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koskela13 · 6 years

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Talk about a perfect way to start off a year’s moviegoing experience, because Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed), has for me not only quickly become my favorite IMAX experience thus far— taking the throne from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 —but, even though we’re only halfway through the first quarter of the year, it is an easy contender for Best Movie of 2018. From literally the very first frame of the opening scene to the scene after the end credits have rolled by, this film provided me with one of the most perfect experiences I’ve ever had at the cinemas, even if it was only showing in 2D where I saw it.

After his father’s death in Civil War, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns to his home nation of Wakanda to take his place as its king. But all (and I do mean all) is threatened by a man named Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), joining with Claue (Andy Serkis) from Age of Ultron, who seeks to claim the throne and unveil Wakanda’s powerful arsenal to the world. So as the Black Panther, T’Challa must face off against this dangerous adversary with the help of his former lover Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and CIA Agent Ross (Martin Freeman doing an unbelievably dead-on American accent, even for a Brit), and to say anymore than this would just spoil how good the writing in this film is.

And I mean that; this is probably one of the best scripts I’ve ever seen filmed in a Marvel movie. Not only are the characters really intriguing and perfectly defined, but the story is also really strong here. There’s the lovingly fun humor we’ve come to love from a Marvel Studios movie, but the tone here this time is refreshingly mature. In fact, this is probably the most serious, thought-provoking superhero film I’ve seen that didn’t have to sacrifice charm and wit to be mature. There are some damn good twists and revelations here that, like I said, I’m not gonna give away here, and there’s even an element that helps this movie really work for me that most superhero movies rarely touch upon: It’s not just a simple “one side is right, the other side is wrong” battle of good vs evil; both sides are right AND wrong on what to do about certain situations. You have your moments where you side with the good guys and want them to prevail, sure, but you also surprisingly find yourself understanding what the villain wants, as well as why he’s the way he is, and even question the good guys’ solutions to certain situations at points. That’s something you almost never see done in a superhero film without it being unintentional (ahem, DC!), and to see a film pull it off this well, I actually congratulate the writers for it.

But that’s not the only thing to love about this film; the visuals are astounding here, especially in IMAX. The effects are well-crafted and even sometimes breathtaking— In fact, the opening sequence where a man tells his child about how Wakanda came to be what is it now is told with this fantastic animated sequence where everything seems to be made of sand and it’s constantly blowing in the wind, and if you see it on the big screen, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for visually as soon as it starts. —and the costumes are really impressive, but for me, the cinematography and the production are where the look of this film really shines. Hannah Bleacher and her design team just make Wakanda look so gorgeous and inviting, I’d actually find myself wanting to go there at points, visit all the great places and see the sights of everything, and that leads us to Rachel Morrison’s phenomenal cinematography. Everything from the thriving city streets of the technologically-advanced nation and the gorgeous cliffsides overseeing a good deal of the land to something as ordinary as the nightlife in the South Korean City or as huge and seething with the rare, rich material known as Vibranium as the underground mining caves is simply gorgeous to look at, and even more mundane stuff like the basketball court or apartment California feels kind of nice and homely. So yeah, a wonderful visual treat.

On top of that, all the actors deliver some great, fantastic performances, with Michael B. Jordan being the highlight for me as Erik, portraying him as a menacing threat, but also as someone you kinda understand for reasons that, again, need not be spoiled here, and by God, who the hell would’ve thought Martin Freeman could pull off a perfect American accent? I swear, if you closed your eyes and just heard his voice in this, you’d think it was a completely different person.

And then there’s the music. Sure, the sound design is wonderful, but both the score and the songs are something to behold, and they just match the film’s visuals perfectly in both feel and structure. I’m not gonna lie, I may actually get both of this film’s soundtracks on iTunes; the music’s just that great.

In short, I really love this movie. The year’s barely begun, but already there’s a bar every other film has to meet in my opinion this year. What else can I say about it? The writing’s great; the cast is great; the music’s great; the visuals are phenomenal. I honestly can’t find a legitimate flaw with this film, I think it’s an absolutely perfect movie. It’s definitely recommended, especially in IMAX, because you’ll have even more of a breathtaking time when you see it that way.

10/10

#Black Panther #T’Challa #Erik Stevens #Ross #Nakia #T’Chaka #W’Kabi #Shuri #Okoye #Ramonda #Zuri #Ulysses Klaue #Wakanda #Marvel Studios #Ryan Coogler #Killmonger

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