Genre: Action

Director: Ryan Coogler

Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole, based on the Marvel comics by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis

Running Length: 134 minutes

Synopsis: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa (Boseman) who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king – and Black Panther – is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

Review: Just when you thought there’s no possible way to further push the envelope within the Marvel Cinematic Universe after 17 movies, Black Panther is here to prove us all wrong once again. Much like how Wonder Woman managed to break the mould for female superhero movies, Black Panther stands out amidst what has mostly been a white Caucasian superhero universe by featuring an almost all-black ensemble cast, and largely basing the film in Africa (albeit the fictional country of Wakanda). Although the chief villain still has a personal agenda, he also has a politically-driven goal that gives a bit more depth to the villain than usual. If only the conclusion wasn’t so rote, we would have had a superhero movie that fired on all cylinders and be the one to beat for the 2018 roster.

While Black Panther does have enhanced abilities, his arsenal of technology and weapons is what makes the superhero complete, and in this aspect the film almost feels like an installment in the Bond franchise. All the standard superhero action set pieces still apply, and everything one would expect from such a movie – gunfights, car chases, ritual battles (ok this one not so expected) – is present and accounted for. However, it’s a little disappointing to see the great action devolve into a comparatively uninteresting spandex suit versus spandex suit fisticuff in the final reel that’s easily the least involving action sequence in the whole movie, which takes away a bit of the power of the denouement.

Not only does Black Panther feature an almost all-black cast, it’s a very talented cast particularly for the women. If you thought Wonder Woman would be the sole superhero movie that celebrated feminine empowerment, wait till you see what goes on here with the uniformly excellent female cast. Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan (a Coogler veteran, appearing in all of his movies thus far) are both charismatic young men with a great physicality, though their spotlight is repeatedly stolen by the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and even Letitia Wright.

Black Panther also features fantastic costume design and art direction – while it’s not the first colorful Marvel movie (Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok are equally, if not more colorful), this is the first film where the usage of colors and motifs feel like they bear a greater cultural significance without coming across as pandering. The costumes harken back to African history and tribal culture, yet bear some marks of technological advancements – a truly impressive hybrid, and combined with the other stylistic flourishes like hairstyles, jewellery and tattoos, a feast for the eyes. It’s hard to think of any recent movie as visually dazzling as this one.

One thing that truly sets Black Panther apart from its brethren is its political subtext – I can safely say no superhero action movie thus far have delved into the issues that Black Panther touches on, be it the legacy of colonialism, the argument for and against both pacifist activism and militant action, and the conflict between familial ties and leadership of a country. The screenplay by Coogler and Cole is smart and well-written, elevating the film to a level that few MCU movies manage to attain. This is truly one of the best standalone origin films in the MCU, and given the quality of films thus far in the Marvel canon, is high but deserved praise.

Rating: * * * ½ (out of four stars)