Black Panther The Movie

"Black Panther" marks so many firsts for the Marvel Cinematic Universe with such ease that it makes you wonder why it took so long to get here in this new era of superhero movies. Though not the first black superhero on film, "Black Panther" does boast a cast that is both predominantly black and female. It certainly puts other Marvel films to shame, when getting women on screen pre-"Wonder Woman" seemed more of a quota fulfillment by the studio than genuine interest in showcasing talent. The women are important to this story, and they often steal the scenes in "Black Panther." Whether that's the giddy and brainy younger sister of the king, Shuri (Letitia Wright), the tough-as-nails bodyguard, Okoye (Danai Gurira), or the far more evolved "love interest," Nakia (Lupita Ngyong'o), it's the many supporting women in this cast who help elevate the story and keep it continuing when the title character is off screen. And while Marvel has generally been capable when it comes to casting people in the right roles, it's also allowed its directors to get a little political if they wanted to. Anthony and Joe Russo tackled government surveillance with "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," and Ryan Coogler ("Creed" and "Fruitvale Station") has brought the ongoing discussion of immigration and isolationism to the big screen. Unlike other films that take a heavy hand to their messages, "Black Panther" keeps the dialogue about immigration rather light - with sometimes fleeting discussions about what the fictional African nation of Wakanda should do. Instead, the message is driven more by the story of the villain (Michael B. Jordan) borne out of poverty and crime, and what could have been had a Wakandan king chosen to help instead of neglecting others.

While "Black Panther" doesn't bother with surprise twists (possibly a positive thing considering how the twists in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Captain America: Civil War" were received), it's ability to address important issues in the guise of an action film sets it apart from the rest.A clearer vision of design and characters also helps separate "Black Panther" from other Marvel films that have started to look the same. Director Taika Waititi brought color to "Thor: Ragnarok" to the benefit of the film, and Coogler more than managed the same with his movie, from costuming to sets to how a technologically advanced society would operate. There aren't many missteps "Black Panther" makes, though it suffers a little from its predictability (not helped by the Wakandan king's presence in "Avengers: Infinity War" for those keeping tabs) and from some of its action sequences. The final fight between the villain and hero isn't shot in a way that makes it particularly interesting or sometimes visible (two Black Panther suits in the dark is generally hard to see). The best action scenes of the movie end up happening relatively early on in the film. The casino fight is one of the best choreographed scenes for Marvel to date, and the ensuing car chase offers up something a little different than the usual fare. In all, "Black Panther" is a movie that could make the difference in seeing more minorities in leading superhero roles on the big screen, and will hopefully also push for a trend of having more women on screen with more to do than be romantic leads.