***
Ascending to the throne after his father's death, T'Challa looks to rule over a peaceful Wakanda. However, he finds his position under threat when an outsider appears, bringing with him news and ideas that could jeopardise the secretive nation's way of life.
Black Panther is, without a doubt, a ground-breaking film. Boasting a cast of black actors and actresses, a black director, and discussing the treatment of black people throughout history, it brings a breadth of diversity to the screen that is wholly refreshing and impossibly important. It's a shame, then, that the film itself is nothing more than average - passably enjoyable but wholly forgettable once the credits have rolled. It brings me no pleasure to write this, as all the ingredients for a good action movie were there - it just never quite pulled it off.
Let's start with the positives. Taking up the helm after his brief appearance in Captain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman proves himself to be a fresh, personable addition to the MCU. Seamlessly fusing moments of conflict (both physical and internal) with gentle comic timing, he brings a maturity to T'Challa that does indeed feel kingly. Supported by a cast that brings together both celebrated screen icons (Forest Whittaker, Lupita Nyong'o as his love interest and Andy Serkis) and upcoming talent (Daniel Kaluuya and Letitia Wright, to name but a few), Boseman occupies the role capably. There are some good action sequences too, from the ambulance getaway, to an artfully choreographed fight scene within a casino, and a road chase through South Korea. Similarly, the accompanying soundtrack (which blurs orchestral symphonies with specially-written tracks from a variety of modern artists) provides a punky, playful twist to the comic book proceedings.
However (oh, yes, however!), for all the admirable casting and timely discussions, it is the script itself that lets the film down. After an engaging opening, the movie gets lost for a while in the introduction of Wakanda and too many characters, leading to an overly-extended coronation sequence and moments of frustratingly clunky dialogue. Similarly, whilst the action set pieces make be impressive, it's nothing we haven't seen before - how many times will Marvel use the car chase scenario to display the prowess of their cinematic capabilities? The main fault, though, is the complete underdevelopment of the antagonist. Whilst other characters can largely get away with being one dimensional (and they are!), the role of Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is woefully underwritten. A character who had all the ability to be the hero of the story had he gone about his mission in a different way, we should have been treated to at least some flashbacks to his past as a means of getting to know his story and development. Instead, Killmonger arrives as a lean, mean killing machine with only passing references to how he came to be that way. It's a real shame, and one that lets the film down immeasurably.
I saw Black Panther just over a week ago and, to give you an idea of how instantly forgettable and average it is, I had to Google the plot synopsis and rewatch a handful of trailers so that I could write this review. A film with so much potential, it squanders its good intentions on tired MCU tropes and neglects the parts that could have made it a far more emotive: discussions of class, colour and conflict. I cannot begrudge it the success it is enjoying in the cinema, however - long may diversity be seen upon the big screen.
Comments
Post a Comment