Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | A No Spoiler Review

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tops the U.S. box office with the second-highest opening weekend of the year. Here is my (no spoiler) review of the cultural phenomena directed by Ryan Coogler.

There was not a dry eye in sight at the conclusion of one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Several members of the audience stood up and folded their arms across their chests and yelled, “Wakanda, forever,” in unison. Some even wore white in celebration of King T’Challa’s life. Although the production was plagued with several delays detailed in this Vulture article, the Marvel film still grossed over $180 million dollars in ticket sales in the United States and Canada during this past Veterans Day weekend.

With the way the film ended, I can definitely deduce why billionaire makeup and fashion mogul, Rihanna, would come out of musical retirement to lend her voice to the second Black Panther soundtrack. Rihanna did a phenomenal job, by the way. Her voice really paired well with the ambiance the film was trying to create.

The ending offered all Marvel fans, whether you are a long-time fan of the super hero movie production company or recently became one, a sense of comfort in the wake of Black Panther, King T’Challa’s death. T’Challa, played by actor Chadwick Boseman, passed away from colon cancer August 28, 2020, at the age of 43 after a four year battle.

The movie felt like a penned tribute letter to Boseman, with several references to Wakanda’s late king shown throughout the films two hour and 41 minute run time.

My no spoiler review will be broken down into three components: Storytelling, characters, and setting. Anything shown in the trailers will not count as spoiling the storyline.

Story telling:

The Black Panther sequel was told in a way that had a little something for every underrepresented minority group from Black women, native/ indigenous people, and the film also presented some LGBTQ+ undertones. Every kind of represented group made a difference in the progression of the story. However, because there were many characters being introduced, or re-introduced, some of the character storylines could have been a little more developed. Much of the story telling was told in a, “Hurry up and wait,” kind of style. I felt that when some newer plot points were established, viewers could barely finish processing one revelation before another one made an appearance. One of the prominent themes throughout the film was fighting with “the Man.”

The fighting amongst two disenfranchised groups felt like it lasted way longer than the realization that there was a bigger threat. I saw this movie as an allegory against Black-on-Black crime, something Boseman often spoke against. He encouraged Black unity. In 2005 he even wrote a play denouncing it called, Deep Azure.

The storyline was captivating enough that I did not hear anyone making additional side comments or allowing their cell phones to distract them from the experience. From the very beginning, the tone was set and audience members could get a sense of who would become major characters, who would become minor characters, and what the major problems in the film stem from. Like a majority of Marvel films, to fully understand what is going on, you will definitely have had to watch the first Black Panther and The Avengers: Endgame.

I am going to break down my character rankings into the villain, the main character, and the side characters — Queen Ramonda, the Dora Milaje, and King T’Challa’s former lover, Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o.

The following links will take you to the Marvel Cinematic Universe Fandom website, which may contain spoilers.

Characters:

Namor - The ‘Villian’

I believe the Mesoamerican winged-serpent deity, the K’uk’ulkan, or ‘Namor,’ to his enemies, was really brought to life by actor Tenoch Huerta. Although Namor’s storyline felt rushed at times, I believe he was one of the best actors in the film because of his commanding presence due in part to his unique look and calculating demeanor. He made me hate him and care about him simultaneously, making him both a bad guy and an anti-hero. I think as a first introduction as a potential main character in the MCU Universe, I think Huerta was a great pick by the casting directors.

Is Namor evil or protective?

• He is definitely evil!
• He’s trying to protect his people!

Shuri - The Main Character

I think Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, becoming the main character in the movie only made sense. Although her role in the first Black Panther was not that of a main character, she made the transition feel like it was pre-destined. The way Shuri develops as a character imitates real life. There were moments where internal conflicts were captured effectively by director Ryan Coogler, but there was also never a moment that I did not believe Shuri was struggling internally. I believe that Shuri has what it takes to carry the franchise in the future.

Queen Ramonda - Queen of Wakanda

As only she can, the beautiful and elegant Angela Bassett delivers the role of Wakanda’s Queen Ramonda in a way that is so emotionally palpable, that if her performance does not garner Oscar-buzz, it would feel like a snub. Bassett gives a riveting performance and gives one of the best depictions of queenly behavior I have seen in a long time.

The Dora Milaje - All-women protectors of Wakanda

This group of women really pushes the “Girl Power,” movement forward. I appreciated seeing the camaraderie amongst such strong women. Although not all of the individual character plots of the group felt flushed out, I will go out on a limb and say General Akoye really did a great job showing her personality aside from being a fearsome fighter. If there is a third installment of the Black Panther franchise, I definitely look forward to see how the Dora Milaje storyline expands.

Nakia - former lover of King T’Challa

While she did not have a lot of screen time compared to some of the other characters in the film, I believe Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o, did an excellent job bringing plenty of feminine energy in a movie where a majority of the cast members are deadly fighters. Her character helped to diversify the types of women in the film which helped propel the story effectively.

Setting:

We were already introduced to the mythical, technologically advanced civilization Wakanda back in 2016 at the end of Captain America: Civil War, but the lore was expanded upon with the release of the first Black Panther movie in 2018. Wakanda was presented as a country that felt like its own world in the first film. Without giving too much of the plot away, the aquatic world of Talokan was interesting to say the least. I found several varying opinions on Twitter by searching, ‘Wakanda Talokan,’ on whether or not viewers liked how the new world was introduced. I do not want to spoil any part of the film, so viewers will have to watch the movie themselves and formulate their own opinion of Talokan. However, I will say that there are comparisons being made to Aquaman’s Atlantis and Black Panther’s Talokan.

Which city would you prefer to visit?

• Atlantis in Aquaman
• Talokan in Black Panther

Overall, I believe that if you liked the first film, you will find the second film to be equally as enjoyable. There are some plot holes that I would like to see filled or expounded upon if there are going to be any future installments of the series.

Otherwise, I think that for having so much new information that the viewer needed to be introduced to in a short amount of time, the movie was a good blend of nostalgia and progression and paced fairly well.

I definitely encourage everyone to go see this movie. This film broke the record for the most expensive movie ever made with a Black lead. It is not only a staple for Black Marvel fans, but is encouraging more diversity in the super hero movie genre. I think this movie is the first of many for the Afrofuturistic genre, I hope its success is indicative that it will not be the last.

Black lead films can result in millions of dollars in profits. We just have to be given the opportunity to produce. I look forward to seeing how the super hero genre continues to expand and become more inclusive.

I give Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a 7.8 out of 10.

Special recognition goes out to Lord M’Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe played by Winston Duke. I hope to see you in our own MCU spinoff soon!