Rating: 9.0
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a beautiful and poignant film about grief made by grieving people. I adored this film, not just for how well it honours and continues the legacy of the great Chadwick Boseman, but also how it truly felt like a natural progression from the first film. Ryan Coogler really had his work cut out for him with this film, and frankly was put in quite the impossible situation with the passing of Boseman. I am blown away at how skillfully he overcame these challenges and pivoted the story to a place that is obviously different from what we would all expect coming out of the first “Black Panther”, and yet feels like a very natural and logical next step at the same time. Not only that, but this also feels like a return to form for the MCU after so long; this is the type of Marvel movie I fell in love with. Don’t get me wrong, I have still liked (and in some cases, loved) most of Phase 4, but this film is easily the best Marvel has been since “Endgame”. While my personal favourite of phase 4 still remains “No Way Home”, this is a very close second to that. Films like “Endgame” and “No Way Home” were absolute triumphs, but Wakanda Forever is MCU's most beautiful, meaningful and soulful movie. It is on the level of the first “Black Panther” for me, and while it may not be as culturally significant, it only enhances my enjoyment and appreciation of that first film.
This movie is an extremely moving and impactful experience. As I said, it is a film about grief and coming to terms with loss, even partially dealing with themes of faith. The movie is really about Shuri’s emotional journey of coming to terms with the loss of T’Challa and I found that the focus on grief through the eyes of Shuri was portrayed beautifully. The denial, the anger, and finally the acceptance, was a powerful emotional journey that was needed not only by the characters of the film, but also the audience as well. It is a very emotional watch right from the opening scene. As soon as the film began it caught me off guard with the wave of emotions it made me feel, I definitely cried multiple times throughout this movie. And so did the rest of the audience. People always talk about the memorable theatre moments in these Marvel movies where people clap and cheer. But there were two bookends of absolute, respectful, beautiful silence during this movie that will always define my memory of seeing this for the first time. This silence was unlike anything I have ever witnessed in a theatre, and it really speaks to the powerful way that the film dealt with the loss of Chadwick and T’Challa. The tribute it pays to Chadwick is wonderful and made me feel a lot, but luckily that isn’t where the emotions stop. The whole film is emotionally rich, with some tragic undertones throughout the film, so prepare yourself! I love films like this that tell a good story and really make you feel the emotion of it all, it speaks to how well the film works and connects with its audience.
“Wakanda Forever” is easily the best directed and most emotionally rich film in the MCU, possibly even the most cinematic film in the MCU. In terms of directorial voice and style, this is easily the most tactile, soulful, and well-crafted MCU movie since “Black Panther”. From the costumes to the score, everything is stunningly well crafted, and it handles its themes and tribute to Chadwick flawlessly. One of the things I appreciated most about it was that despite the movies (and tragedies) in between, it does feel like a direct continuation of Coogler's first “Black Panther” movie and the characters, themes, and aesthetics he developed in it. It still feels insular. Despite all the real life complications and a plot filled with new characters and world building, it still feels cohesive. The movie feels like it was written and directed by a storyteller not a committee. There are a few issues with the script, it can be clunky at times and there are points that you can tell it was hastily re-written, albeit re-written with love. This isn’t Coogler’s fault, the tragedy of Chadwick’s passing really complicated this movie’s production, and Coogler being able to pull off the pivot he did is nothing short of a miracle. So really, a few script issues aside, this film is masterful.
Story-wise I loved so many of the choices Coogler made, from the way he weaved in history and politics in relation to Wakanda and its resources on a global stage, to the handling of the Black Panther, to the introduction of Namor and Talokan. I loved the way he mirrored T’Challa’s arc in “Civil War” for Shuri here, it felt very poetic. She has one of the best emotional character arcs in the MCU in this film! The continuation of Shuri’s journey felt very natural, I loved what he did with Queen Ramonda, the return of Nakia is very gratifying, and even the return of Martin Freeman’s Everett Ross gave this a strong continuity with the first film and within the MCU. The newer elements, like Riri Williams and Namor, both of which I loved, are also added in a way that feels very organic. I was afraid that much of the movie would feel like Phase 5 pandering and inserted green screen reshoots with cameos, but thank god, the whole thing feels like a singular vision. This is a Ryan Coogler movie through and through! Namor especially stole the show for me, the depiction of Namor is so excellent it hurts. The movie treats him like a mythic icon and a terrifying foe, making me really wish “Love and Thunder” did more of this with Gorr. I loved how Coogler established Talokan and Namor’s backstory, it was richly written and even sublimely tackled the effects of colonialism we still see in the world today. The movie truly nailed Namor’s introduction, his arc is clear, his motivations are clear and most importantly understandable and he has instantly become one of the best MCU villains to date.
