'Black Panther' is a Joyous Celebration of Blackness

(Marvel Studios)

In a lot of ways, I feel like I’m unqualified to be writing this review. I can only imagine how much Black Panther means to some people—to finally see yourself represented in a film of this size is no minor occasion, and it makes me so happy to see how ecstatic the black community is.

Regardless of quality, this would have been a massive event. But as easy as it would have been to just hire an all-black cast and make a typical Marvel superhero film, it feels like more thought and affection have gone into making Black Panther than any of its 17 predecessors.

For those unfamiliar, Black Panther centers on Wakanda, a fictional African country built atop the crash site of a large meteorite of Vibranium (the indestructible metal Captain America’s shield is made of). This magical element allowed Wakanda to thrive, rapidly becoming the most technologically advanced society on the planet. But the nation chooses to stay isolated from the rest of the world, hiding under the guise of an impoverished third world country.

The implications of this setup are quite astounding. What you have is a black utopia—a place untouched by slavery, colonialism, and racism, and all the better for it. However, Wakanda’s isolationism is potentially problematic. If such a country exists, how can it just keep to itself and ignore the intense suffering and injustice facing black people all over the world?

There’s plenty to celebrate in films that choose not to acknowledge their progressiveness (for instance, the prominent female roles and racial diversity in Lucasfilm’s three recent Star Wars entries is presented unassumingly, the message largely coming from their refusal to admit that there’s anything unprecedented going on). Black Panther, however, puts race at the forefront. I imagine a lot of this comes from director and co-writer Ryan Coogler, whose previous two films (Fruitvale Station and Creed, both excellent) address inequality and identity to great effect.

And like his other efforts, Black Panther is primarily a human affair. While action sequences are (mostly) deftly handled, it’s already apparent that the story, characters, and themes are the things people will remember most after leaving the cinema.

(Marvel Studios)

As odd as it may seem, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther often feels like a supporting player in his own film. Black Panther arguably has the most fleshed out and memorable ensembles of any solo MCU entry. Boseman is as good here as he was in Captain America: Civil War, providing more than enough wit, pain, and charisma to lead his own film. Michael B. Jordan plays a memorable and sympathetic villain in Killmonger, whose motivations are directly tied to the political dilemma at the center of the film. Andy Serkis is also worth mentioning as supporting villain Ulysses Klaue; manic and unpredictable, Serkis is clearly having a blast.

But it’s the women who steal the show. The Dora Milaje, the entirely female (and bald) Wakandan special forces, are completely badass and essential to Wakanda. The film crucially never ogles or fetishizes them—their fierceness is an accepted and normalized part of this world. Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia are indispensable allies to T’Challa and they are never sexualized, belittled, or otherwise invalidated by being placed into “damsel in distress” scenarios. T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), Wakanda’s genius head of science (Tony Stark should be intimidated) is an absolute delight and gets most of the film’s laughs. I reckon she’ll be an instant fan favorite.

And then there’s Wakanda itself. From the costumes to the buildings, everything about this place is a glorious display of Afrofuturism. None of the environments in any other MCU film have been so colorful, inventive, and generally stunning. It’s certainly a utopic vision worthy of its thematic implications, with creative combinations of traditional African iconography and impossible sci-fi technology.

I must admit that I think it’s Coogler’s weakest film so far (admittedly, the bar is extremely high)—Black Panther never quite packs the same emotional wallop that Creed and (especially) Fruitvale Station did. I mostly attribute this to Killmonger being a bit too bloodthirsty to be an entirely sympathetic character. There are also some scripting issues: certain events in the first half are drawn out for too long and they ultimately feel superfluous given the direction the story takes in the second half.

That said, when Black Panther works, it really works. It’s often overwhelming to witness such a joyous celebration of blackness, and the film takes on an epic scale as the story unfolds, intensified through the strength of its characters.

It’s a film more than worthy of the enormous expectations that accompany such a monumental cultural event. And if the projected $200 million-plus opening is any indication, Black Panther is going to touch the hearts of a lot of people. Let’s just hope that its success will pave the way for better representation in Hollywood. It’s still going to be a slow journey, but this is a significant—and excellent—leap.