Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a triumph of energy and emotion
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever fills the void of Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa with raw energy, genuine emotion and the deadly Dora Milaje.
Entertainment
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (M)
Director: Ryan Coogler (Creed)
Starring: Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman.
Rating: ****
Few sequels have as hard an act to follow as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Not only was the original Black Panther a game-changing, trail-blazing, rip-roaring superhero action movie.
It also rapidly became a true cultural phenomenon, and undoubtedly one of the best things to have ever carried the Marvel Comics logo.
In cinemas, audiences couldn’t get enough of the noble heroism of Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa and his female-dominated fighting force of Wakandan warriors, the Dora Milaje.
On the awards circuit, those snooty gate-keepers that traditionally looked down upon the superhero genre - yes, we’re talking about you, Oscars - had no choice but to acknowledge Black Panther was fuelled by the finest filmmaking of its time.
Four years later, the second Black Panther arrives in a radically different movie world from the one it so effortlessly conquered in 2018.
Further complicating matters is the tragic absence of Chadwick Boseman, no longer to be seen as T’Challa after his sad death from cancer in 2020.
Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, every Marvel movie since the mind-blowing climax of Avengers: Endgame has been an anti-climax in one way or another.
While Wakanda Forever never quite hits the dynamic heights scaled by its widely acclaimed predecessor, there is no way this epic excitement machine can be tagged as a letdown.
There is just too much raw energy and genuine emotion coursing through the production for it to deemed anything else but a rousing success.
Fans of the original Black Panther will appreciate the tastefully moving way in which the charismatic Boseman has been farewelled by the franchise.
As for those Marvel devotees who have noticed the studio’s once-impeccable standards slipping in recent times, Wakanda Forever will mark a return to the top-notch fare Marvel has been generally renowned for.
As the story begins, the sudden illness and subsequent death of T’Challa has left several nations around the globe believing the kingdom of Wakanda may finally be vulnerable like never before.
Everybody wants to get their grubby mitts on Wakanda’s vast and exclusive reserves of vibranium, the rare mineral material that has powered the kingdom’s technical and tactical superiority for so long.
Although T’Challa’s super-powered alter ego Black Panther is no longer around to lead the defence of this vital, yet dangerous commodity, his mother Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and the ever-loyal Dora Milaje have the strategic nous to keep these interlopers at bay.
However, the discovery of a new, non-Wakandan source of vibranium leads to the emergence of a new enemy that will not so be so easily dispatched by traditional combat.
The undersea nation of Talokan is in many ways the equal of Wakanda when it comes to great leaps forward in technical innovation powered by vibranium.
The Talokan can also protect their interests with a fighting fury that the Wakanda brains trust - led as always by the brilliant scientific mind of Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) - initially find impossible to counter.
A prime example of the Talokan’s watery war-mongering ways is their leader Namor (Tenoch Huerta), an Aquaman-like demi-god with an indestructible physique and winged heels that allow him to fly.
This centuries-old dude’s ruthless protection of Talokan’s interests - combined with a mood-swinging volatility - makes him one of the most formidable and unpredictable adversaries to ever hail from the Marvel stable.
If you like your supervillains on the super side, then you will be plenty impressed and often intimidated by Namor’s work.
Speaking of being impressed, those who loved the first Black Panther will be both touched and stirred by the motivated manner in which established cast members band together to fill the sizeable void left by Chadwick Boseman’s sad departure.
Letitia Wright really steps it up in an expanded role for the redoubtable Princess Shuri, and the likes of Lupita Nyong’o (as the undercover specialist Nakia), Danai Gurira (as Okoye, head of the Dora Milaje) and impressive newcomer Dominique Thorne (as Riri, a talented student inventor) all rise to the occasion in similar fashion.
On a production design and execution level, Wakanda Forever is an A-grade triumph, with its elegantly composed visuals and genuinely pulse-pounding combat scenes never failing to captivate the viewer throughout.
While the filmmakers of Wakanda Forever had the movie’s change of storytelling direction thrust upon them, the fresh momentum generated here all but guarantees the Black Panther effect will continue to prowl and pounce for some time to come.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in Australian cinemas from 6.00pm this evening (Wednesday).
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