Black Panther Review: It’s Hard for a Good Man to Be King

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We have reached the only MCU film to be nominated for one of the big Oscars. Of course, there have been MCU films to be nominated for awards such as visual effects, score, costume design, etc.  While I am glad the MCU has had nominations in these categories, I have always wanted to see a nomination for one of the bigger, more highly regarded categories. I feel like there are some MCU films/actors that deserve that recognition even if it is just a nomination. 

I hate the narrative that a crowd-pleasing film is somehow lesser. Guess what I make sure to watch some Best Picture nominees every year, and they are not all these absolute masterpieces. I feel like the Oscars should have a balance. Anyway to step aside from that rant the only MCU film to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars is Black Panther.

Sadly, it did not win.  I do not know how many Oscars voters gave it much of a shot.  The reason I bring this whole nomination thing up is to illustrate that Black Panther is such an amazing film the Academy had to recognize it.  Black Panther does so many things right in ways that both ground it in the MCU and carve out its own section of the universe.  The first thing that the film does which is super beneficial is that it establishes a more serious tone right off the bat. 

This film is in fact probably the MCU film with the most serious tone. Not to say other MCU films don’t have serious tones, I would say both of the previous Captain America films fit that bill.  However, the previous three MCU films prior to this were Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man Homecoming, and Thor Ragnarok.  While all three of those films have serious moments they are all classified as comedies.

I would not put Black Panther in that category. It has funny moments for sure but it carries itself as a drama first and I would say a superhero film second. If you removed the bulletproof suits, hidden cities, and superpowers you could have a grounded drama about an African king who ascends to the throne and has to deal with the consequences of his father’s rule including a jaded cousin who seeks the crown. That could totally be a compelling film before you add the superhero elements that make it a crowd-pleaser. 

I just love the way that even the first action scene is shot as if Black Panther is this menacing force of nature and he scares the mercenaries.  The themes in this movie explore things such as colonialism, sins of the past, morality in politics, rebellion, and the burden of responsibility.  All of these themes are handled with care and really shown throughout the film through dialogue and actions.

One of the other amazing things about this film is the cast. They are all bringing their A-game.  Martin Freeman has a supporting role as Agent Ross and he is great in every scene. You can tell he is very formal by the book but at the same time, he has a good heart and likes T’Challa.  Andy Serkis as Klaue is a hilarious secondary antagonist as you can he has so much fun being evil.  Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia is a great character since she allows us to see a different side of T’Challa and brings up many great points about Wakanda.

Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright are both excellent as Okoye and Shuri both being important to T’Challa’s inner circle and have humourous moments. Winston Duke as M’Baku is also a standout for his comedic moments in the third act.  However, the obvious standouts are Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan.

To start with our villain. Michael B. Jordan absolutely kills it as Killmonger. He’s super menacing and threatening in all of his scenes. In the action scenes, he is imposing and downright scary at some moments. When we learn about his back story, we see what shaped him and how he became so filled with hate that it is his only motivator. 

He makes a couple of good points about Wakanda turning their backs on the world yet he is so blinded by rage that his solution is worse than Wakanda’s faults. He is an excellent villain that is so visceral and realistic in so many ways and serves as a good counterpoint to our hero. 

The late great Chadwick Boseman was an actor who was excellent in every role he played and was taken too soon. From his scenes in Captain America Civil War, there was a good base off which to launch the character in this film.  He has a tough task as an actor. For one, T’Challa is a more reserved protagonist than the majority in the MCU. He is a king and acts quite regal while also being quite stoic in his role as a warrior and Black Panther.

He is wise beyond his years and tries to follow his heart. This is all conveyed in multiple moments with T’Challa where we can see many emotions pass over his face quickly so that he can keep being strong. My love of this character actually comes from his moments with Shuri, Nakia, and Okoye all of whom have a special bond with T’Challa and break him out of his king shell. He is a character who stands by his morals in a similar way to Captain America.

The score in this film is honestly so great and iconic. It too got nominated for an Oscar and I can hear myself hum it every time I watch this movie. The action scenes are all quite fun but my favourite one would have to be the Korea mission because it shows the Vibranium tech working at peak condition however my favourite moment would probably be the “ I am not dead” moment.  The worldbuilding of Wakanda is super cool and I feel it does a good job establishing many aspects of the country and culture. The city itself is cool visually and I hope one day it is built at Disney World!

Overall, this may not be my favourite MCU film but it is certainly one of its best made films and I appreciate it more each time.  With an engaging premise, deeper themes, great action, and amazing acting I really feel this film earned all the hype it received and I am super glad it continues to be looked upon with respect! Definitely give this one another watch.