I think it's probably completely natural for “Wakanda Forever” to hit people differently. The movie deserves a lot of credit for executing a great cinematic experience, and what is most important is that it is sure of itself, and feels so carefully crafted to accomplish what it wants to. As much as I want to see Coogler working outside the MCU, I really hope he makes one more “Black Panther” movie to round out the trilogy. These two films flow like a singular vision made with passion and care. I'd love to see a conclusive third film from Coogler and his team!
The technical side of this film is complete perfection, and when it comes back to it this movie is likely one of the best from a technical filmmaking standpoint in the MCU, much like the first one also was. First off, what really struck me was the incredible costume design from Ruth Carter. She did a wonderful job with the Afro-futuristic styles in the first film to establish the world of Wakanda, and brings them back in fresh but familiar ways here! For “Wakanda Forever” she wonderfully borrowed styles from Meso-American cultures to help create the world of Talokan. The production design by Hannah Beachler was also really well done in fleshing out these worlds, I really have to say some of the strongest features about the two “Black Panther” films are this artistry on display in terms of costumes, sets, hair, makeup, and everything else that really makes the world of Wakanda feel so much more tangible. The movie looks and sounds great. There's a grandeur to the imagery matched with intimacy behind the camera that makes it feel so real and raw. Coogler upped his game significantly in the visuals and it’s amazing what happens when they give VFX a proper timetable, because for the most part the CGI looks great! And I loved the look of the action scenes, especially Namor’s attack on Wakanda as well as the 3rd act climax, which I thought really felt like it tread some new ground for Marvel! It has big CGI action, but also some great story beats and character moments to it!
What was my favourite aspect of the movie though? Of course it has to be Ludwig Goransson’s score! He brought back old themes, created new ones, and once again proves he is one of the most interesting composers today! I loved the musical continuity between this and the first film, it is likely the best example of it in the MCU, and I would even say these two films have the best musical scores in the MCU save for maybe the “Avengers” films. The sound mix was incredible and I loved the creative ways Ludwig was able to use his music in the film; it really took my breath away! Also while on the topic of sound, I thought the way they handled subtitles was quite clever! The film has lots of languages and the fact that they use different fonts and colours to distinguish them (and some moments use the difference between languages as a dramatic beat) is something that I just find really neat and cool!
Continuing my praise of this film, the acting on display is pitch perfect, and really elevates everything off of the pages of the script! Tenoch Huerta was flawless as Namor, he embodied the character perfectly and especially since this is one of his first major Hollywood films, proves he has the capability to be a great talent in the industry going forward. Letitia Wright was asked to do a lot more in this film over her role in the first, taking on the leading role, and she actually gave a brilliant performance. I was so impressed with the emotions on display, as well as her ability to get the audience to back her character! She really proved she can be a leading actress, especially impressive after being thrown into it so quickly! Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke were both fantastic also, but I just wish they had more to do, and Dominique Thorne was instantly likable as Riri Williams! The true standout of the movie for me, however, was of course Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. She commanded the screen in all of her scenes, showcasing waves of emotion in her powerful performance. Every single line she delivered hit with a powerful force, some even breaking my heart. If any performance in the MCU could be Oscar worthy… this is it, and I feel confident in saying she will be the MCU’s first Academy Award nomination for acting! She just blew me away, I adored the force of her performance!
I was nervous going into this movie as to how it would handle everything, and I feel like a weight has been lifted. A small miracle it is what it is. It is a logical follow up to the first while acknowledging the passing of Chadwick in the best possible way. It isn't a perfect film, but it lands where it counts, delivering a meaningful story about grief, legacy, anger & guilt, while nailing Namor's introduction. It goes back to the tone of the MCU that I love — more serious and dramatic with jokes interspersed without being too goofy. I cried many times in this movie, it has some powerful and emotional moments throughout the fantastic story! It is absolutely gripping, exciting and incredibly emotional from start to finish. Honestly, the “Black Panther” films are just on another level - artistically and narratively phenomenal. Emotionally, this is the most powerful film I have watched this year. It is an incredible theatrical experience — get out and go see it! And make sure you stay for the mid-credits scene, it touched me in a way I didn’t think possible, so perfectly emotional and bittersweet! Ryan Coogler and his team did a stunning job, I had my doubts but they succeeded my expectations in every possible way! Just wow!
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IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
RT Audience Score: 95%
Metacritic Score: 67
CinemaScore: A
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Marvel Studios
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Screenplay by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole
Story by Ryan Coogler
Cast: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel
Runtime: 2hr 41min
Rating: PG
Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller
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The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa.
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Fun Fact: Ryan Coogler has stated that making this film without Chadwick Boseman is the hardest thing he's ever done.
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