Marvel’s Newest Blockbuster Dominates

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Brett Smith, Entertainment Editor

 

Following the death of his father in the events of Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa returns home to become king. But when a foreigner threatens the fate of Wakanda, T’Challa has to prove himself worthy to defend his homeland and stand as protector and guardian to his people.
Black Panther: The 18th installment in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). This film marks the second time we have seen Chadwick Boseman portray T’Challa (Black Panther) on the big screen. As well as this movie marks a reunion between the audience and this incredible actor, Black Panther also introduces us to a full list of interesting characters, such as M’Baku (Also known in Marvel Comics as Man-Ape, Played by Winston Duke), Shuri (a Technology Expert played by Letitia Wright), and featuring the long overdue introduction of Michael B. Jordan into the MCU, making his debut as Erik Killmonger, the main antagonist of the film.
In Black Panther, we take a trip into the country of Wakanda, an African country hidden from the rest of society that lies on top of a mound of Vibranium (the metal Captain America’s shield is made of), making Wakanda the wealthiest and most technically-advanced country in the world.
This film has everything you would want in today’s superhero films and so much more. First off, the country. Wakanda’s visuals are absolutely breathtaking, and is unlike anything we’ve seen. Its landmarks and atmosphere alone make your jaw drop to the floor and cave into the pavement. The Wakandan technology is beautiful to admire, far more advanced than anything we’ve seen from the likes of Tony Stark or any other being we’ve seen in this Cinematic Universe. The CGI on T’Challa’s suit, especially, is really interesting. They introduce a new fabric that absorbs the kinetic energy of attacks, and when struck in the same area, emits a dangerous amount of force to the enemy. It’s an interesting idea that is displayed beautifully.
The next thing this movie does exceptionally well is the development of the plot and its characters. Every one is believable and given plenty of time to truly develop and sculpt into powerful and independent characters. The plot had so many levels and mysteries that arose and revealed themselves throughout this film. Over the course of this film, loyalties fall and you will also find yourself struggling to pick a side and determining who you personally side with.
One problem that I did have with this film wasn’t with the characters themselves, rather how much and to what extent these characters were used. A number of the characters in this film were, in a way, thrown away. Definitely not given enough time to develop, and definitely lacked the proper screen time needed. I cannot exactly give names, because the names would lead to spoilers, but when you see the film, and you definitely should, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Black Panther, while not the best MCU film to date, is still a fun and incredible ride that you should definitely take a part in. Marvel does it again with another smash hit, that is continuing to break records to this day. As of now, it stands at #14 on the list of highest grossing films of all time, weighing in at a whopping $1.185 Billion. I give Black Panther an 8.5 out of 10.