Black Panther is a superhero who comes from Africa, more precisely the country of Wakanda. We first met him in Captain America: Civil War. Now we have the opportunity to hear his story, and it goes like this:
Many centuries ago, a meteor, made of the metal Vibranium, fell into the heart of Africa. Five tribes clashed over this unusual prey. However, Vibranium itself strongly influenced the new environment. Among other things, an unusual heart-shaped flower grew. When the warrior drank a potion of this flower, he gained super powers and became the first Black Panther. He united the tribes and created Wakanda, becoming its king and protector.
Only one tribe, the Jabari, did not accept his rule and went to live in the mountains. The last king and Black Panther T’Chaka was killed in the explosion, and his son T’Chal (Chadwick Boseman) is to take over the crown and the role of the Black Panther. After becoming king and Panther, in addition to the challenges posed by the crown, he will have to face the demons of the past, the legacy of his father that no one knew about. A legacy that threatens to destroy the whole world…
In a series of five films of the Third Phase of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), we got Captain America: Civil War, which took the MCU in a new direction, the presentation of Dr. Strange, classically great Guardians 2, fun and new Spider-Man: Homecoming and never better and crazier Thor: Ragnarok. The last three were adorned with a lot of good humor, great fun, but often several famous heroes in one film. A real turn was made with the Black Panther. There is no one from the rest of the team of heroes, and the humor, which otherwise adorns Marvel movies, has been reduced to a minimum (for Marvel conditions). Is it to the fact that he is the first independent, black superhero, and thus to the topics that are covered in the background? Judge for yourself whether it is good or bad. What I can tell you are my impressions of the same.
First of all, I must emphasize that I had certain expectations, relatively high. First, the director is Ryan Coogler, the man who brought us the great Creed and the very good Fruitvale Station. Second, the phenomenal cast: Chadwick Bousmen, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, etc. Really impressive. Third, a new hero, a stranger and, in the end, and maybe in the beginning, it’s still Marvel.
Kugler made a great introduction and presentation of the origins of the Black Panther. He further develops the story, starting in 1992, and thus lays the foundations for the main events in the present and our story. The story flows fluidly and is easily followed, introducing us to the world of Wakanda and the Black Panther. The characters get enough space to get to know each of them, as well as the relationships between them. What, in my opinion, Kugler did not succeed in, to a sufficient extent, is the development of the main villain Kilmonger. It took too long to get it right, so when it finally came, it didn’t look right. Somehow it was all done clumsily and naively. Also, the climax and final calculation itself does not use the full charge of momentum that accumulated throughout the film. Somehow the impression remains that the main action part of the film was shot in the middle of the same on the streets of Busan.
Leaving that aside, and that doesn’t mean you’ll get similar impressions to mine, the Black Panther really has a lot to offer. Kugler presented the world of Vakanda really impressively. The whole hidden city, technology mixed with traditional African color and variegation, simply enchants. You cannot see all the mighty miracles that have been thrown in our faces. Everything is superbly made, with a lot of meaning and imagination, and the colors simply dance their enchanting dance. The costumes and fashion outfits of our heroes are also unique and impressive. It is the combination of tradition and top technology that creates something special, something that leaves an impression with every appearance. And that’s the way it is throughout the film, it seems with intent, and you can just enjoy it. The same folklore / hi tech mash-up soundtrack of African rhythms, with some hip-hop sequences, is involved in all this. Suffice it to say that I shuffled the whole movie to the beat.
Visually, the film is enchanting, and the effects are at the level of a Marvel child (except for some small moments when it stings, but almost imperceptibly). Action scenes, choreography and some solutions of individual scenes leave you breathless. Especially the scenes in Busan are simply fantastic.
The story is interspersed with numerous characters. Each is special in its own way and with that peculiarity, each of them gives us a complete picture of Vakanda and the world of the Black Panther and its place in the Marvel universe. A plethora of actors, hired to play above, are listed for every admiration.
