Black Panther is the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Ryan Coogler and features a predominantly black cast, Chadwick Boseman plays T’Chalia who becomes the Black Panther and king of the African nation of Wakanda, a prosperous nation that is full of the strongest metal on Earth, Vibranium. As he becomes King, the struggle of controlling a nation starts to trouble T’Chalia, other people claim the throne and is met with the moral dilemma of either hiding away from the world and keeping the vibranium to themselves or helping 3rd world countries with their technology.
In the barrage of superhero films in the past decade, Marvel needs to keep on being different and unique. Black Panther immediately has a different feel to it. It is visually fantastic, there is some scenes that showcase some of the most beautiful landscapes of Africa. It is just refreshing to see a new visual style in a universe that is hindered by the Marvel visual style that had started to become redundant. The dream sequence with T’Chalia meeting his father, is full of a majestic purple hue that I wish we saw more of, as being in the cinema, it looked fantastic. It was just nice to see not New York anymore. The land of Wakanda I wish was explored more, we only saw brief glimpses of it but of what we did see was a treat to the eyes.
The tone of the film was similar to other Marvel films, with hints of seriousness, action and comedy. Some of the comedy wasn’t that funny and a bit dated but Latitia Wright, who plays the Black Panther’s sister, is the standout performance as the wise cracking young scientist. Michael B Jordan plays the main villain, who wants to takeover Wakanda. He plays it well but Marvel still has the issue with villains. I wanted to see a more ruthless villain, one that felt like a threat. However, it was good to finally not get a villain that just wanted to destroy New York City. The backstory for Jordan’s character was emotional and strangely some could say justifiable. The connection between Jordan and Boseman was great and It would of been much better if Michael B Jordan’s character had more screen time, just to feel like more of a threat.
The action was great and the fight scenes were brutal. The film was at a good pace that made the running time feel fairly short. The character of Black Panther is ruthless and powerful and the style of the action puts this message across with ease. The soundtrack is great and the cast is phenomenal. Black Panther excels in its representation and presentation. This is a visually stunning and unique installment within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It may have flaws that have dogged the MCU but this film has the potential to inspire blacks actors, actresses and directors that the film hero does not have a fixed image. This film is making loads of money at the box office and hopefully this is a wake up call to Hollywood to finally showcase a true representation of the audience it adheres too. This is not the greatest film in the MCU but it has the potential to have the greatest impact. A good action film that is slick and visually stunning. Black Panther is a must watch for all Marvel fans.
The Cinema Cabin 
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