Ryan Coogler really did his thing with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The story, scenery, and music were absolutely gorgeous. It’s the most powerful film you’ll see this year.
The story focused more on Shuri (Letitia Wright) but still paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman without going overboard. The film didn’t play too heavily on his death (which is good) but mentioned, “he passed of a disease”.
You’ll see a lot of the original cast with a helping of new characters to tell the story. Some new characters you’ll enjoy while others maybe… not so much. I definitely wasn’t a fan of Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), in fact, she was simply annoying. They could’ve written her character better, but, I’m sure there will be people that enjoy what she brings to the screen.
To give an idea of exactly how powerful this film is, there was no applause at the end. Nothing. When the original Black Panther debuted, even in the press screening, you could hear a roar from journalists at the end credits. But after this? It was dead silent. It was heavy. I don’t think anyone was prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that took place.
The addition of Namor the Submariner (Tenoch Huerta) was smooth and accurate. They introduced a mutant into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) without having to go about it the way they did in Ms. Marvel (which wasn’t the best). The gradual introduction of mutants into the MCU shows the direction that Marvel is heading, which I indirectly confirmed three years ago with Marvel Studios VP Mitch Bell.
The path for Namor and his people was pretty dark. That was an aspect we expected with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Things really start to go south after the Wakandans declined his request to form a pact.
One of the most memorable tributes to a fallen actor took place at the end of Fast & Furious 7. It was moving, powerful, and completely shifted the mood from what took place minutes earlier. Here, nothing like that took place. You’ll see a few flashbacks from the first film, but it wasn’t an elongated dedication.
I give Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a 9 out of 10. It’s another great film and a big win for the MCU. Coogler & Co. really tug at the heartstrings in this one. It was deep, it was sad, but overall, it was powerful. Just like Boseman’s performance in the first film.
Fans can get tickets now to see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever early on November 10th.
-TBZ & Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Marvel Studios
THE PEACH REVIEW® 