Film Review: āBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverā (2022)
An emotionally satisfying conclusion to Marvelās phase 4.
When we last visited Wakanda, it was in 2018 with both āBlack Pantherā and āAvengers: Infinity Warā. The former was a very well-made film that, despite having a formulaic plot, made a strong impact on audiences mostly due to its cultural representation. The latter was a subversive and intense event of a film that would lead to one of the best finales ever filmed. After, Its successor, āEndgameā, however. It seems that the Marvel Cinematic Universe may have been struggling to find its sense of direction. While Phase 4 has given us some of the best of the MCU in last yearās āSpider-Man: No Way Homeā and āShang Chi: The Legend of the Ten Ringsā, it has shown Marvel at its downright worst with the tedious āEternalsā and the abysmal āThor: Love & Thunderā. So, where does āWakanda Foreverā land in Marvelās most inconsistent phase?
Before going on, I want to take time and acknowledge that director Ryan Coogler was given an impossible task: making a Black Panther movie without TāChalla. I, along with the rest of the world, was both shocked and heartbroken when the news broke two years ago that Chadwick Boseman passed away from his battle with cancer. Boseman was not just a great TāChalla but, also a talented and genuinely humble man. He was a hero to many in the world. Not just as Black Panther but also as Jackie Robinson in 2013ās ā42ā. The cast and crew were given the monumental challenge of not only making this film but, also paying tribute without becoming exploitative or manipulative. Did they succeed in doing so? Absolutely!
A year after the demise of King TāChalla, the nation remains in mourning as Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is questioned by the UN on the dangers of Vibranium and its access. At the same time, a new nation is discovered: the underwater kingdom of Talokan. Ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the kingdom starts to view Wakanda as a threat to their nation and waged war on them. At the same time, Shuri (Letitia Wright) is tasked with finding Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne) after a device mining for vibranium is traced back to her. As tensions between Wakanda and Talokan grow, the CIA (Martin Freeman) also get involved.
Since I swear off spoilers in my reviews, Iām going to keep the plot as vague as possible. As far as the story goes, āWakanda Foreverā works as both a sequel and a moving tribute to the late and great Chadwick Boseman. The nation of Wakanda feels like a character similar to the town of Haddonfield in David Gordon Greenās āHalloweenā trilogy. Wakanda feels more tight-knit and communal considering the past few events in the MCU as opposed to Haddonfield devouring itself over the span of two movies. Also, just as with Laurie and Corey in āHalloween Endsā, we have a much better (albeit predictable) version of reflective storytelling with the characters of Shuri and Namor. Both are forced to deal with the loss of a loved one but, do so in different methods.
As is the case with its 2018 predecessor, the cast delivered their all. Letitia Wright goes from being the likable smart ass in the first film to being forced to deal with loss and guilt. I actually found myself connecting to her on a personal level. Itās always a risk to upgrade a likable side character but, with Shuri, it paid off. Lupita Nyongo and Winston Duke donāt get as much to do as Nakia and Umbaku respectively but, also shine and add a lot of heart to this film. Danai Gurira continues to never disappoint as General Okoye, one of my favorite MCU characters. Her arc in this film is almost as emotional as Shuriās and when the action starts, Okoye never ceases to show us why she is one of Marvelās most badass women.
While the cast is overall excellent, the three main standouts here are Angela Bassett, Dominique Thorne, and Tenoch Huerta. Bassettās portrayal of a Queen who is under pressure by the UN as well as that of a grieving mother is emotionally crushing. Considering the circumstances that surround the film, it makes her performance feel even more real and tangible. Both her monologue in the first act and her emotionally driven speech that weāve seen in the filmās first trailer warrant more than an Oscar. As for Dominique Thorne, she very much takes over the role of Shuri from the first film: a young smart-ass who is scientifically brilliant. While she adds to the weight of the filmās crowded canvas, she injects a lot of charisma and humor into the film with gut-busting one-liners. Tenoch Huerta plays a very menacing and strategic antagonist in Namor. Huerta brings enough charm to make for a likable villain, even if he is not as developed as Kilmonger was in the first film.
Phase 4 of the MCU seems to be the most director-driven phase weāve gotten. Weāve seen that work well in its favor with films such as āMultiverse of Madnessā and āShang Chiā but, weāve also seen how disastrous it was with āLove & Thunderā. With āWakanda Foreverā, Ryan Coogler managed to undergo a grueling test and pass with high flying colors. This is easily one of the best-directed films of the MCU. He weaves in elements of a political thriller, a historical action epic, science fiction, and an intimate drama with ease. Just like he has done with āCreedā, Coogler continues to film fight scenes with clarity and tension. The bridge fight and a few fights in the third act are highlights of his direction. Best of all, he manages to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman in a genuine and respectful manner. We donāt get a talking CGI reconstruction nor does the movie stop dead in its tracks to throw in a cobbled-together slideshow, the tribute weaves itself into the story, giving time for both the characters and the audience to grieve.
If there were any issues Iāve had with āWakanda Foreverā, it would be that the film feels a bit overcrowded. The narrative here seems to sort of get lost within the middle of the movie. We have read stories running at the same time: a war between two nations, the loss of a loved one, and the CIA just existing. Martin Freemanās Everett Ross contributes next to nothing in the story aside from āhey, I can point you in this direction.ā The presence of the CIA often feels like studio-mandated reshoots as opposed to being organically part of the story. I liked Ross in the film and Iām sure this will lead to something bigger down the road but, it contributes to the film being a tad overcrowded. Even Riri Williams, who I really like, feels like an ad for her upcoming Disney+ series. Itās an issue Iāve had with a lot of the MCU as of late but, with all of the good that āWakanda Foreverā achieves, this is one of the two issues that sticks out like a sore thumb.
My other gripe with āWakanda Foreverā is the same gripe I had with the first film: CGI. Most of it looks better this time around but, as is the case with DCās āAquamanā, the underwater scenes look like a PS3 cutscene. Iām not a fan of James Cameronās āAvatarā by any means but, the difference between the trailer for āWay of Waterā and the underwater scenes here is horrifically stark in some moments. Shuriās suit and even the Ironheart suit look rock solid but, the scenes where Talokan is prepping to go to war underwater look unfinished. I had the same issue with both the rhinos and the Spider-Man 3 fight in the first film as well. Iāve seen worse (āMorbiusā, anybody?) but, I urge Disney/Marvel Studios to work better with their VFX team. There seems to be a startling lack of communication and it shows.
Issues aside, the good far outweighs the bad here. āBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverā continues to have the best art direction Iāve seen in the MCU with Wakanda looking as beautiful and interesting as ever. I even liked the Mayan architecture of Talokan (despite some of it being hindered by PS3-looking CGI) quite a bit. Itās also the most tonally consistent of phase 4. The film does have jokes (mainly from Riri and Umbaku) but, theyāre not as egregious as they were in āThor: Love & Thunderā. The film is very much rooted in seriousness, showing respect for both the memory of Chadwick Boseman and the audience.
āBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverā is an emotionally satisfying film with a cast that excels on all fronts. Aside from its exploration of grief and loss, The film also excels in cultural representation and even explores struggling with faith. As āWakanda Foreverā came to a close, I was deeply moved. While I found the first film to be better (due to having a tighter storyline), āWakanda Foreverā ranks among the best of Phase 4. I look forward to seeing āIronheartā on Disney + and I hope to see more of Namor and Talokan in the near future.
Final Verdict:
āBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverā gracefully explores its themes of grief and loss while injecting some much-needed life into the MCU, making for a genuinely moving tribute to the late and great Chadwick Boseman.