Black Panther entertains, but fails to break new ground
It seems like every third movie I see now is somehow Disney related. This isn’t a surprise, really, given that the Mouse owns over 25 percent of the film industry in the U.S.
But more than just that, Disney owns the most popular movie franchises in history—Star Wars and Marvel. What this leads to, it seems, is that most of the films released are very similar in tone and structure.
Obviously, a story set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away or one pulled directly from the pages of a comic book are going to be comparable across films. It’s necessary for continuity, not to mention these are heroic stories, new American myths, crowd pleasers that are not going to take risks.
There are some exceptions: last year’s Logan broke a few molds for comic book storytelling, as did 2016’s sardonic send up Deadpool. But mostly, Marvel films have been very safe. If you listen to reviewers, this week’s Marvel film Black Panther belongs in the mold-breaking category.
To be sure, Black Panther does some interesting things. But it doesn’t quite soar as breathlessly as the Rotten Tomatoes score might suggest. The film is slick adventure, but it’s still a superhero origin story, one that we’ve seen before and will see again.
Black Panther tells the story of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), newly crowned king of the mysterious African country of Wakanda. Known to the rest of the world as a third world state of farmers and poverty, Wakanda is in fact a highly advanced technological society thanks to a meteorite of pure vibranium that crash landed in the region a millennia ago.
This meteorite changed the landscape and allowed the people that lived there an opportunity to advance far more quickly than the rest of the world. It also created what is known as the “heart shaped herb,” a plant that gives Black Panther his powers, as well as his ability to commune with the panther god Bast.
The Black Panther is the protector of Wakanda, charged with guarding her secrets and protecting her borders. If the rest of the world discovers the vibranium, the Wakandan way of life might be threatened.
The story itself focuses on the relationships of the royal family. Wakanda is not unlike Thor’s homeworld of Asgard—focused on combat and honor, secrets kept by the king, and a good amount of palace intrigue. The crux of the film should focus on the coming of an unknown challenger to the king, but it gets lost some in the mire of overstuffed comic book silliness, and is thus underdeveloped.
The film has many interesting ideas. An African nation very much in control of its own destiny, with more than enough power to destroy potential colonizers and offer aid to other countries is certainly worth exploring. The motivation for Killmonger (sigh), T’Challa’s long lost cousin, is a unique one: he hopes to arm the oppressed people of African descent around the world with Wakandan weapons and overthrow the world order.
However, the audience isn’t given a sufficient amount of backstory, meaning that the villain’s plans ring somewhat hollow. Not to mention, Marvel has been advertising The Avenger’s: Infinity War enough for us to know that Killmonger’s (sigh) plan is fruitless. Black Panther wins because he and the Wakandans are in the next movie. As a result, the film isn’t all that suspenseful—it’s easy to guess where the film goes next.
More interesting than Black Panther, however, are the supporting characters. Particularly, the supporting women. The Marvel films have moved away from the Jane Foster’s and Pepper Potts’ of the universe and Black Panther features several strong female characters who frankly steal the movie from the titular hero.
Those clamoring for an all-female Marvel film will likely get their wish, and Okoye (Danai Gurira), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and Shuri (Letitia Wright) will lead the Wakandan delegation. Each is as formidable as Black Widow and as much fun to watch.
As with all the Marvel films, Black Panther is well-made comic book fare. Some might call it the best Marvel film, which is debatable, but it continues the box office domination, which is all Disney wants. So, let’s all meet back here in May to discuss the next best Marvel movie ever made.