SPOILERS AHEAD: I am not one of those insiders who is privy to forecasting of box office revenue, production budget analysis, etc. I can say with some confidence Marvel Studios had to be blown away with the audience and critical response to Black Panther. The high box office was partially due to repeat viewings, and a feeling of social significance to the first big budget superhero movie featuring a mostly-black cast. The representation black people had waited for was finally realized.
The movie itself is stunning in terms of set designs, backgrounds, costuming, special effects (minus parts of the final one-on-one battle), score, etc. The biggest strength is in the storytelling and characterization.
It is essentially the tale of two cousins, one set on a path to becoming king of Wakanda, the other set on a path of surviving the tough streets of Oakland. If they had switched paths as kids, what would have happened? We walk away feeling Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan, in an outstanding performance) could have become a great king, given the right guidance.
Killmonger seemingly kills T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) during a ritual leadership contest, and assumes the Wakandan throne. But Erik’s life experiences prior to coming to Wakanda have hardened him at a spiritual level, and fortunately T’Challa is found and revived in time to set things right, with the help of sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), love interest/super spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and his royal guard led by Ayo (Florence Kasumba).
The climax is a rematch between the two cousins, and it relies too much on CG. The first fight is much, much better. There is also a James Bond-style South Korean secret casino fight scene which is solid, but kind of long, and is only there to introduce Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), who only partially factors into the plot moving forward.
There is a poignant final scene back in Oakland where T’Challa is talking with Nakia about setting kids on positive paths via education and creating opportunities, placing her in charge of a STEM-style initiative funded by Wakanda at the site of Erik’s inner city housing complex. There is a lot of positive messaging throughout the movie, which is why many teachers brought classes in to watch it in theaters.
This issues I had with the movie are very minor when compared to the sum of the parts. This is a well-crafted, well-written, well-acted action drama. If you stripped out the superhero and advanced tech elements, you would still be left with a compelling, enjoyable movie experience.
