Reviewing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (****)
Solemn, bold, and practically bursting at the seams with plot, Wakanda Forever manages to take a genuine tragedy and bounce back with style.
There's no question that Chadwick Boseman was the best part of the original Black Panther. That film was a show-stopper in every sense of the word; its story, cast, score and design were all incredible. But Boseman was its heart and soul - he had such a unique presence in the sense that he was funny without being a jokester, and heroic without being melodramatic. Losing him could very well have meant the end of Wakanda under a different director.
Thankfully, Boseman never had to carry his film alone. The supporting cast of the original film were all perfect in their own right, and it's thanks to them that this sequel did as well as it did. Okoye brings power, sass, and grief to the table. Shuri brings heart, wit, and rage. M'Baku brings his giant beating stick and all the humour he provided the first time around. And man oh man, Angela Bassett absolutely brings it as Queen Ramonda, effectively the Mufasa of this film. As a friend of mine pointed out, her grey hair is on prominent display throughout her screen time just as much as her power. She's no child, but she's 100% alive and in charge. The film industry is plagued with an under-representation of older women, and Ramonda is a shining beacon of light amidst that darkness. Honestly, everyone crushes it.
Spoilers ahead - you've been warned.
Now, having said that, if there’s one element in this film that doesn’t stick the landing for me, its Namor and the Talokanil. It’s nothing to do with Tenoch Huerta – I think he did a good job with the part he was given. I just think we spent far too long learning about his people. On one hand, it was cool to see another secret civilization who had hidden themselves because of the racism and cruelty of the rest of humanity – particularly because Talokan rooted itself in the atrocities of colonization in South America. It was nice that they shined spotlight on that aspect of history. On the other hand, we spent a long time in Talokan, a city where I never quite understood what was going on. Maybe it was because my wife and I saw this in 3D, where the glasses always make the picture a bit darker. Or maybe it was because the scene itself was actually dark and formless. Either way, it didn’t have the same impact for me of visiting Wakanda, Asgard, or other fantastical locales of the MCU. I think part of the issue was that the entire city was underwater. If Talokan had been a city in a cave under the sea with oxygen and light, it might have been easier to comprehend. Or if the people themselves were mermaids, maybe that might have helped. I’m not quite sure – but Talokan definitely wasn’t doing it for me in terms of intrigue or believability. And we spent quite a long time there.
One other thing that disappointed me about the film was the ending. As the film goes on, we learn that Shuri is desperate to get revenge by killing Namor. It totally makes sense, and my focus obviously went to trying to figure out how she was going to conquer her need for vengeance. But as the fight between her and Namor grew more and more fierce, it became clear that she still had every intent on killing him. Logic dictated to me, then, that whatever revelation would change her mind had to come from somewhere external. Think of Tobey Maguire stepping in Tom Holland’s way when he was about to skewer the Green Goblin. It’s this external act that acts as a catalyst for internal change. If Maguire hadn’t done it, Holland would’ve gone through with it. But here, it seems as though Shuri just turns around at the last second just because. I just have a hard time believing that she would have this sudden realization at the moment when she’s closest to achieving her dark desire. There was a quick shot of Ramonda saying “show them who you are” – but is this meant to be a ghostly apparition or a flashback? I’ve only seen it once so I can’t recall for sure. And if it’s an apparition, wouldn’t this be unprecedented? Black Panthers only go to the spirit world when they drink the herb juice or whatever. It just seemed a bit far-fetched to me.
If it sounds like I’m being overly critical, I don’t mean for it to be that way. The costuming, casting, and music were all 10/10 just like they were last time. And I loved the two moments of silence in the film. The first was during the Marvel Studios logo, which seemed to be in honour of Boseman. But the second one during Shuri’s final scene seemed to be in honour of T’Challa, which was very cool that we got one for each. This film didn’t shy away from the hole left by Boseman’s absence, and I loved that. And I really think the rest of the cast stepped up and did a terrific job all the same. Ironheart’s inclusion didn’t feel forced, and I’m looking forward to the next installment of Wakandan stories. After No Way Home, this is definitely the second-best film of Phase Four. Wakanda forever!
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