WHAT’S IT ABOUT
After his father’s death, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king — and as Black Panther — gets tested when he’s drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
I loved this movie. Excellent representation of Black people AND educational without being preachy. Like other Marvel, Disney, or Pixar movies, Black Panther teaches the importance of family and acceptance in an exciting, fun, and straightforward way. All principal characters are explained fully without slowing down the story or the action. Like most Marvel movies, they don’t rely on racism to tell the story. However, they use subtle stereotypes such as the van and family references in Ant-Man or the “All-American” White soldier in Captain America. Black Panther does have these subtle references, BUT they do not take away from the story, and in some places, they are needed. Black Panther debuted in Captain America: Civil War, fighting on the side of Tony Stark. Two years later, Black Panther’s solo film introduces us to the wondrous world of Wakanda. T’Challa has to return home to assume the throne of his father, T’Chaka, who held the title of Black Panther until his death in C.A.: Civil War. This is where we are introduced to T’Challa’s family. His sister, mother, ex-lover, and all those relevant to the story. Through flashbacks, we find out what T’Calla’s father did and what type of person he was. This is where we see N’Jobu, T’Chaka’s brother, working undercover in Oakland, California. T’Chaka becomes judge, jury, and executioner, leaving Erik Stevens, N’Jobu’s son, a bitter orphan who wants revenge. Fast forward to the present, and Erik, now known as Killmonger, devises a plan to overthrow Wakanda with the assistance of Ulysses Klaue. Once Killmonger and Klaue get to Wakanda, the story and the action shift into high gear and never slow down. The line between good and evil is blurred as we discover certain truths about T’Challa’s family. We begin to question Killmongers motives and empathize with his cause. Although Wakanda does not exist, I think using a fictional name was the only way this movie would be produced at such a high level with a message we all so urgently needed to see and hear. WAKANDA FOREVER!!
OUR RATING – A TRULY DESERVED 9.5
MEDIA
- Genre – Comic Book
- Street Date
- Digital – May 8th, 2018
- DVD/Blu-Ray/4K – May 15th, 2018
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.39:1
- Sound
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras
- Audio Commentaries: Director and co-writer Ryan Coogler is joined by production designer Hannah Beachler for an enthusiastic conversation that mostly focuses on the technical side of things where they share some thoughts on the themes but generally tend to narrate the on-screen action.
- Featurettes (H.D., 25 min): A collection of four separate pieces looking at different aspects of the production, from T’Challa/Black Panther and the female characters to the production design and the Wakandan tech.
- Crowning of a New King
- The Hidden Kingdom Revealed
- The Warriors Within
- Wakanda Revealed: Exploring the Technology
- From Page to Screen (H.D., 20 min): A roundtable discussion with the original creators and the filmmakers on the Black Panther comics, the character’s history & legacy and its film adaptation.
- Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years – Connecting the Universe (H.D., 9 min): An entertaining look back at the Marvel Cinematic Universe essentially leading up to all the films connecting in Infinity Wars.
- Deleted Scenes (H.D., 7 min): A set of four excised scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
- Sneak Peek (H.D., 2 min): Owners are treated to a brief array of interviews and BTS footage for the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp.
- Director’s Intro (H.D., 1 min): Ryan Coogler shares a few thoughts on the production at the start of the film.
- Gag Reel (H.D., 2 min).
- Trailers (H.D.).