All the hype led me to believe it was going to be a whole lot of different. No it’s not. Black Panther is just more of the Marvel Comic Book same. From the get-go, it’s so preoccupied being sensational at every single moment that it never gets grounded. Chadwick Boseman is one of the best actors of this decade but this just shows that he cannot do anything when he’s given a thinly written character. Ryan Coogler is an impressive director based on his first two features, “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed,” but this is all slice and dice Marvel movie cutting – business as usual.
Somebody out there surely wants to holler back at me at how “Black Panther” is different. They’re black superheroes with a more defined code of honor! Really, to me, it’s just “Avengers” kind of blather with a different kind of accent. They’re members of a proud kingdom that’s removed from the rest of the chaotic overly politicked planet! Really, to me, it’s just another CGI-loaded fantasia with friction between ruling members and all that. When Michael B. Jordan, an antagonist outsider, intrudes on this kingdom he has at least so much more fire and personality that I wasn’t rooting against him from taking the throne. Really, if I want Boseman heroics, I’ll re-watch him spin the room around on his finger (metaphorically) with his charisma in “Get on Up” or “Marshall.”
His Black Panther does not have a definable cause – really, MCU fans, he does not! Not unless you contrive some excuses – until the eleventh hour in the film he gets an epilogue to wrap up some meaning about the whole race pride thing before the film ends. He is bereft of a point of view until then.
Why don’t I use specifics in my review, you wonder, such as the name of the kingdom? Because I’m tired of Comic Book movies. I forget these details an hour after I see them. There’s nothing to listen to here either, and when it is a heavy dialogue scene they’re all that typically stagy everybody stands face-to-face speaking in threatening gruff type of word exchange.
“Black Panther” as something special? I can’t believe the pandering even from Time Magazine. If anything, it made me realize how good “Logan” and “Deadpool” were as comic book movies because those ones were really doing something different, and I’ll give a nod to “Doctor Strange” too for its visual inventions. “The Dark Knight” remains in a league by itself because it was rooted in 70’s style storytelling, and it was also the last time human beings perforating the story were at the mercy of the world around them spinning out of control. I was never excited by “Black Panther,” not at all, but I can be honest and say I found stuff in it to make me not bored all the time.
TWO STARS.
135 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
COMIC BOOK MOVIE / MINDLESS FUN / BLOCKBUSTER WEEKEND
Film Cousins: Every Marvel movie made before this one. Every one.
