It's now been a while since I actually enjoyed watching a superhero flick at the movie theater. Don't get me wrong, I used to LOVE superhero films, but ever since the formula worked so well (money wise) for the studios, the scripts have unfortunately lost all meaning. Thank God, this is not the case for Black Panther.
Although the film does start somewhat as a low-paced, vfx plastered (specially in the fictitious world of Wakanda), cliché adventure film, if you can power through the first 10 to 15 minutes or so, you're gonna be in for a treat.
What I loved most about Black Panther is the fact that each and every important character in the story has a well shaped backstory, they all have clear motivations for their actions, and the melodrama of the family relationships works perfectly, because it gives all of the main characters a conflict that is much needed in these types of films, and as we move forward, the plot thickens, and the stakes rise. All in all, a well written film with marvelous performances (even in small roles, as Sterling K. Brown shows us).
The script finishes off with a much needed message that envelops the whole point of the film: "...in times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers." The relevance of this film shoots up to the sky, when the theme is so intertwined with what's going on in the world right now. And the fact that the screenwriters managed to write in a message like this, in the context and with the studio pressures that come with a blockbuster type of film like this one, is something to stand up and clap about, if you ask me.
I can only hope that the sequel to this film does the first one justice, and I can almost be sure it won't, but oh well... that's Hollywood.
Review of Black Panther
