Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review – An Emotional & Epic Journey!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had one of the biggest challenges for a film to overcome — the loss of a cultural icon to not only the MCU but to the entire world. Chadwick Boseman’s untimely demise greatly impacted the direction of the story of Black Panther as Ryan Coogler was forced to rewrite his original draft for the film to account for the loss of its lead star. Not only was this going to be a filmmaking struggle but being forced to create a story to rival one of the biggest box office achievements in history left Coogler with a difficult dealt hand.

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With that all said, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rose from the ashes and delivered a memorable addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and lovers of the first Black Panther film. One of the greatest compliments I can give this film is that it does not feel like a typical Marvel production (which may seem harsh, but when Marvel Studios is pushing out content left, right and center every year, from Disney+ TV Shows and more, it all begins to blend after a while).

Just as the first one did, Ryan Coogler has a way of directing and writing that makes his Black Panther films feel like stand-alone blockbusters outside of the vast world of the MCU. I felt disconnected from the entire franchise while watching, allowing myself to experience the film in its own right. Rarely if ever, do we get a mention of other superheroes and do not have to hear about “the big bad blip.” Coogler’s focus on T’Challa’s death, the resurrection of the spirits of the Wakandans, and best of all, the introduction of Namor and Talokan is the central focus, making the film feel whole.

Coogler has an incredible way of creating complex villains that are highly likable to watch. Like the first Black Panther, Coogler has a way of creating conflict, where the intentions of the Wakandans and Namor are admirable but the execution of Namor’s plan is what makes him the antagonist. Tenoch Huerta as Namor is by far the best part of the movie and his performance blew everyone out of the water. His desire to protect his people gives him the true qualities of a great leader. Unfortunately, his desire to have Wakanda help him take over the surface world is where the problem lies. Namor is the best villain in the MCU so far.

One downfall of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is it struggles to maintain the emotional attachment to the Wakandans because of how strong Namor and his people are written and presented. Yes, losing Boseman as the Black Panther certainly poses a struggle in our attachment to the Wakandans when the entire first film has us bringing T’Challa into our hearts with the rest of the Wakandans slightly in the background. However, such a tragedy brings up the opportunity to have us all grieve and heal together with the Wakandans. However, outside of Angela Bassett’s performance as Ramonda and parts of Shuri’s development, the rest of the cast was greatly sidelined.

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As a whole, Wakanda Forever was an emotional and epic journey that is hard not to get behind for its heart and ode to the great Boseman. It is one of the best blockbusters this year and no matter who you are or what you think of the film, at some point tears will be shed. That in itself shows the power of filmmaking and Coogler’s talent.

‘Wakanda Forever’ Rating – 3.75/5

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