REVIEW: BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER (SPOILER-FREE)
An emotional tribute to a beloved king, a valuable tool for the grieving process of cast and fans, and, a path forward for The Black Panther.
Director: Ryan Cogler | PG-13 | 2h 41m | 11.11.22
Genre: Action/Adventure, Superhero, Sci-Fi
Related Films: Black Panther (2018), MCU
Ryan’s Score: 92/100
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% Audience, 84% Critic (As of this post)
Watch the trailer here:
This is not the sequel that Marvel or Ryan Coogler envisioned back in 2018 when the original Black Panther premiered. Real-life tragedy dictated a completely different story. Chadwick Boesman passed away in August of 2020, after an extensive yet private battle with colon cancer. No one knew except Chadwick’s closest family members. Supposedly, not even Marvel or Disney’s top execs – including Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler – were aware of his diagnosis. While enduring months of treatment and intense pain, he both continued to work and outperform his peers by delivering probably the most iconic performances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe aside from Robert Downey Jr. Boesman didn’t disclose his condition to Spike Lee either during the filming of Da 5 Bloods. Spike told Variety,
“I understand why Chadwick didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to take it easy. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made him do the stuff. And I respect him for that.”
I mean, c’mon. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is. During a panel for Avengers: Infinity War, Paul Bettany checked on Chadwick when Bettany noticed he was falling asleep. The two laughed it off at the time, but looking back on the clip now brings tears to my eyes.
Boesman was likely the most prepared, and clearly the best choice, to bring the first Black superhero to the big screen. He played Jackie Robinson – the first Black man to break the color barrier in the MLB – in 42 (2013), James Brown – an iconic, multi-talented entertainer – in Get On Up (2014), and Thurgood Marshall – the first Black Supreme Court justice – in Marshall (2017). Chadwick incorporated aspects of these three incredible men into his portrayal of King T’Calla and The Black Panther. He embodied the unyielding grit of Robinson, the swagger of Brown, and the authority of Marshall with the grace of all three combined. Chadwick Boseman was much more than the first Black superhero; he was a real-life superhero to so many people around the world. His absence is profoundly felt throughout Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as it has been in the world since his passing, and yet, the film doesn’t fall short by any means.
Okay, now let’s get into the film we’re actually talking about today, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I don’t really want to compare this movie to the first, but everyone has asked me to, so I’ll say this: The first film – along with Kendrick Lamar’s accompanying album – is an anthem to Black culture around the world, lifting the audience up along with it. This film, at its core, is a story about loss, and a tribute to a king. The loss of King T’Challa/The Black Panther reverberates throughout the film, and Ryan Coogler does an excellent job of paying tribute to both King T’Challa’s character and Chadwick’s real-world persona.
With that said, this is by no means the focus of the film. It is a female empowerment movie without ever making you think of it as such. Wakanda is now led by Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), who dominates every single scene she is in. Her powerful performance is one of the best the MCU has seen. The rest of the cast excels alongside Bassett, pulling the audience into the story and never letting us out until the last credit rolls. Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Tenoch Huerta as Namor all turn in excellent performances. Everyone involved is clearly all-in on Coogler’s vision, and it’s executed very well.
On a brief critical front, there are a few areas the movie could have improved. At times the pacing is off. There is a sequence near the end of the film (not gonna spoil it) that I think could have been handled better. The guys from the Friends From Work podcast (linked at the end of this post) discuss this moment in their spoiler-filled review, so if you’ve seen the film already you will probably know what we’re talking about. Aside from those few, small shortcomings, the movie is excellent.
I wiped tears from my cheeks at least four different times throughout the film. While I don’t see this one having a comparable cultural impact to the first, it is definitely the best thing Marvel has released in Phase 4. This is a spoiler-free review, so I don’t want to say too much. Though it is much different from its predecessor, Wakanda Forever is no less entertaining or impactful. Ludwig Göransson’s score is great, yet not quite as good as what he created for the first. The film does give us the first new Rihanna song in six years, and it doesn’t disappoint. Ruth Carter’s costume design is just as good as the first, and I wouldn't be surprised if she takes home another Academy Award for it. I saw the movie at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and the theater, while not sold out, was very full. Viewers cheered at numerous points throughout the screening, with applause erupting at the end. I usually think it’s kind of weird when people clap at the end of a movie (except at film festivals where those involved are usually present), but here it just felt right, so I joined in. I plan on seeing the film at least one more time in theaters, and I’m looking forward to experiencing another audience’s reaction.
That’s it for today. I hope you go see the movie and I’d love to hear your thoughts once you do.
Want to dive deeper into the film? Well, you’re in luck! I’ve compiled some additional links to explore below.
wrote a review for . Read it here.You can listen to one of my favorite podcasts – Friends From Work – preview and review the film below:
Spoiler-Free Preview:
Initial Reactions Review (SPOILERS):
Next week I’ll be reviewing The Menu. Here’s the trailer: