Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) Movie Review
Writer and director Ryan Coogler already had a difficult task trying to follow up Black Panther (2018), one of the biggest superhero movies ever made. But the loss of incredible lead actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020 made it even more challenging to try to recreate the magic of the first movie. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever picks up with the death of Black Panther. His intelligent and technologically gifted sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), was unable to save him – something that weighs heavily on her throughout the movie. A funeral procession with everyone dressed in white provides a proper send off for Black Panther in the cinematic universe. The initial Marvel Studios logo (which traditionally showcases a variety of characters from the MCU) only shows clips of Boseman as Black Panther. It’s safe to say the first five minutes of Wakanda Forever will have you tearing up, especially if you are a fan of Boseman’s work.
After the initial moving farewell, we learn there is a new threat to Wakanda in the form of an underwater nation who are blue. Their leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), has super strength and can survive both underwater and on land. He also happens to have wings on his feet so he can fly, which to be honest was a little odd. The underwater nation is at odds with Wakanda for much of the movie and drives the plot line forward. But the main fixation of the story that provides the undercurrent of emotion cutting through the intense action is Shuri’s journey of grieving and revenge following her brothers’ death. Wright gives a marvelous acting performance conveying the intense pain, anger, and sadness with ease and grace.
But the true scene stealer is Angela Bassett as Ramona who takes over as Queen following the death of her son. She commands every room she enters and her face reveals a thousand emotions without her ever needing to say a word. Winston Duke reprises his role as M’Baku and provides some much needed comic relief to lighten the more tense moments. There is some barking in this one but it’s much more subdued than the first movie, showing that there’s a time and place and this movie was not it. The other notable performance was Lupita Nyong’o who plays the kick ass Nakia. She was one of my favorite characters in Black Panther and remains so in this sequel.
The overall tone of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leans darker than other entries in the MCU. A revenge story that winds its way through the healing process, the movie dragged a bit in the third act. With a runtime of 2 hours and 41 minutes, it was too long, although die-hard Marvel fans will disagree. However, the visual effects team should be commended for some amazing world building that truly immerses you in the story. My favorite bit was when Shuri and Okoye (Danai Gurira) teamed up in the early stages of the movie. They had amazing chemistry and featured one of the few light-hearted sequences in the film. Hopefully we get more of that in the next Black Panther movie. Oh, and make sure to stick around for the end credit scenes. There’s some really important and heartwarming information there that you won’t want to miss.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a worthy sequel and a moving tribute to Chadwick Boseman and his tremendous impact on the world. Wakanda Forever.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You loved Black Panther
2. You loved Boseman
3. You like long action movies
