Photo Credit: Disney
As a marvel fan, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has been a long awaited and anticipated film and didn’t disappoint. After the passing of Chadwick Boseman it was difficult to picture a Black Panther film without him, however Ryan Coogler out did himself with this sequel.
The emotions that flow in Waknda Forever are electrifying, with each character being able to express their loss in the most profound and personal way.
Throughout the film, we see the impacts and contributions that Chadwick has had on both the legacy of Black Panther and the actors on screen. Ryan Coogler captured this beautifully and made this movie a tribute, to all the great things Black Panther represents. The beginning of the movie helps us to both mourn and celebrate the Black Panther, whilst at the end we are brought to a full circle moment as we are left with a piece of Chadwick Bozeman’s character.
The theme of loss and vengeance from both Shuri and Namor are displayed heavily throughout the film.
Letitia Wright’s character, Shuri, came to the forefront in this movie as we are able to explore more of her character. As a viewer we are able to, understand the complexities of her emotions and how she is able to overcome them. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Letitia explains that this film was a “love letter to Chadwick”.
We have seen her consistently pay homage to him not just in the film, but throughout the whole press run. It is obvious that Chadwick left an imprint on the cast and on the fans.
We also see new cultures introduced with the indigenous people of Talokan, which was an idea Ryan announced Chadwick was very excited about. Manor’s storyline, played by Tenoch Huerta, was fascinating as it gave a different outlook on Indigenous people, from a perspective rarely seen or heard in cinema.
The representation and historical contents of both Waknda and Talokan and their relationship with the western world, ring true to indigenous and black people today.
My only criticism is that the Talokan scenes mainly focus around the fighting scenes, which seem a bit rushed.
What Ryan does do well, is give a gripping portrayal of sisterhood and the power of women through Danai Gurira’s character, Okoye. As the general of the Dora Milaje, we see her layers exposed. Her portrayal in the prequel was one of strong exterior. However, in Wakanda forever, we see that stripped away and we are shown how her vulnerability brings her more strength. In that vulnerability she is able to connect with Nakia, Lupita Nyongo’o, and Aneka, Michaela Cole.
Marvel continues to introduce new character franchises through the merging of their film entities. Marvel Williams, who is played by Dominique Thorne, was introduced to us as a student at MIT, a university we see many other Marvel Cinematic Universe character also attend. Her story is something that as a fan, I can’t wait to unravel.
M’Baku’s role, played by Winston Duke, is one of reason. We see his arrogance precede him in the first film but In the sequel, his humility and humour are brought to the limelight creating a character the audience soon learn to love.
The soundtrack certainly adds to the passion of this movie, with each song aptly coinciding with the themes of the film. Overall, the acting in this film is intense and special. With many highlights throughout the film I thoroughly enjoyed.
