Review written by Christian Garcia
In 2018, Black Panther took the world by storm. Critics loved it, audiences loved it, and it received all the love and praise even getting nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Of all the Marvel films, this is the one that had the most hype and felt like a landmark in cinema. I saw it when it came out and loved it, but I have not gone back and watched it since then.
I remember at the time thinking it was great, but Infinity War surpassed it for me personally. All these years later, with the hype dying down, is this film still as great as everyone says?
Let’s take a trip back to Wakanda and get a better look.
The Hero
T'Challa is the newly crowned King of Wakanda and as King, he is given the power of the Black Panther, the protector of Wakanda.
He is first introduced in Captain America: Civil War, where we witness the death of his father, T’Chaka. He pursues Bucky Barnes and is set on exacting revenge but by the end of the film realizes that vengeance is consuming him and chooses not to go that path.
He fights with honor and treats people, even his enemies, with respect. When his enemy M’Baku challenges him for the throne, T’Challa bests him and spares his life. When he has Klaue in his grips, he thinks about killing him but upon seeing people recording him, decides against it.
He adores his father and when he visits him on the Ancestral Plane, he seeks his advice and guidance. His father and previous kings all worked to protect Wakanda from the rest of the world and keep them hidden and safe and it is now his duty to do the same.
The Hero's Journey
T’Challa’s journey throughout the film is about deciding what kind of king he wants to be.
His father and all kings before him did everything to protect Wakanda and keep them hidden from the rest of the world. At first, T’Challa wants to be like his father who he holds in high regard. From the moment he becomes king, he is constantly under scrutiny. Many pushes for him to take Wakanda out of hiding and use their resources to help others. His ex-Nakia calls him to do so as does his friend W’Kabi.
When the opportunity comes to capture Klaue, T’Challa’s followers want him to get justice and kill Klaue and at one point he does consider it but upon seeing people are recording him, he doesn’t go through with it. Because he doesn’t kill Klaue, W’Kabi and others call him weak.
T’Challa’s view of his father changes after learning the truth about Erik Stevens’ identity. He learns that Erik is the son of his uncle whom his father killed to protect Zuri and his father had ordered Zuri to never tell anyone about it to keep the lie. This is where T’Challa becomes disillusioned with protecting the lie knowing that it went as far as leading to his father killing his own brother and abandoning his nephew. Like Thor and Hela in Thor: Ragnarok, T’Challa understands Erik’s anger and rage but also knows that it has consumed him and that he would not be right to lead.
Erik, going by Killmonger, arrives in Wakanda with the body of Klaue and immediately challenges T’Challa for the throne. During the battle, Zuri tries to intervene and gets killed. After killing Zuri, Killmonger hurls T’Challa over the waterfall presumably killing him, and takes the throne.
However, T’Challa is found by M’Baku and kept alive in repayment for sparing his life earlier. Nakia, Shuri, Ross, and T'Challa's mother Ramonda go to M’Baku for help, and he reveals T’Challa to them. They give him the last of the heart-shaped herb. While in his comatose state, T’Challa confronts his father and admonishes him for his past actions. T’Chaka tells him he did what he did for his people and to allow Wakanda to stay hidden. T’Challa rejects this saying that they cannot hide forever and says he cannot join them because he must stop the monster that they created from taking the throne. It’s a great lesson in learning from past mistakes to grow and not make them again.
T’Challa returns to confront Killmonger. In their final battle, T’Challa mortally wounds Killmonger but shows him mercy by taking him to see the sunset of Wakanda which had been a childhood wish of Erik’s. T’Challa offers to heal him but Erik chooses to die a free man rather than live to be a prisoner. Although Killmonger’s plans were too extreme, T’Challa did see his point in using the resources and technology of Wakanda to help people rather than keep it for themselves. He makes the bold choice to end Wakanda’s isolation and even establishes an embassy in Oakland, California in the building where Erik and his father lived. In the end, T’Challa becomes the kind of king that learns from the mistakes of the past kings and makes a choice that breaks tradition but is done so for the best interest of the rest of the world. He decides that Wakanda is done hiding from the world and now they’re going to try to improve it.
The Villain
Erik Stevens is a former US Navy SEAL of Wakandan origin. He earned the name Killmonger for his impressive kill record while serving. He is the son of Prince N’Jobu, brother of King T’Chaka.
His father was murdered by his uncle after N’Jobu attempted to kill Zuri for outing him for his crimes against Wakanda. Erik was left alone to fend for himself after the death of his father and dedicated his life to dethroning his cousin T’Challa and completing his father’s mission of using Wakanda’s Vibranium technology to give people of African descent a chance to fight back against oppression.
The Film's Pros
Cultural Impact
Black Panther was a major cultural event when it first came out. It was a major event for Marvel fans, movie fans, and the Black community. It was the first Marvel film with a Black director and a predominately Black cast. It was so well received that a campaign was launched to get it nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards which it ultimately was.
