“Black Panther” is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride as fast and exciting as an underground vibranium train. It delivers spectacular action, a thrilling script, and a superhero standing up to the promise many fans expected.
Edited by Debbie Berman (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Michael P. Shawver (“Creed”), the eighteenth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe nicely moves scene to scene while revealing information purposefully. The opening scene takes place in 1992. A cut back to present day and you think that’s that. However, the editing duo continuously returns to the opening scene throughout different parts of the film to reveal more and more pieces that affect the “Black Panther” story arc.
Director Ryan Coogler anchored the plot around strong performances from Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira. Each actor displayed a sense of humanism and a knack for superhuman fighting skills. Boseman and Jordan were the only two wearing Wakanda suits as ’T’Challa/Black Panther’ and ‘Erick Killmonger’, respectively. Nyong’o and Gurira portray spy/love interest ‘Nakia’ and Wakandan general ‘Okay’, respectively.
The script perfectly blended intrigue and humor over 134 minutes of screen time. Letitia Wright, playing Boseman’s on-screen younger sister,’Shuri,’ brings as many jokes as she does high-tech gear that Wakandan royalty can play with. Visually stunning, the kingdom spreads over landscapes of sunbathing grasslands and rigorous trails edging snow covered mountains.
Overall, the film packs as much punch as a Black Panther suit, which is a lot. Followers of the current Marvel timeline won’t see references to other films. Nevertheless, Marvel film geeks will more than likely enjoy it. Fans of the original comics will gleam seeing the African king roll through theaters as smoothly as his superhero counterparts.
Wakanda forever.