Film Review: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Black Panther’s release in 2018 was the equivalent of a cultural phenomenon. It was a film that celebrated African culture and delivered it to a mainstream audience. After Chadwick Boseman’s death in 2020, no one knew how a sequel could be accomplished. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever succeeds in paying tribute to the legacy of Boseman. Mourning the death of King T’Challa, the people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening powers. These powers include the U.S Government and the underwater civilization of Talokan led by Namor The Sub-Mariner (Tenoch Huerta). 

Wakanda Forever does not quite reach the heights of the original Black Panther. If expectations hope for a superior sequel, audiences will be sorely disappointed. The film was tasked with the insurmountable job of honoring a legacy. Wakanda Forever also has to complete the task of being a typical Marvel movie. This includes action, comedy, and an emotionally effective journey with the characters. The film delivers on the spectacle, but its moments of the heart are the strongest. Toning down the humor helps to imply a grounded sense of realism and tension.  Every character is given motivation and time to make their character arcs feel genuinely exciting to watch.

Recurring actors Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira deliver performances that are oddly therapeutic and moving. Dealing with T’Challa’s loss as a character feels similar to how the actors felt about the loss of Boseman. Each one conveys how they are feeling, without the film ever teetering into melodramatic territory. Having to go up against Namor (Tenoch Huerta) helps to ground the film in a reality. Huerta is a menacing villain but is relatable with his reasoning.

The performances are consistently engaging, but the real star is Ryan Coogler’s direction. He knows how to get incredibly dramatic and endearing performances out of his cast. The third act loses some of the character's narrative steam but leaves a strong impression with a final action sequence.  Angela Bassett steals the film in some of its best scenes delivering a performance you are unable to look away from. Blending the royal drama with slick-spy action makes for a winning combination. Coogler is creating an action thriller that actively grieves with the audience. Wrapping hands around so many different themes and ideas unfortunately keep the film from being perfect.

Wakanda Forever has so much story to tell with a very dense plot.  Besides a sense of mourning, the story can best be described as a political thriller. The interpersonal conflict that the characters feel makes room for thrilling action sequences. Coogler applies the same stylistic touches from Black Panther with elements from other great MCU action sequences. While emotionally resonant, the story struggles the most in the connections to the larger MCU. This includes wasting characters and not giving them needed character development.

A plot point of Wakanda Forever is the introduction of Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). In the comics, Williams is a genius rivaling Tony Stark’s superior MCU intellect. Thorne is enjoyable to watch and it is exciting to see where she will fit in the universe. The problem is that her role in this film feels is a plot device. Every character is after Williams for their own reason, making her a central plot focus. Audiences will see the character again, but this introduction left me cold.

One of Black Panther’s standout performances was M’Baku played by Winston Duke. This character feels underused in the sequel, but enjoyable to watch in his limited time. The same could be said for other characters in the film, but those include spoilers. All MCU films are tasked with setting up details for future projects. At an almost three-hour running time, the “easter eggs” feel wedged into the story. They are blatant and distracting from the emotionally moving narrative wanting to be told. 

    Black Panther: Wakanda Forever succeeds as a worthy tribute to Chadwick Boseman’s legacy. The world of Wakanda is vast and expansive, which is a pleasure to see unfold on-screen. Blockbuster thrills are delivered via exciting action sequences that deserve to be seen in IMAX. When the film shows emotion and these characters deal with grief, the finished result is touching. The surprises hold the film back from being one of the MCU's best. When Wakanda Forever deals with themes of loss and grief– and an actual war–it manages to be the most emotionally moving MCU film to date.