Of the Marvel films, it is the most culturally significant of Marvel films and is hailed as a celebration of Black Culture and Black empowerment. The world of Wakanda takes elements of African culture and African American culture and creates a world that feels fresh and unique from other Marvel films.
The conflicting views between Black Panther and Killmonger are representative of the different ideological debates that exist amongst the black community. This film was not afraid to ask tough questions and make audiences think.
This film gave the black community another hero to latch onto as a symbol of hope and empowerment. The acceptance that the world had towards Black Panther was beautiful to witness. It was great to see people of all races shouting “Wakanda Forever” and crossing their arms. It was cool to hear Black Panther being praised on the same levels as Iron Man or Batman or Superman.
When Chadwick Boseman passed away, it hurt. It hurt me, and all Marvel fans but especially the black community. But that loss also brought a beautiful moment seeing all the love and appreciation for him pour out. This film made him into a King and the world accepted and loved him like one. I remember smiling at the touching tribute Insomniac Games put for him at the end of Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
I, like most fans, am interested in how Marvel will handle Boseman's absence in the upcoming sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Producer Kevin Feige has said that the sequel will explore the world and characters from the first film as a way to honor the legacy that Boseman helped build. With the incredible world of Wakanda, I am sure that they will create an amazing experience that will make the King proud. Although Boseman is no longer with us, the impact and legacy that he left with this film will be remembered and loved forever.
Best Marvel Villain that isn't Thanos
Killmonger is one of the best villains in the Marvel Universe. The lengths that he goes to get what he wants shows how much his anger and rage have consumed him. He kills Klaue and even his own girlfriend without any hesitation. His anger comes from his feeling of abandonment from the Royal Family as T’Chaka killed his father and abandoned him to protect the lie. What makes a great villain is understanding their motivation. Even if you disagree with their ways, if you can understand why they do the things that they do and why they think what they’re doing is right, you have a great villain.
While Chadwick Boseman does an excellent job in this film, Michael B. Jordan steals the show. He captures the anger and hurt that Killmonger carries perfectly and makes for a sympathetic yet terrifying character. In his initial introduction, you see him as a smart guy getting over the ignorant museum employees and as the film progresses, his fiercer nature creeps in. When he arrives in Wakanda, he makes his presence known and when he faces T’Challa, he asserts his dominance and proves why he is a real threat to him. My girlfriend was genuinely afraid after Killmonger threw T’Challa over the water. When I reviewed Iron Man 2, I mentioned how Ivan Vanko was ruined off the bat by being bested by Iron Man in their first encounter. Black Panther did the opposite and had Killmonger beat the T’Challa in a dominant fashion which solidified him as a threat. This helped build to their rematch later and is a prime example of how to properly build up a villain.
Having seen Jordan in Creed, he has proven he can play the role of a man who has lost and keeps fighting despite that pain. The difference is here he plays it to a more sociopathic level than in his work as Adonis Creed. And while Killmonger is a villain as his plans are going to cause more harm than good, Jordan’s performance still makes you feel sympathy for him, and you can see that he believes what he is doing is the right thing.
The two emotional highlights for Jordan in the film are when he sees his father in the Ancestral Plane and his final moments before his death. When he tells T’Challa about his childhood wish to see the Wakandan sunset, you feel for him despite what he had done. You feel his pain and anguish. I remember when I watched it the first time, I felt bad for him and didn’t want him to die. His final words are powerful and show how even in death, he stuck to his convictions. He chooses to die as a free man rather than live as a prisoner. It is a touching end to one of the best characters to come through the MCU.
The Film's Cons
Bad CGI
While I said that the final battle between Black Panther and Killmonger was epic, the CGI in that final battle was anything but epic. It was the worst use of CGI in a Marvel film since the CGI on Chris Evans in the first Captain America film. However, while that was laughably bad this was just bad. It looked like something out of a PlayStation 3 game and took me out of the illusion. It reminded me of the CG in the first Sam Raimi Spider-Man film.
However, while this is a noticeable flaw. It is a minor flaw that doesn’t hurt the film as a whole and it's only on screen for a few moments. I have also heard that apparently, this was due to a time constraint issue and that they ran out of time to properly do it correctly. Regardless, it’s more of a funny flaw than a serious issue that would hurt the experience.
Final Thoughts
Black Panther is a film that holds up as a Marvel classic and one of their best films. Their excellent building of the world of Wakanda sets it apart and creates a unique cultural experience unlike any Marvel film before it.
It has a great cast who all put in great performances. It solidified Chadwick Boseman as a Marvel Icon and is a great reminder of the talent of an excellent actor who left us way too soon. I like most fans am interested in how Marvel will handle his absence in the upcoming sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
It is a great piece of Marvel history and of cinematic history. It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else and stands on its own as an important piece of cinema. Of all the Marvel films, it is one that is more than worth checking out.
Black Panther made a big splash back in 2018 and that is still felt today. I thought it was great to see how celebrated it was back then and I still think it should be celebrated today and I know that it will be for years to come.
Wakanda Forever.
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