Of Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 Marvel Superhero film, sequel to the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther and based on characters from Black Panther Marvel comics.

It was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture. It was released in the United States on 11 November 2022 as the final film in Phase Four of the MCU. Black Panther Wakanda Forever was the 6^th highest grossing production of 2022.

Following the death of T’Challa, Wakanda seems vulnerable without the protection of the black panther it is caught between foreign invaders seeking vibranium and a new that foe rises to threaten the kingdom of Wakanda….

The Good

It pays touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman who starred as King T’Challa in the previous Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman, passed away in 2020 after battling colon cancer.

The opening credits of Wakanda Forever display an uncharacteristically silent Marvel opening logo sequence, with a montage of Chadwick Boseman. T’Challa gets a dignified send-off that feels like a tribute to both the character and actor. They did not recast Chadwick Boseman’s role yet you feel his presence throughout the movie.

Visually, it’s a delight to the senses, action sequences that are on land, in air and under the sea, backed up by a catchy score and a soundtrack which is now added to my playlist.

Today's Playlist 🎶
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Music From and Inspired By https://t.co/ODCEu9gKLI pic.twitter.com/XaheEyIbLn

— ~B 🇿🇼 (@Beatonm5) February 7, 2023

Thematically, it explores a diverse range of issues with the central being on grief and loss. I especially liked how it showcased the perspective of villains as heroes of their own stories and a resulting conflict that happens from people trying to do what they think is right for their people.

The representation of loss, leadership and change was also profound, having to change from a way of doing things, deviating from tradition, the conflict between the old ways and the modern ways…

“My ancestors would often say only the most broken people can be great leaders.”
-Namor, Black Panther Wakanda Forever 

The Bad

Its a dark movie, and I dont mean metaphorically because of how you experience the characters through the fog of loss and the various stages of grief. I mean literally, it uses a dark, murky colour palette. Couple this with that they filmed using anamorphic lenses instead of spherical ones, resulting in distortion and sharpness reduction that some scenes would devolve into a blurry mass.

I felt it was an ambitious project trying to do a lot of things with a lot of subplots from succession politics to internal and external conflicts. Some of the sub plots could have been skipped altogether instead came across as rushed and under developed… saving up for a sequel maybe.

The Ugly

The accents still grate my ears… Like why????? I complained about this extensively in an old review of Black Panther.

Hollywood needs to respect Africa.

Final Thoughts

I went in expecting to be disappointed or to hate this movie as another overhyped Hollywood attempt to cash in on a blockbuster franchise and milk the Chadwick Boseman sympathy card but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s a decent sequel that tries to live up to expectations, it might not match its predecessor but it has heart… and is a tastefully done tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

In another interesting turn of events, France’s Minister of Defence criticised the production for what was referred to as “false and misleading representation” of French troops. In the movie there’s a group of  mercenaries who are caught trying to raid Wakanda for vibranium. This was after a journalist remarked on the similarity between camouflage uniforms of those mercenaries in the movie and those of the French troops who operated in Mali for almost ten years…..

Have you watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?