Marvel’s Black Panther is a goldmine (or should I say vibranium-mine?) of incredible settings, characters, technologies, battles, costumes, soundtracks, and themes that perfectly explain the background of Wakanda, while bringing it into the accumulating Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Introduced on screen in Captain America: Civil War, (now) King T’Challa, aka the Black Panther, continues to show off what makes him such a potent character in story and in the eyes of audiences. In particular, the issues that the movie and its production address in relevance to current controversies.
The world of Wakanda and the Black Panther himself were established in 1966 with the comic: FANTASTIC FOUR (#52), the same year that Bobby Seale and Huey Newton formed the Black Panther Party to combat police brutality against black Americans. T’Challa and the other Wakandans are faced with deciding whether or not to expand their resources to the rest of the world or stay protected in their invisible force-field bubble when Erik Warmonger brings to light the issues he faced as a black man in the outside world. However, the topic of racism is not shoved down the audiences’ throats or made into a two-hour game of accusations and pointing fingers. It is relevant to the plot and is a major motivator to the individual characters and their culture as a whole in relation to the MCU storyline. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan play the two sides of the coin beautifully and the dynamic between them is incredibly compelling.
The same goes for the female characters. Letitia Wright brings T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri, to life in a vivacious, funny, and brilliant sixteen-year-old who just so happens to have a mind on par with Tony Stark. Her relationship with her brother is so palpable and relatable that when she nonchalantly shows the incredible suits and technology she is working on while teasing T’Challa with some unexpected jokes, you just see a sister helping her sibling and King. Shuri’s intellect is not turned into a huge deal; you simply accept the genius as a part of her and as a result find her character all the more believable.
Similarly, Boseman and Lupita Nyong’o portray two people on entirely different paths of life after their break up and their reunion under extenuating circumstances. Their perfect balance of teasing and awkward moments is ultimately glued together by T’Challa and Nakia’s underlying devotion to one another. The fact that T’Challa is coming into his new position after the loss of his father and Nakia is a highly trained spy set on changing the world puts us in their shoes even more. I mean we have all been in that situation, right? Totally.
Okoye, played by Danai Gurira; is also a force to be reckoned with as the best warrior in Wakanda and protector of the throne. Okoye and the other women in her Special Forces Dora Milaje group let their spears and mixed-martial arts do the talking when Wakanda is threatened. Okoye’s relationship with her husband, W’Kabi, played by Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya, is another effective representation of Wakanda’s culture, even though it could have been explored a little more.
The culture is so rich and dynamic, that you can almost believe it exists in reality. The architecture of the endless city draws inspiration from African design while weaving in a touch of Wakanda, such as having circular designs that emphasize vibranium’s ability to absorb most kinetic energy. Further, with just a few establishing and filling shots, you are able to form a full picture of how technology and history morph together to make Wakanda such a unique place.
The sounds and clothing of Wakanda complete the country’s authenticity. African drums and other tribal music mix with rap and even K-pop to elevate characters’ actions and emotional scenes to another level. The costumes, too, express each personality’s individuality while still tying them together under a flag made of flowing fabrics and armor. Even the lack of clothing, such as the case in a few fantastic fighting scenes, is effective and not used as a display of the actors’ hard-earned muscles. Although, (and seriously, they couldn’t fix this over the whole shooting period?), the Dora Milaje warriors had a bit of a wardrobe issue and it was difficult to take them seriously when they appeared to always be in a cold room. Other than that, the warm colors and vibrant patterns draping each character emphasized their tribal but modern lifestyle.
Overall, even with its semi-predictable and formulaic plot, Black Panther is a harmonious combination of the old and the new. With an all-star cast that also includes legends such as Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Forest Whitaker, John Kani, and Angela Bassett, audiences are able to enjoy Black Panther as a singular story while still keeping in mind how it fits in with the overarching conflicts that will come to conclusion in the Avengers: Infinity War movies. For a glimpse of what is to come, make sure you stick around for the two credit-scenes, especially the second one.
Wakanda forever has an 8/10 in my books.
— By Olivia M.
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