As a Marvel movie fan, I was extremely excited to see “Black Panther”, especially after seeing his first movie appearance in “Captain America: Civil War.” The character first made his debut in the Marvel comics published in 1966. The film takes place in Wakanda, a fictional African country, as Actor Chadwick Boseman reprises his role as Prince T’Challa of Wakanda after Civil War. As the newest Black Panther, T’Challa must deal with newly acquired responsibilities as he takes his father’s place as king, and learns first handedly the consequences of his father’s secretive past.

Because the movie takes place in Africa, the cast mainly consisted of African Americans, a casting decision that has received praise for including diversity into the Hollywood film. I found the movie especially refreshing with its very diverse cast; director Ryan Coogler did an excellent job in crafting a compelling story that incorporates a lot of African culture. For casual moviegoers, though, that may not be as important as the actual acting, which was also excellent. Boseman’s return as Prince T’Challa was fantastic, and I also thoroughly enjoyed Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the villain, Killmonger. The supporting cast was equally great, and I was especially excited for the parts of the women actresses in the movie. Okoye and Nakia are played by Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o respectively; both were realistic actresses as the head of the Wakandan guards and T’Challa’s love interest. The movie was well-acted, although I think the chemistry between some of characters could have been better.

Marvel’s marketing for this movie was impeccable: prior to the release of “Black Panther,” I had already been listening to the released album on repeat. It was curated by Kendrick Lamar, and includes collaborations with artists such as Future, Travis Scott, SZA, and Khalid. It has remained as the number 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts, and effectively appealed to a younger audience. Heading into the film, I was wondering how each song from the album would be incorporated in the movie; unfortunately, not every song made it into the film. As a result of having such a star studded soundtrack, I also found that sometimes the music didn’t fit the scene at different points of the movie. However, “Black Panther: the Album” is a great standalone piece.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the use of colors and costumes in the movie. From the traditional attire to the different tribes in “Black Panther”, the movie explores many aspects of African culture, and depicts a diverse people. The movie was carefully crafted in its wardrobe design and its soundtrack, and took a very different path from how usual superhero movies are made. On a technical aspect, the movie wasn’t mindblowing by any means, but the special effects were good, and the plot was still intriguing. I wondered how a character in the movie (hint: his name rhymes with “lucky”) would develop, but they tied up the loose threads in the after credits scene. (There are always two of these scenes in Marvel movies, so make sure to stay and catch them the after credit scenes!)

The movie is not flawless, however, and I felt that there were parts of the movie that weren’t cohesive. For instance, Martin Freeman’s character, Agent Ross, felt out of place in the latter half of the movie, and some of the relationships between characters felt forced. As the Marvel Universe continues to expand and the movie franchise heads toward “Infinity War”, where nearly all of the superheroes star in a single movie, I was also left with several questions.

Before getting into further details, I recommend that you watch “Black Panther” if you haven’t already. After the events in this movie, it is uncertain what Wakanda will do in opening up relations with other countries. Does Wakanda grant other countries access to vibranium and Wakandan technology? Also, in terms of the Black Panther character alone, what does Wakanda do now that the heart-shaped herbs have all been burned? Will T’Challa be the last Black Panther? These are some loose ends that are left untied, but perhaps leave ambiguity for a subsequent movie.  

Overall, “Black Panther” is a very special film that sets it apart from other Marvel movies. While it continues the storyline in the Marvel universe, this movie has been revolutionary in many ways, from the way it portrayed its subject matter to its cast and soundtrack. While it wasn’t a perfect film, I thoroughly enjoyed watching “Black Panther”, and cannot wait for its sequel.