Panther on the Prowl

Marvel's newest movie, Black Panther, is a huge success -- judging by its box office, anyway. Creatively? Another worthy entry in the franchise, I'd say, though my reaction is a bit more muted than some. There's a lot to like here. Foremost, I do feel like they finally gave me the "something different" I've been asking for of the last several Marvel movies. The narrative of this movie isn't radically different overall, but there are some change-ups; more importantly, it definitely strikes a different tone.

My favorite 15 minute stretch of the movie, for example, feels more like a James Bond movie than anything else. (Though you could make the argument that James Bond kind of is a superhero of a kind.) When the characters go to South Korea for a spy mission, they "gadget up" with help from a Q figure before getting into a fantastic fist fight (featuring a visually stunning single take) and a car chase through the busy city streets.

Other parts of the movie really sideline forward momentum in the narrative in favor of some intense world building of the country of Wakanda. In terms of pacing, these sections do drag a little bit. But in terms of making the film feel like something different for Marvel, they're a rousing success. Writer-director Ryan Coogler does a great job of serving up a cultural stew that blends African cultural heritage with sci-fi futurism. It's a feast for the eyes and tantalizing for the brain.

The script isn't rock solid, though. (Some minor SPOILERS in this paragraph. I'll keep it vague, but skip ahead if you're being extra careful.) Before we learn the villain's real motivations, his activities in the first act don't really make a lot of sense. (Why is he playing around, and not working more directly for his goals?) An act two fake-out in which we're supposed to believe something bad happens to the hero falls totally flat. And the climax of the movie loses the human thread in favor of a classic, emotionally weightless CG showdown.

My biggest "problem," though, is the main character himself. Black Panther is, far and away, the most boring thing in his own movie. Chadwick Boseman gives a game performance at what is provided for him, but he just doesn't command the screen. Partly, it's because his character of T'Challa is such a goody-goody stick in the mud, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, that he just isn't that fun. But moreover, it's because everyone else in the movie is so fantastic.

Black Panther is surrounded by a very deep bench of very compelling characters. His sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, is a runaway favorite, that smart gadgeteer Q figure I alluded to above, with a razor wit to match her intelligence. She's an easier-to-like Tony Stark, sharp and smart without being an egomaniac. Danai Gurira is wonderful as Okoye, leader of a sort of Wakandan Secret Service. She kicks ass, is often the voice of reason, and by 30 minutes into the film has made a fairly compelling case that she deserves her own spinoff movie.

Those two are standouts, but as I said, it's a very deep bench. Lupita N'Yongo is an intriguingly complex foil and love interest. Daniel Kaluuya has a compelling supporting role that illustrates how politics (and a charismatic outsider) can erode a friendship. Winston Duke brings fun comic relief (that doesn't belabor the funny) as the leader of a rival tribe. Forest Whitaker embodies the wise mystic, while Angela Bassett brings her regal bearing to the role of the Queen Mother. Sterling K. Brown brings all his considerable emotional gravitas to an important role I dare not spoil anything about for people who haven't seen the film. Andy Serkis, not hidden behind motion capture for once, serves up a baddie with verve. And Martin Freeman has a lot of fun with a role that is very cleverly and conspicuously written as a token supporting character with little agency of his own.

Then, stealing the movie, is Michael B. Jordan as N'Jadaka. Spider-man: Homecoming represented the first decent villain in a long while for Marvel, as Michael Keaton's character had compelling and understandable motivations. N'Jadaka has a point. Methods and authoritarianism aside, the character could be seen as having a more direct claim to the moral high ground in this movie than the protagonist. What's more, Jordan gets to give an unrestrained performance, louder and more boisterous. He's so charismatic as to almost tip the scales of sympathy against the fuddy-duddy main character, and it's really something to watch.

All told, I'd give Black Panther a solid B. I hope its success encourages Marvel Studios to continue taking bigger risks with their films than they seem to have been willing to so far.