Personally, I believe Marvel Studios has lost a bit of their magic in terms of what makes their films work recently. To me, their sequels to Doctor Strange and Thor didn’t meet up to their usual high standards. This year Marvel has put a lot of focus on visual spectacle and creating weird and wonderful worlds in this now-celebrated universe of Marvel Characters. Unfortunately, I have found these to be underwhelming and I miss the days when the films focused on character arcs and progressing the story more naturally and organically.
Luckily, this is exactly what they do with the characters that were first established in Black Panther, a monumental film that paved the way for more diverse films and characters, with their sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Wakanda Forever is a film that had difficulty addressing the surprise loss of Chadwick Boseman who captivated the world with an immersive performance as the King of Wakanda. His cool and charismatic interpretation of T’Challa was instantly iconic and Wakanda Forever does the right job of acknowledging that the character in the film universe has sadly and tragically passed away too. I won’t reveal how but it is a major plot point in the story and one that affects every character in the film in one way or another. By making the heart of the film about his loss we get to see characters such as Shuri, T’Challa’s little sister, go into denial over his loss, whereas Angela Bassett’s character Queen Ramonda, the mother of T’Challa, is angry with herself at his loss. It is these small moments that really capture the characters and help humanise them even more than the first film.
It’s not all about the returning characters as we are introduced to two major new characters. The first of which is Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, who is an inventor and a genius who is still in college. She is drafted into the plot as a mysterious enemy is after her, that enemy in question is Namor the standout character in the film. Namor is the leader of the Talokani, who is worshipped in his underwater kingdom of Talokan that looks and feels a lot like Atlantis. Talokan is rich in culture and feels more organic and natural in fitting with the kingdom of Wakanda than other underwater kingdoms in other films. It is Namor and his quest to keep his kingdom hidden that turns him into an enemy of Wakanda. To say more is to spoil more, so I will hold off revealing any other key details of the plot.
Wakanda Forever is visually stunning and there are still some CGI elements that don’t feel as polished as the first film, but considering they’re small and far between you tend to let it slide as the plot draws you in. The film also feels a little predictable and there is someone who does pick up the mantle of Black Panther who you will see coming from a mile away. There is clearly a lot of groundwork in place too in order to continue telling these characters’ stories in the future as well. Having said that this film does a great job at introducing new elements of Wakanda into the universe and balancing that with what has previously been established. One of the biggest draws is the music. The soundtrack is phenomenal and it captures the spirit and soul of the film really well. In essence, the visuals and music make Wakanda Forever a beautiful film and it is easily one of Marvel’s best films since Avengers: Endgame!
★★★★☆
4/5
Continuing the legacy of the Black Panther following the death of Chadwick Boseman was always going to be difficult. The sensitivity and restraint that director Ryan Coogler displays with Wakanda Forever is perfect. The loss of a hero and an icon is what propels the story and by bringing in Riri Williams and Namor the door is left wide open for future stories in Wakanda. Letitia Wright is the heart of the film as Shuri, who reminds us that we are all human and in the end it is the choices we make that turn us into a hero or a villain.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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