Matthew B.’s review published on Letterboxd:
Opening to monster box office returns and sterling reviews, Black Panther had quite a bit of hype to live up to... and it very nearly delivers. While the film might not revolutionize the superhero genre, and the overall hype for the film probably exceeds its quality, Ryan Coogler does deliver one of the MCU’s strongest films. Black Panther is a culturally-relevant, wholly-entertaining box office powerhouse, and the most fun time I’ve had at the theater in 2018.
In the wake of #OscarsSoWhite and the movement to increase representation for women and people of color in front of and behind the camera, Black Panther, with its predominantly black cast and director looks to stand alongside Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman as a landmark film for representation in mainstream, blockbuster cinema. Thankfully, though, Black Panther is more than just an important film; unlike the woefully-average Wonder Woman, Coogler’s film is actually a good one.
It can be said that the screenplay is rather derivative (The Lion King parallels are a tad uninspired and Coogler’s opening shoutout to Oakland was rather forced), but for a mainstream superhero film, the writing is rather tight overall, delivering a streamlined, engaging story (even if it is a familiar one). The film also feels far braver thematically than a standard Disney-Marvel product, willing to weave issues related to race and social justice directly into the narrative. This isn't to say that Black Panther is all stodgy and serious; aside from a few notably cringe-inducing lines (e.g. “What are those?!?”), the humor is generally on par with the best of the MCU. The writing might not quite hit the comedic highs of Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor: Ragnarok, but it doesn’t have to. This is a very balanced film, with high-quality action scenes, entertaining humor, and first-rate world building.
On the point about Black Panther’s world-building: the best films can show us a new environment and make it feel familiar, and Wakanda definitely fits that bill. Coogler delivers a fully-realized vision of a culture that is foreign and exciting, yet easy to jump right into. By throwing his audience right into the world of Wakanda and letting them figure it out for themselves, Coogler excels at showing, not telling, the Wakandan mythology, and the film is all the better for it. In fact, despite being set in a completely fictional African kingdom, Black Panther somehow manages to emerge feeling like (perhaps for the first time in an MCU film) it exists in the real world.
The cast here is absolutely brilliant, delivering excellent performances all around. It is the commitment of the cast that separates Black Panther the most from standard superhero fare. Chadwick Boseman gives a commanding performance as King T’Challa, but his supporting cast is equally impressive. In supporting roles, Forest Whitaker (Zuri), Sterling K. Brown (N’Jobu), Daniel Kaluuya (W’Kabi), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Andy Serkis (Ulysses Klaue) and Martin Freeman (Agent Ross) shine. Even more spectacular were the women—Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), and Angela Bassett (Ramonda)—delivering outstanding, empowering performances. Seeing so many prominent women of color is a major win for representation, and for the film itself. It was also great to see an underrated acting legend like Isaach De Bankolé represented in the MCU, albeit in a very small role.
The star of the show, though, is Michael B. Jordan. A longtime Coogler collaborator, Jordan steals nearly every scene he’s in as the villainous Erik Killmonger. While he may not completely fix Marvel’s “villain problem” that has existed in the aftermath of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki (Killmonger’s motivation is a bit undercooked, and he is introduced far too late in the story), any flaws in Killmonger’s character have to do with the writing, not the performance. Jordan provides the most entertaining villain performance the MCU has ever had, bar none. From a character-development standpoint, too, Killmonger is an interesting study. Rarely does the MCU provide a relevant, meaningful villain, and here we are given a villain that borders on sympathetic. Sure, his methods are misguided, but Killmonger's anger and rebelliousness is justified; in many ways, he is a perfect foil to T'Challa--both are charismatic leaders that seek to protect their people. While the Wakandan kings prefer (perhaps ironically, given their "Black Panther" moniker) to retreat from the world in order to keep their people safe, Killmonger chooses to fight. By giving us a villain with whom we can empathize, Disney-Marvel have elevated the stakes.
From a technical standpoint, the film is stunning, and deserves full Oscar attention for its cinematography (from Mudbound's Rachel Morrison), costume design, and production design. As film full of such cultural pride and heart, Black Panther is one of the finest films in the MCU canon, and could be the first superhero film to be a major player in next year’s Oscars. While best picture talk might be a bit hyperbolic, the film’s performances, cultural impact, and box office success cannot be understated. Black Panther is the first best film of 2018, with more (hopefully) to come.
