To say that my expectations were high when I walked into the theatre last week to watch ‘Black Panther’ at our block screening with PMCM Management at Resorts World would be a complete understatement. All over the Internet, people were praising the movie before it even came out here, and it had such high ratings – even on Rotten Tomatoes – it seemed to be putting other recent superhero movies to shame. Now that I’ve seen it, I must say: it was definitely worth the wait. Here’s why.
5 Reasons Why Black Panther Wins as a Marvel Movie
5. The action scenes are a visual treat.
Aside from merely being action-packed, ‘Black Panther’s action scenes are real visual treats – from the car chases mixed with tech to the stunning costumes and scenery found in the waterfall fighting scenes to the cool final battle scenes involving practically everyone in the movie that we had grown to love throughout the film.
4. The costumes are unforgettable.
Costumes can easily make or break a movie – and the costumes in ‘Black Panther’ really set the tone and mood of the entire movie. They are all beautifully detailed and consistent all throughout the film. Each tribe stood out and were characterised by their costumes, bringing together both a sci-fi and a more traditional feel; and yet they were still all functional at the same time.
3. The tech in it is too cool for words.
I really don’t think I can properly explain how cool Wakanda is. Hidden under a canopy of trees, the whole place is fuelled by Vibranium (yes, the super-metal that Captain America’s shield is made from). Vibranium also happens to be what turns T’Challa into the Black Panther and is what Killmonger wants to take charge of in order to wage a full-scale war on the rest of the world. It basically creates the entirely bad-ass world of Wakanda, in which the entire audience is able to fully immerse themselves in by watching the movie.
2. The cast is on point.
The whole cast of ‘Black Panther’ is completely on point. Chadwick Boseman plays a great T’Challa with his regal and calm demeanour, while Michael B. Jordan plays a believably menacing Killmonger with his devil-may-care attitude. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him on-screen and he has easily become one of my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe villains so far because of how real he is. Of course, we can’t forget the bad-ass tough women who completed the cast (special shout-outs to the stunning Lupita Nyong’o, the adorable Letita Wright, and the amazing Danai Gurira aka Michonne of ‘The Walking Dead’) because let’s face it: the MCU is mostly filled with men.
1. It is a first in pop culture history.
Although for all intents and purposes, ‘Black Panther’ is at its core still a Marvel movie – complete with superheroes, super villains, cool gadgets, even cooler costumes, and a lot of action – it marks something else in pop culture history. It is the first all-black superhero movie (with Martin Freeman aka Bilbo Baggins playing the ‘token WHITE guy’) and is even directed by a black director, Ryan Coogler. (Let’s add to that the part where Wakanda actually looks like a place that one of today’s presidents wouldn’t want immigrants from.)
Have you seen ‘Black Panther’ yet? What was your favorite part? Geek out with us!
