Movie Review: Black Panther

Black Panther the comic was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966. The comic has had a cult following since then. Unlike most superheroes, Black Panther resonates with wider political and cultural hues. He is a genius level billionaire, expert at hand-to-hand combat and has vowed to keep his nation Wakanda safe and to fight crime. Guess, which other superhero has such similarities -- none other than Batman, who belongs to the rival DC camp. Unlike Batman, whose front is that of a rich, spoilt playboy, Black Panther is a responsible leader of his men. Wakanda holds the world’s only reserve of vibranium, an alien metal that they guard from the outsiders  and use to make technological advancements leagues ahead of the rest of the humanity. Wakanda is rich in wildlife and this is used as a front to portray it as a backward African state. The comic gave hope to a sort of an African utopia -- a country which was never colonised and has superior technology to everyone else and where the citizens live in close proximity with nature. The film stays faithful to that myth, building on to it and asking some hard-hitting, real world questions related to race and identity.

We were introduced to the Black Panther in the Captain America: Civil War film when his father, T’Chaka was killed during a raid on a meeting of world leaders in Vienna.T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) took on the mantle of the Black Panther in the that film but served as a fringe character. It’s here, however, that his character fully develops. In the beginning of the film we see him extracting his former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) an undercover agent from a sensitive mission because he has to take part in a ritual combat ceremony necessary for his ascension to the throne and she’s needed as a witness. He’s challenged by M’Baku (Winston Duke), the leader of Jabari tribe, whom he manages to defeat. Later, he learns that Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a mercenary who had years ago stolen vibranium from Wakanda has resurfaced in South Korea and is selling a metal to an unknown buyer. T’Challa travels to Korea where he learns it’s a play by CIA to capture Klaue. After a dramatic shootout in a casino and a daring car chase in Busan, Klaue is captured but is rescued by a former black-ops operative called Erik Killmonger (Michael B Jordan), who has an agenda of his own. Killmonger wants to take over Wakanda and use vibranium weapons to finally take over the world and end oppression to Black people in one sweep. He defeats T’Challa in ritual combat and executes part of the plan. How he gets stopped forms the crux of the film...


Director Ryan Coogler has played with the age of dilemma of winning freedom through armed struggle versus gaining it through peaceful means. But Black Panther is no Gandhi or Mandela, he’s a superhero with enhanced abilities and a combat suit that James Bond would kill for. He takes part in two ritual combats and doesn’t hesitate to kill his enemies if so required. So be assured of plenty both hand-to-hand action as well some great set-pieces as well. There is a lovely sequence involving armour-plated rhinos -- one the several awe-inspiring scenes from the film. Apart from black identity, he’s also hit upon women empowerment -- what with Black Panther’s bodyguard being the all-female warriors of Dora Milaje who fight with a never-seen-before fierceness.

As a character, Black Panther is a bit of a vanilla figure, struggling to be a sort of fatherly spiritual guide in essence to his people and really coming into his own when he dons the armour. Both aspects are brought to life by Boseman, whom we’ll see in a more combative mood in Infinity War. Jordan, as Killmonger, has a more feisty role and runs with it. It’s a sight to see the two buffed up actors battling it out in the film. But behind the fight lies an emotional core which the director expertly exploits. The film ends on an emotional high, with Killmonger finding a spiritual closer. Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia holds up well and Danai Gurira as Okoye, the fiercely proud leader of Dora Milaje is a delight to watch as well. The ever reliable Serkis is fine as Klaue, while Martin Freeman lends a slight comic touch as CIA agent Ross. The film is a technical marvel as well.The 3D lends depth but is non-intrusive, adding to the visuals and enhancing it’s appeal. The IMAX technology too makes it a true widescreen experience. The score, at once modern but having its core in African rhythms, adds to its charms.

A film cast made almost entirely of black actors and directed by a black man, carrying a powerful political message and being hugely entertaining to boot -- Marvel has clicked all the right boxes and come up trumps. Who would have thought superhero film could fuel ideologies and challenge set norms. Wonder Woman did it and now Black Panther is doing it again -- times surely are changing indeed...

Trailer : Black Panther