Black Panther

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Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) must deal with balancing being king and being the Black Panther, all the while dealing with enemies who want to challenge his right to the throne of Wakanda. I admit that plot-wise, elements of this movie are a little bit familiar, with a touch of a Lion King feel to it. The thing is, I can’t complain about it too much because the story of The Lion King is literally Shakespeare. It’s Hamlet with talking animals. Several characters in the movie actually reflect this. This honestly feels like one of Marvel’s most mature and ambitious movies. A lot of the dialogue in this movie involves what Wakanda (and its new king) should do from a political standpoint. This isn’t something Marvel movies actually discuss and touch on very much. The character in this movie I feel most reflects the movie’s ambitious nature, and the Shakespearean feel is Kilmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan). He might just be my favorite villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is one of the most complex villains I’ve seen in recent years. You fully understand his rationale. A lot of what he’s doing has a point, and I like that he comes from a different world than the one that T’Challa was brought up in. Michael B. Jordan is easily the standout of the movie because he truly owns every scene he’s in. Ryan Coogler also proves himself as an action director by shooting some incredible action scenes with amazing scope to them. A lot of them can easily feel busy, but it’s never to the point you feel like you lose sight of what’s going on. Overall, Black Panther easily provides what I believe is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s top five best movies. The world of Wakanda is fascinating. The characters and performances are all interesting (especially Michael B. Jordan). The story, while familiar, is one that never really feels old or tired.  

9 / 10