Long Live the King: Black Panther

Nyasha Marufu, Staff Writer

Marvel is back at it again with yet another amazing movie: Black Panther.

February was a great choice for this film’s release as it made for one of the best black history months ever. Directed by Ryan Coogler, this amazing movie came out on February 16, to massive audiences and rave reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 97%, Metacritic gave it an 88%, and IGN gave it a 9/10. Many moviegoers, like me, loved this masterpiece as it brought to the screen amazing actors, a strong narrative, and a powerful life message. All of this made this a one of a kind film.

Black Panther had the best cast I have ever seen and, I have to admit, it was a good idea to have the cast be mostly black. This movie shows that a black superhero film can still be amazing. All the actors gave an impressive performance, especially Chadwick Boseman, who plays T’Challa/Black Panther. In fact, he was my favorite actor in the whole movie. T’Challa is a smart, strong, brave character, who has a strong love for his country, which he leads as its new king. Boseman’s ability to portray this strong character is really something.

While T’Challa was my favorite character, Erik Killmonger, played by the one and only Michael B. Jackson, is my favorite villain of the Marvel Universe. Killmonger is very likeable and he has a very good reason why he is evil. His back story made me shed a tear; it was so sad and depressing. Also Killmonger is a total badass in general. Most people who’ve seen the film left wishing they could see more of him in the movie.

The story behind Black Panther is really good. Coogler did an incredible job pacing the movie and making it understandable for everyone. Adding to the film’s value is the breathtaking setting. Have the setting based in a nation in Africa with highly advanced technology is super unique in today’s film industry. All the actors have amazing costumes and they all look great. The film manages to mix a bunch of African cultures and fashions together in one movie. The action scenes are exciting and the colors in each scene are just lovely. Sure the movie uses a lot of CGI and some scenes with CGI look sort of rushed as many do, but the movie’s overall CGI gets a B rating.

Overall, this film has a lot to offer for people who love superhero films or who just wish to see a film that celebrates strong African culture. If you have not yet seen Black Panther, then go out and catch it before it’s too late.