Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever is the newest Marvel film and it is a direct sequel to the 2018 Black Panther that was lead by Chadwick Boseman. The film’s events are set sometime after Endgame. Ryan Coogler has returned to write and direct the sequel. The film stars Letitia Wright, Angela Basset, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta, Danai Gurira, etc. Letitia Wright’s Shuri is the real protagonist of the film as Chadwick Boseman has tragically passed away. The film was pretty much marketed as something that addresses grief everyone was experiencing after Boseman’s passing. The film just like any other Marvel had great first reactions but more than anything the one that caught my attention was that it was a mature film unlike other MCU ventures.
The last few Marvel films have deeply disappointed me to the point where I questioned my choice of films. However, I deeply respect and believe in Ryan Coogler as a filmmaker. So, I wanted to see what he had to bring in this array of disappointments that Marvel is churning out. The trailers for the film looked absolutely stunning and heart pounding. I conjured a lot of hope as I stepped into the theatres to watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hoping that the film is good, as I knew this would be my breaking point if I saw another mediocre venture from Marvel. So, let’s see whether the last film of the terrible Phase 4 of Marvel save it?
Rating – ★★★
Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever Review: Powerful Performances Save The Film?
The film’s story is something you can derive from the trailers, so I won’t be wasting time talking about it. There is no real confusion in the film that needs to be explained. It is a perfectly simple movie that you can understand in one viewing. Now, getting straight to the meat of the matter. Is Wakanda Forever a bad film? Not at all. Is it a great film? Not at all. Is it a good film? I’d like to believe so. The film is a good film solely because of the treatment from Ryan Coogler. It is because he hasn’t fell into the trap of comedy over content like every other MCU film.
There are some humorous moments in the film but it is not a funny film. It is sprinkled in. The script of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is definitely not some great piece of art. I’m aware that Coogler had an entirely different script ready that had to be changed after Boseman’s passing. I understand how much blood he has spilled on paper to do this. I respect his efforts and conviction towards his fellow artist that he changed the script instead of simply replacing him. However, we’re here to review the piece of work we saw, I have to review it by being unbiased.
In my honest opinion, the film feels like a continuous tug of war between a drama that wants to address grief and other one is Kevin Feigi yelling- “This is a Marvel Film!” It is a huge film don’t get me wrong. It is made on a budget of $250 Million. So, I understand that they want to make their money back honestly the confusion of the vision was clear. The film’s biggest positive is the emotional quotient that the film has and along with that the outstanding performances from Letitia Wright and Angela Basset. Tenoch Huerta is a good Namor.
When the film talks about the grief and concentrates on the performances, it is at its best. When it becomes a MCU with big explosions, it lost me. Namor is a better villain that what we’re used to seeing in the MCU, although he isn’t a villain like Killmonger that stays with you. The film’s heart is in the right place but there are flaws, some more severe than the others. The action set pieces are lackluster. There was not even a single moment in the film that made me jump out of my seat seeing my favorite heroes fight.
The other underwhelming part of the film is VFX. For a film made on a budget of $250 Million, barring marketing costs, I’m really scratching my head as to where did the money go? The Way of Water which is made on a similar budget has amazing VFX. The film was almost a mediocre affair but our emotional strings attached to the characters saves it. Boseman’s real life death is a pretty strong trigger for emotional influx. There is a death in the middle of the film and I genuinely didn’t expect that. I heart wept as I didn’t want to say goodbye to the character.
There are no stand out scenes in the film as well. This film has nothing but a very strong emotional core which it fails to maximize to the fullest as it is still a Marvel venture. Only thing that works in favor of the film is how fans are devasted to see their King being dead. I liked the film but it didn’t make me fall in love with the story as there was simply too much going on which was not necessary. Many characters were simply add-ons and absolutely not required. The film should’ve been 10-15 minutes shorter.
Verdict
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not a perfect film. It is barely a good film but in all honesty it won’t disappoint you. It will make your eyes teary as it did mine. Despite the average quality of the film it is still the best Marvel content we’ve gotten all year long. It is definitely the best Marvel film of Phase 4 after Shang Chi, however, that in itself is not a compliment. Angela Basset is a stand out, Letitia Wright is great but other than those two the film doesn’t really have anything else. I will give the sequel a 3 out of 5 stars. I love and respect what Coogler has created given his circumstances and I’m deeply sorry for Boseman’s passing but a film should always be judged as a film and hence the harsh rating.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing in theatres near you.
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