I am going to be completely honest, I am not a die-hard Marvel super fan. I did not grow up reading the comic books; playing with the action figures or spend my days pretending that I was fighting crime like Wonder Woman. Every once in awhile, I do enjoy getting engrossed in the adventures of the Spider-man, Captain America, or the Flash movies/TV series. You could say that they are one of my biggest guilty pleasures.
Recently, I have had the pleasure of witnessing another Marvel masterpiece, Black Panther. To say the least, I was completely blown away and satisfied with the film. Although my best friend and I had full intentions of sobbing our hearts out to Love, Simon, we were not disappointed at all.
What I loved most about the film is that it was so much more than a man or woman swooping in and saving the day. Throughout the film, I created a mental list of three reasons why I fell in love with Black Panther, and why you will too.
1.The Plot is Easy to Follow
Nothing is more frustrating than sitting through a movie you know nothing about and you have to spend the duration of the movie trying to figure out who everyone is rather than enjoying the movie. Black Panther made it easy. Every time a new character was introduced, their name was said and how they were relevant to the movie was identified. I know that may sound like that it could be annoying, but with five-plus main characters to the film, it was necessary and I am here for it.
2. Black Panther may be a Male Superhero, but the Women Completely Stole the Show
In the movie, whoever the current king of the African nation of Wakanda is, they also have the responsibility of possessing the abilities (superpowers) of Black Panther. However, the Black Panther doesn’t protect the nation alone. I don’t want to denote this character and refer to them as a “sidekick,” but this character is more of the Black Panther’s right-hand man and when it is necessary, they are ready to fight. This character is the most elite warrior of the Wakandan world, and it is played by a woman. She is a witty, stubborn, swift female fighter and she completely blew me away with her fearless attitude.
She wasn’t the only the female superstar in the film. Another example would be the Black Panther’s youngest sister, the princess of Wakanda. She is the brains behind the Black Panther operation. Her responsibilities include creating the Black Panther suit, the gadgets, and when necessary, can kick a little butt of her own.
3.The Internal Conflicts of the Movie Hit Close to Home
Finally, the movie’s conflicts were more realistic and meaningful than a guy in a mask saving the damsel in distress. Some of the issues touched upon in the film were segregation, oppression, and child abandonment. There were smaller issues sprinkled throughout the film, but the ones that I have listed are the bigger issues that need to be talked about.
Like I mentioned before, the setting of the movie is in an imaginary African country called Wakanda. The nation is divided into five tribes that can live in harmony, but when it comes to who will be the next king, all peace is set aside and war erupts. Segregation and oppression kind of fall hand in hand with this example, however, the film portrays these two issues on a wider scale rather than male v. female, religion v. religion, etc.
Child abandonment is the motive behind the main villain of the movie. I would go into more detail about who the villain is, but you need some surprises when you finally go see Black Panther.
My overall review of Black Panther is that I would 10/10 recommend this film. It was the most beautiful, action-packed, cinematic masterpieces that I have seen in a while. Although I did have full intentions of seeing a completely different kind of movie when I went to see it, I am not disappointed and I am so happy that I saw it. I completely fell in love with this movie and I hope that when you finally see it, you will fall in love too.
