Politically correct virtue-signaling
demands not only that we love “Black Panther”, but that we carry
on about the box office success of this (almost) all-black movie, and
how it's proof that audiences want diverse movies, so Hollywood had
better listen! We also have to talk about the strong, female
characters. So let's just assume that we've covered all of that.
We first met T'Challa, the Black
Panther (Chadwick Boseman), in “Captain America: Civil War.” His
father was killed in that movie, leaving T'Challa as the new king and
protector of the African nation of Wakanda. Wakanda presents itself
as a poor, agrarian land, but in “Black Panther,” we learn that
that is all a front. Powered by its large deposits of vibranium,
Wakanda is a high-technology utopia, with fancy mag-lev light-rail
and advanced medicine.
Wakanda keeps all of these
advancements hidden, fearing that full engagement with the outside
world would bring waves of refugees and vibranium thieves. They may
have a point. Nonetheless, there are those within Wakanda who feel
that hiding their light under a bushel, so to speak, represents a
missed opportunity to improve the entire world, especially the plight
of people of color.
T'Challa is torn between these two
camps until his hand is forced by the arrival of a long-lost cousin,
Erik Killmonger (Michael B.Jordan). Killmonger has much bigger plans
than simply sharing vibranium technology with the world. He wants to
send Wakandan weapons to black rights and black separatist movements
around the world, turning the tables on Whitey in a big way.
T'Challa resists Killmonger's plans, aided by an old lover (Lupita
Nyongo), his tech-whiz sister, and his female-warrior bodyguard.
“Black Panther” is a decent movie,
just not strong enough to carry the weight of all those political
aspirations. This isn't the fault of the movie so much as all the
reviewers and commentators who built it up as the Great Black Hope,
probably the same commentators who did the same thing to “Wonder
Woman.” Some movies are overtly political, and that's fine, but I
don't care to have to think about what political statement a movie
makes simply by existing. If
you can watch “Black Panther” without thinking about all that
chatter, it's pretty decent. It has the same patina of PG-13ness
that limits most of these Marvel Comics movies. The story and
characters are not cringe-worthy, but they are dumbed down enough to
make sure that every 13-year-old can understand the movie. The ease
with which Wakandan technology can overcome every obstacle becomes a
bit numbing, similar to the Iron Man movies. Vibranium seems to be
the solution to everything. If a guy has a spinal cord injury, just
shove a piece of vibranium in there! The film also never explores
the stupidity of an advanced nation being ruled by a hereditary
monarchy, or the even greater stupidity of allowing anyone
to take over the throne simply by challenging the king to a fight.
“Black Panther”
is still one of the better Marvel Comics movies, and I understand
it's essential to the “Infinity War” storyline. Check it out!
3.5 stars out of 5
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