Like the regal animal itself - Black Panther makes a unique imprint of its own. Unlike the panther though, who's supposed to be fast and furious, Marvel's Black Panther is slow and measured. If its story didn't suspiciously resemble that of another king of the jungle and a beloved one at that, I might have given it more credit. Still, this one has claws that are sharp enough.
The start is important. While most pre-opening credit scenes are minor pieces that set the tone, this one starts in a flashback that is of vital importance to the storyline so make sure you don't miss it. Those expecting this to be yet another Avengers fest are bound to be sorely disappointed. Black Panther looks to make its own mark, there's not even a hint of any of the others. The story is less that of a superhero than a hero, raw and visceral, though it doesn't strike a very emotional chord.
The world of Wakanda is one to behold. The technological marvel it is shown to be sets up exciting possibilities for Infinity War (I fervently hope they do justice to that one). The movie has a lot of subtle under-tones - what is the meaning of power, how is it best used and who decides what is best. While brimming with potential and spending so much time getting us to believe in and appreciate the world of Wakanda, the plotline ultimately falls short. It all happens too easy and predictable.
There's also a surprising lack of humor in this one, for a Marvel movie. Chadwick Bose does a good T'Chaka aka Black Panther, not that his role needs much in the way of acting anyways. The movie does a nice job of stitching together the events from Winter Soldier into the storyline of the MCU we've seen so far.
One of the biggest challenges for Black Panther is that it misses a formidable foe. Don't get me wrong, to make a 'villain' of this sort takes courage and I respect the deep-rooted nature of his very being. However, whatever his motivation, the villain succeeds when he is terrifying due to his unpredictability, alarming in his ruthlessness and having his own twisted sense of a moral compass that justifies (to him) his every action. With Black Panther, the villain hardly gets to spread his wings and in some senses we can't even see his as a villain per se. Enuff said.
People are raving about it as if its the most thoughtful movie Marvel has ever made. I wouldn't go with such high expectations. What Marvel does seems highly familiar. I found Ragonarok smarter and braver.
The Black Panther has bounded up the charts with the grace and speed of its namesake. It makes no such progress in my books - expect an average watch, with a bit less of the Marvel humor and more serious undertones that sets it up nicely for Avengers: Infinity War.
