right before we no doubt slam back into the fight over Earth good, giant space conqueror bad so Earth must win scenario. But that's not for sometime.

-Thunder Heavy Arms

I was pretty skeptical when people claimed that Black Panther was the “best Marvel movie ever”, as this phrase has been touted out after every Marvel release. I have never been more wrong. Black Panther isn’t just the best Marvel movie; it’s one of the best movies to come out so far in 2018, and dwarfs most releases from last year. There are strong female characters with their own agency that exist outside of their relationships with any male characters. The villain - Eric Killmonger - is authentic and sympathetic in his agenda. Our protagonist T’challa avoids falling into the cocky hero trap, making his redemption arc endearing. If there is any movie you see this year, it is worth your time and money for it to be Black Panther.-EyeSpyAlexMuch like Ant-Man, Iron Man, and Captain America, you don’t need a vast knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic universe to enter the plot of Black Panther. In fact, I’d venture to say that although this movie will have the potential to take the Sci-Fi of the MCU up a notch (especially with cool future chase scenes), it’s perfectly fine to come in knowing nothing at all other than that it’s an action/adventure movie, an origin story, and a really great cast. Chadwick Boseman takes the role of T’Challa for the second time in the MCU, but this time in a title role rather than a supporting character, with Letitia Wright in the role of his sister Shuri (Princess and Scientist all rolled into a bundle of awesome). The amount of characters in the cast that are female heroes really outweigh most of the other Marvel movies, too. If you put it up against the Avengers, for example, the team is mostly male. T’Challa’s main corps is Shuri, Okoye (Danai Gurira)- warrior and bodyguard, and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o)   - T’challa’s ex-girlfriend and Wakwandian spy. Michael B. Jordan is a subtle tour de force as Erik Killmonger, with easy confidence bought with a long game focused on the throne. The director, Ryan Coogler, is only in his 30’s, and already has an eye for smooth execution between scenes. Bring on his next film.-V.o.LynnBlack Panther is a Marvel film unlike any other. Intricate and significant details can be found in nearly every frame. Director, Ryan Coogler, spent time in Africa in order to capture the essence of various tribes and cultures. It proved to be time well spent as the film serves as a celebration of African culture, beauty and strength. Black Panther was even better the second time around. I spent more time observing the stunning backdrops and hidden gems that can easily go unnoticed. The women stole the film in my opinion. Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright shine on screen. My only real complaints about the film are that it is a little predictable, T’Challa seemed too perfect, and it needed more Michael B. Jordan. Killmonger is a captivating character that demands attention and I want more! Here’s hoping he has more deleted scenes in the Blu-ray extras. T’Challa and Shuri’s sibling banter was spot on. Letitia Wright’s one liners and overall character are incredible. I have a feeling Shuri may play a bigger role in the future of the MCU. With stunning visuals, well rounded characters, and a flushed out story that parallels pertinent modern day issues, Black Panther ascends above the superhero genre in spectacular fashion.-RogueSymbioteLong story short? The Geekly Grind can not get enough of Black Panther-- if you haven't seen it, go! And if you've seen it, are you going to see it again?