Black Panther (2018)

 

'Black Panther' is great. Change my mind. This might even be one of the best in the Marvel universe. It sure as hell is the most significant by a mile. 

Why?

How many mainstream, billion dollar-films do you know with an almost exclusively black cast, and with influences and respect for African traditions? 

Exactly.

Now, this could have become yet another gimmick, but fortunately the studio didn't go that way. Appointing Ryan Coogler as director makes that very clear. Anyway, this is a hoot with a character that is now immensely loved but one that did linger a bit in obscurity for years. 

After his father T'Chaka is killed in a bombing (see 'Civil War'), T'Challa is forced to take his place on the throne a little sooner than he expected. It isn't an easy task, as Wakanda is enormously advanced thanks to a massive cache of vibranium, the strongest metal on Earth. It also drives everything from their technology. So keeping the secret for the world is pretty important, but so is balancing the various tribes that exist in the country. When T'Challa receives word that gunsmuggler Ulysses Klaue is back, he decides to apprehend the one that got away, but things don't go exactly as planned when Klaue is broken out of his holding cell by a mysterious assailant. 

Turns out this guy is Eric Killmonger, a former CIA operative and in fact nephew to T'Challa. But his father was killed by T'Chaka and now Killmonger wants to take over the throne and basically arm oppressed minorities all over the world with Wakandan technology, so they can overthrow their oppressors.

See, there is a lot more to this character than you might think at first glance. Heck, anyone with a little empathy can see where Killmonger is coming from and his logic and reasoning actually makes a lot of sense, even if he goes too far in his solution. But then again: history has also shown that peaceful protest doesn't always work. So it's a bit of a conundrum. 

This is one of the reasons this film works so well: the villain is anything but one dimensionally and many of the things he says, ring true. Who knew a Marvel film could actually make you question things like oppression and racism? Besides the X-Men, who also deal with something along these lines, but that's never as clearly linked to slavery or racism. 

So massive props to both Michael B Jordan as Killmonger and the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, who both bring a level of humanity to their roles that is often missing in superhero exploits, because the spectacle must take centre stage. But the supporting roles are also very good. Heck, Letitia Wright as T'Challa's sister Shuri is spunky and hilarious, Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi works great as the conflicted leader of the border tribe and you've got to adore Winston Duke as the gruff yet likable M'Baku. 

Special props to Danai Gurira as Okoye, leader of the royal guard. She is the perfect blend of cool, grace, beauty and awesome kick-assery (yes, that is now a word). Heck, she might even be my favourite character in the entire MCU. 

The setdesign and use of colours is also something that deserves credit. It all looks distinct and the African influences are all in the details. Even the smallest things have clear references to existing tribes, and the use of African languages such as Xhosa adds a welcome layer of credibility to it all, even if it is 'just' a comic book adaptation. 

As for downsides: some of the action scenes are a little jumpy, especially near the end. The final fight between Killmonger and T'Challa is a bit wonky, alas. It's a shame, but Killmonger's final words are such a kick in the gut, you won't feel miffed that the fight is one of those typical over-the-top flashy affairs we've seen a few too many times already. 

This film makes me feel empowered, and I'm not even coloured. So I can only imagine what this could mean to kids of colour all over the world. But even without all that, this is one heck of a comic book film.