Breaking down Black Panther: An in-depth review of Marvel’s latest entry

Marvel’s Black Panther introduces us to T’Challa and the hidden nation of Wakanda. The rise of T’Challa as the Black Panther is the most original origin story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to this point.

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There are many things that I would like to say about Black Panther but my goal with this review is to remain as spoiler free as possible. I understand why the original cut of the film was four hours long, as Coogler managed to weave several different stories into this movie. Though the final run-time was just over two hours (2:14), there is no evident missing chunk of story.

This movie is great from start to finish. There is great storytelling, the villains have depth, the images are powerful, and the character is most definitely unique.

T’Challa’s Origin Story

*VERY light spoilers in this section.*

T’Challa was born with a right to ascend to the throne, but his gifts still had to be earned. The other heroes in the MCU were born with their abilities, acquired them through an accident, or were manufactured. Captain America comes the closest as far as earning his abilities but even he was an experiment that was never a guarantee. In this film, we see that the death of his father is not the only thing that was required to make T’Challa The Black Panther.

The Black Panther has been around since the early days of civilization. The powers were delivered by the Panther God, Bast. The title was used to hold together the 5 tribes of Wakanda. After returning to Wakanda, there is a ceremony to announce him as the king, but at the ceremony, the members of the other tribes are given the opportunity to challenge him for the throne. He is stripped of his powers before the challenge, placing him on an even playing field with his opponents. Imagine, Captain America having to fight as his original self to earn the rights to the serum. The weight of the crown is heavy, and I appreciated that it wasn’t something that was given.

The Villains

One of the main issues most have with the MCU is the villains. As it stands, Loki has been the strongest villain in the entire canon. Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s Vulture is a late entry as a contender for the title and we hoped that momentum would continue.

Ulysses Klaue 

Klaue is a villain who we’ve seen before in the MCU. He is obsessed with vibranium and we learn about a trip he made to Wakanda many years ago in this film. He stole vibranium and killed Wakandans in his escape. Since the man who killed T’Chaka has already been captured, Klaue is public enemy number one. The film does a good job of making sure that Klaue is established as a present threat while also giving us the history lesson to cement his hated status. Coogler made the character more interesting than I personally expected and the audience is guaranteed to enjoy his brand of twistedness.

M’Baku

I mentioned earlier that the five tribes were brought together under the Black Panther mantle but not all did. One of the tribes rejected the agreement and went to the caves. M’Baku is from that 5th tribe, and when the chance to claim the throne is presented, he steps up to challenge T’Challa. How that goes, you’ll have to see for yourself. Having only seen Winston Duke in Modern Family before this role I was incredibly impressed by his acting. Coogler gave him an interesting role to play and his presence was powerful any time he was on-screen. Winston Duke is quickly seeing his star rise from this role.

Erik Killmonger

Erik Killmonger is a villain that you will hate, but also understand. It would have been easy to make him a completely unsympathetic character but that is not the way Coogler went. In the film, Killmonger grew up in America, only hearing stories about Wakanda from his father. He grew up never really knowing this land or having this home and he grew up resenting the Wakandans for staying hidden. He comes to claim the throne and when T’Challa learns the real story as to Killmonger’s existence, it affects the way he thinks about the world. With that said, he earned the name Killmonger for a reason. He’s definitely not in Wakanda on a peace-keeping mission and is a threat that must be dealt with. The way that threat is handled will leave many people reaching for the kleenex.

The Women

Okoye

Okoye is the leader of the Dora Milaje, the Black Panther’s personal security. They are essentially his secret service and are wholly loyal to the nation. Danai Gurira gets to translate her time as the fierce Michone on The Walking Dead to the big screen as Okoye. Rather than a katana she has a vibranium spear and she gets the most out of it. She is completely in control in her fight scenes and the spear feels like an extension of her body. Besides being a fierce warrior she also has a lot of great one-liners in the film, mostly with regard to her feelings about the outside world. Coogler also allows us to see the soft side of Okoye when she interacts with her love interest. In one of the best scenes near the end of the movie, both sides of her character come together in an important way.

Nakia

Nakia is similarly complex. She is a spy and is very interested in foreign aid. Much more so than most of the rest of the inhabitants of Wakanda. The film seems to allude to the fact that this is she and T’Challa’s biggest area of conflict in the past. She exudes grace and steals the breath of even the king when she enters the room. She is also a skilled fighter when the time comes however, there are no distressed damsels here. Her development throughout the film is important to the final product and she plays a strong love interest for our titular hero.

Shuri

Since the third entry or so of the MCU, my sister and I have made it a tradition to go to every premiere together. It is one of the many things that has brought us closer together over the years. The previews seemed to allude to a strong bond between T’Challa and Shuri and I looked forward to relating to those moments on-screen. In almost all of her scenes Letitia Wright stole the show. One of my pet peeves is a film that takes itself too seriously. This is especially a problem when you are dealing with the ideas of rituals and traditions. Shuri’s character is the one that is there to add a light feel to those moments that started to feel too serious, while not taking away from them at all.

It was clear that the two had a fun relationship, making fun of each other but doing it all out of love. Shuri looks up to her brother and T’Challa appreciates his sister’s brilliance. They make a great team and the post-credits scene hints at a continued role in the war to come. I can only imagine the moment when Shuri meets Tony Stark.

The Messages

We’ve been hearing the phrase “representation matters” more and more in the past few years. However, more important than simple inclusion is the opportunity for a platform. With Black Panther, Ryan Coogler was given that platform and he maximized this opportunity. This film is about a fictional country in Africa but the film did not treat it like one. From the very opening, Coogler weaves in historical images and references. He talks about how Wakandans watched as the country around them fell into turmoil and chaos but remained resolute in not doing any outreach. At one point “colonizer” is used as a slur, but while the slavery message was there, Coogler was not done.

One of the main conflicts faced by the country has always been the idea of doing outreach. Wakanda has thrived while watching the countries around them suffer and this creates a moral dilemma. On one hand, if they expose their wealth, they become a target. On the other, if they don’t they continue to watch their brothers and sisters suffer. It’s a very strong message delivered in a way that is amazingly juxtaposed with our daily reality as Americans.

Lastly, back to the original “representation matters” point. There is a very powerful scene at the very end of the film that addresses this topic head-on. I can’t say much more without spoiling it but Coogler clearly understood the importance of making sure that scene was in the film.

Next: 4 Reasons Black Panther Changes Marvel

Overall

Black Panther is yet another home run for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is a character that many will replace their current favorite with. There is definitely a lot of story but it was important story. We essentially got two Black Panther movies rolled into one. Going into this film, Captain America’s story was my favorite of the Avengers and it all started with Captain America: The First Avenger. While many seem to hate that film, it remained in my top five for a very long time. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is considered by most to be the best film in the MCU and Black Panther combined elements of both into this story. I have to believe that this is easily a top 5 MCU film for most fans, and for me, top 2.

We’ll look forward to the next time we see King T’Challa, but for now go see Black Panther in theaters. You may want to buy your tickets ahead!