Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Black Panther’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr. 

I kicked off my Presidents’ Day Weekend last year by seeing Black Panther… and then I spent much of the rest of that weekend thinking about the film. Poignant, action-packed, and deep, Black Panther firmly plants King T’challa on the Mount Rushmore of Marvel’s best movies.
 
Just four days into its release, Black Panther cleaned house and broke records at the box office. It totaled $235 million domestic, including a $60 million Sunday that ranked as the second-highest grossing Sunday all time. (Not to take a shot at Justice League, but the DC Comics venture totaled just $228 million throughout its entire run!) Among other records, Black Panthercame in as the highest-grossing opening weekend for a Black filmmaker, the biggest solo superhero launch ever, and the biggest pre-summer opening weekend.
 
The staggering number of moviegoers is matched by the quality of the movie itself. Leaving the theater, there were two words floating around my mind as I attempted to sum up the experience: ‘breathtaking’ and ‘smooth’. The more I reflected on it, the more I felt like those two words capture a great deal of the movie.
 
First, let me get a relatively unimportant - and unrelated - thought out of the way. As Back to the Future is my favorite trilogy, I have to geek out and mention that THERE WAS A BTTF PART IIREFERENCE!!! It made me immensely happy.
 
Back to Black Panther. Let’s start with the ‘breathtaking’. T’Challa wasn’t wrong when he said flying into Wakanda ‘never gets old.’ The establishing shots of the nation are stunning and the beauty only increases the deeper you go. Production designer Hannah Beachler and costume designer Ruth Carter did an award-worthy job in giving substance to the landscapes and people of Wakanda. The attention to detail, vibrant colors, and beautiful costumes lent to the overarching visual style that brought Wakanda to life. Finding a balance between bustling cityscapes and the rivers, mountains, and jungles, Wakanda is the perfect backdrop for the action that lies within.

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How conflicts and fights are captured can make or break how well a superhero movie makes the jump from comic book pages to the silver screen. The fights in Black Pantherwere top-notch, flowing seamlessly - yet powerfully - and keeping you firmly on the edge of your seat. And, obviously, the Vibranium-loaded Wakanda is going to bring the heat when it comes to tech and gadgets. The movie boasts the best technology seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie literally took my breath away. When the credits started rolling, I was left speechless, contemplating not only what had just taken place but when I would see it again.
 
Now, onto what made the movie so ‘smooth’. Director Ryan Coogler put together a wonderful movie. As we sit 18 movies deep in the MCU, it can be a little hard for new movies - especially new solo character launches - to make their own way without slogging through all of the connections that need to be made and loose ends to be tied up. But Black Panther stands on its own with the perfect mix of backstory and plot-progressing elements. Any flashbacks or exposition are inserted smoothly. Coogler’s movie is paced tremendously well. Even Stan Lee’s cameo is one of the smoothest and most naturally hilarious appearances to date!
           
The movie excels because of its star-studded, talented cast and their chemistry. Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Killmonger’ explodes into the movie with a memorably badass scene. Then, you can feel the tension between he and Black Panther when they first come face-to-face. Killmonger finishes among the best Marvel villains ever. King T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, is Marvel’s best and brightest genius. Between her knowledge, inventions, and quick-witted comic relief, Shuri has a promising future in Marvel films. The powerful Nakia, played by (the also powerful) Lupita Nyong’o, is a master fighter and intelligence operative. Her ideals and morals play into the politics of the story. Between Killmonger, Shuri, and Nakia, I almost felt a little bit bad for the title character; they outshined him often! The depth of the cast and characters, as well as their storylines and script, were what made this movie so strong.
 
I’ve raved on about Black Panther without yet getting to what is perhaps its greatest quality: its real-life cultural impact. The theater I saw the movie in was filled with people diverse in race and diverse in age; it was truly great to see. When I heard Selena explain the trials of what it’s like being Mexican-American or when I recently saw Mexican culture through the Pixar-lens in Coco, I felt represented. As Wonder Woman showed us what a strong female protagonist could look like, Black Panther could make room in the universe of pop culture for communities that have been traditionally marginalized by the media. A film with a strong Black cast, led by a Black filmmaker and crew, focused on royalty in Africa is already inspiring the next generation. The movie does not back down from its opportunity to be important either. It embraces its role and provides a brilliant social commentary that is as significant today as it ever has been in the United States.

If you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, Black Panther is a movie I would emphatically recommend. In fact, it’s a movie that should be watched twice or more. The number of layers and interconnected storylines it puts forward deserve to be revisited. It is easily a top-5 (if not top-3 or top-1) Marvel movie. Welcome to the party, King T’Challa. Wakanda forever!

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