Movie Review: The Black Panther (2018)
I realize I am quite late in the game reviewing this film, the latest entry in the ever growing Marvel Cinematic Universe, and, as it has been at the top of the movie charts for weeks, it is quite possible that I am one of the few who waited to see it. I have a friend who teaches elementary school and has taken several of her classes to showings of The Black Panther. She herself was overwhelmed by it. Celebrities have rented out entire theaters, news stories have proclaimed it “Academy Award worthy”, and it’s breaking records with it’s earnings.
Quite an amazing cultural happening.
I just wish it had been a better movie.
Please do not misunderstand, I really enjoyed it. Being an avid comic book geek, living in the golden age of comic book films, it’s hard for me to NOT like a super-hero movie (we’re not discussing the DCU movies here…you’re welcome). The movie is populated with great looking, and incredibly charismatic people-and I say people over characters, because the acting gave them dimension. You actually cared about them…and probably wanted to sleep with at least half. I am going to start with the good points, then I’ll start bitching and whining about what I didn’t like.
I’ll mention again the charisma of the actors. Chadwick Boseman makes a great super hero. Good looking, with just enough edge, to believe he can do what he can do as a super hero…and a king. You can easily understand why everyone (almost) wants him to lead their isolated nation of Wakanda after his father is killed (see Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Michael B. Jordan, as the bad guy, struts with American bravado, tribal scars covering his body-each one, someone he has killed. I am considering putting a law through congress making it a federal crime for him to wear a shirt. Seriously. Angela Bassett’s beauty and regality stun. I liked everyone in this movie, even the token white guy (how often do we say that?), Martin Freeman, who gets to be the Steve Trevor* of the film as the first non-Wakandan to be allowed to enter Paradise Isla…ooops, I mean Wakanda.
The city itself is gorgeous. The costuming, by Ruth E. Carter is glorious, probably the only chance this film has at getting an Oscar nod, besides special effects. The dialog was good, but then it’s always good in a Marvel movie. I laughed quite a few times. Out loud laughs, not the quiet chuckle to yourself kind, but “that was really funny” laughs. The film doesn’t squander the women, either. They are tough, smart, and they know it. Confidence is sexy. The soundtrack was sexy too, at least for the most part.
So why didn’t I love it?
For me, it goes back to story. This is your spoiler alert. If you haven’t seen the movie, go see it, then come back and finish this. Otherwise, read on.
The film opens with a back story. It is several years ago, in Oakland, California. We see two adult men, with lots of guns, discussing some kind of…whatever, it doesn’t matter. When one of them senses something. There is a knock at the door. Who could it be? It’s the King of Wakanda…in his Black Panther gear. The man has sold vibranium (more on that later) and he has to come home to face the consequences. But how did he find out? Oh…his friend is ALSO from Wakanda (this is relayed to the audience by pulling down their lower lip and showing 2 gold teeth. Apparently the gold teeth are never noticed any other time. I assume they don’t open thier mouths much.). Man #1 is angered and goes to shoot man #2, but the Black Panther is there, so he kills man #1, and leaves with man #2. Now, the rules of action films tell us that this is going to come and bite him in the ass at some point in the movie. There are children playing basketball outside, and they look up to see a flying ship, mostly invisible, fly away. One of these kids, probably the one the camera is focusing on, will become the bad guy. We know this. It’s a law. It comes true.
We flash forward to a week after the king is killed. This is the same king in the panther suit in the opening scene. He’s dead now. T’Challa (Boseman) is watching the news report. He looks stern, so we know he’s upset. They are flying to pick up his ex-girlfriend so she can watch him become king. Her name is Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). She is beautiful, tough, and smart and is working as an operative trying to help/rescue woman who have been abducted by…bad guys. Bad guys with attitudes and guns. It is nighttime, and there are trucks and jeeps, and Black Panther shows up, and everyone fights, etc. The fighting is well choreographed and entertaining. When it is over, T’Challa wants Nakia to come home. After a brief exchange, she agrees. Here is the problem. During the film, we will have the importance of the metal vibranium drilled into our heads. The word is mentioned so many times I think the film earned one million dollars for each time it is said. Wakanda owes everything to vibranium. EVERYTHING. It is spoken of as a religious artifact…over and over again, and not just in Wakanada, everywhere people seem to know about it and want it. It has special, almost magical qualities that have made Wakanda what it is today. A futuristic society filled with peace, happiness, and amazing inventions that would make Captain Kirk jealous. They don’t want anyone else in the world knowing about the magic of vibranium, lest they come and try to take it all away, even though oh so very many people know about it.
Which leads me to my biggest problem. The people in this country are brilliant and wise. No one, not a single person, seems to think they would have had a great nation without the magic “V”. I disagree, but I’m not Wakandan, so my opinion is moot. Which brings me to my next point. During the movie, they have amazing devices used to communicate effortlessly across thousands of miles. Why did T’Challa have to fly to bring Nakia back. Seems like an e-mail or a text would have done the trick, but then we would have been robbed of the chance to see the Black Panther do Black Panther stuff, which is cool, even when unnecessary. This happens a lot in the movie. Unnecessary scenes that are cool. In England, Killmonger (Michael B. Jorden, wearing a shirt, which he shouldn’t) robs a museum with Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). Klaue has a past with Wakanda, he stole vibranium. Blew things up, escaped, but lost his arm. Now he has a new arm that shoots things. Of course. People died when he took the vibranium, so the Wakandan’s hate him and want him punished. So, of course, Killmonger teams up with him to steal…vibranium! Then they try to sell it, which leads to a James Bondian scene where T’Challa, Nakia, and Okoye (Danai Gurira) have to infiltrate a gambling den while wearing expensive clothes. Martin Freeman is there, too, as Evertt K. Ross. Agent Evertt K. Ross. He’s there to get the vibranium, too. See? Worst. Secret. Ever.
There is a big fight, and a chase scene, with some cool effects and blah blah blah. They catch Klaue. The Black Panther wants to bring him to Wakanda. Agent Everett wants to question him first. Good cop, bad cop. He actually says this, good cop, bad cop. Klaue is rescued by Killmonger, who then kills him, and flies to Wakanda. I assume he used his Frommer’s guide to find where it is, since most of it is hidden by the amazing vibranium tech. So here’s the question. Why didn’t he just kill Klaue and bring his body to the king when he was still alive. We now know he was the kid of the man the king killed in California, and he wants his revenge. So why wait? Oh, yes. We need action scenes. Killmonger wanted to kill the king, but he’s dead, so now he’ll kill his son, and become king! Because that’s what happens in countries with bad writers.
I could go on, but I won’t. Not out of respect, but because I’m getting annoyed at the film, and I want to stop. I enjoyed it. It entertained, but it could have been so much more. I understand the cultural significance of the film, with a vastly majority African-American cast and crew. I also understand that maybe now Hollywood will pay attention and realize there is money to be made here. But everything goes back to story, and when you go back to story, the movie’s flaws really shine. Like vibranium**.
*I apologize. I really didn’t mean to mention the DC cinematic universe.
**Is there any way I can get money for each mention of vibranium?