"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" review — Marvel's latest is an emotional tribute to the king
“I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world! And my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything?”
In August 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman died after a four-year battle with colon cancer. Boseman’s death came as a shock to many as he kept his illness a closely guarded secret and continued to act up until his death. One of his most notable films was his tenure as T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially his starring role in Black Panther (2018). Boseman died less than a year before the then-titled Black Panther II causing director and co-writer Ryan Coogler to massively overhaul the film to address the death of his friend and colleague. As every reviewer between here and Wakanda itself has noted, Boseman’s presence looms large over Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film is nothing if not a tribute to the man who led this series and works its hardest to forge a new legacy in light of his death.
The mid-credits scene of the original film sees King T’Challa appear before the United Nations to finally reveal the truth about the secretive, fictional African nation that he rules over, Wakanda. While most of the world thought Wakanda was a third-world, impoverished nation, it was, behind its holographic wall, the most technologically advanced nation on Earth thanks to its natural deposits of the miracle element vibranium. T’Challa comes to the realization that Wakanda can no longer watch the world suffer, it must use its immense wealth and resources to pave the way for international cooperation and joint prosperity. But the global superpowers don’t take too kindly sudden rising stars like Wakanda that threaten the balance of power. No matter T’Challa’s good intentions, the path Wakanda is on is not an easy one.
Now, the king has died and it’s up to the people he has left behind to pick up the pieces of his unfinished legacy.
Wakanda Forever is by and large a success. The concluding film in Marvel’s hit-or-miss phase four is thematically rich, offers some brilliant performances, and is a welcome addition to the MCU. At the film’s core is a very potent story about loss and remorse. The film weaves the tragedy of Boseman’s passing into the story with tact and grace. It never shies away from the man who was once king but never feels exploitative of his memory. The viewer never forgets T’Challa, and by extend Boseman, but the film is willing to embrace a future without him — no matter how difficult or painful that might be.
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| Angela Bassett as Queen Ramona in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Photo: Marvel. |
The four women leading Wakanda Forever all give incredible performances, making the emotions resonate that much stronger. Letitia Wright is fantastic as Princess Shuri, evolving and maturing from T’Challa’s smartass sister to a bonafide dramatic lead. Shuri is given a dark streak in the film which allows Wright to make a distinctive mark on the Black Panther title. Angela Bassett is powerful as the stoic, ferocious Queen Ramona. Her monologues are some of the film’s most memorable moments. Lupita Nyong’o’s return as warrior-turned-schoolmaster Nakia is a welcome inclusion in his film. Lastly, there is Danai Gurira as Okoye, the leader of the elite fighting force Dora Milaje. Gurira is given much more to do this time around making her a strong, complicated character in her own right.
Ryan Coogler deserves so much praise here as well. The craft of the film is very excellent. The work of cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw is a standout, a rarity in the genre, with most of the film being shot in a very compelling manner. The visual effects are much stronger here than in other recent Marvel projects. On a thematic level, Wakanda Forever is one of the few MCU films that genuinely feels like a real sequel rather than just becoming “MCU Part 30.” No doubt thanks to Coogler’s return as director and co-writer, Wakanda Forever very obviously and explicitly sets out to build upon the ideas and visuals of the first film in an organic way. And while Wakanda Forever doesn’t feel quite as fresh or original as its predecessor, it is excellent to see such an obvious attempt on Coogler’s part to build a cohesive story between the two films.
But Wakanda cannot afford to ignore the rest of the world to focus on grieving its leader and neither can the film ignore the larger universe it stands in. The mourning for T’Challa is intruded upon by the arrival of another mysterious nation, Talokan, a Mayan-esque underwater civilization from the Gulf of Mexico. Like Wakanda, Talokan’s magic-like appearance comes from it being near a wealth of vibranium making Talokan a unique rival to Wakanda. The film really kicks off when a U.S. vibranium hunting machine gets too close to Talokan’s borders sending its citizens on the offensive.
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| The Talokans. Photo: Marvel. |
Talokan is led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), one of Marve’s first characters who has been greatly reimagined for his appearance in the film, who works as a sort of anti-T’Challa. Namor is beloved by his people who do not see him as a king or a war hero but as a god. He is fiercely loyal to his people and violent and destructive to everyone else. Tenoch Huerta brings a lot of gravitas and intensity to the role and his scenes with Wright are especially excellent. Talokan is filled with so many amazing details and surprises. One of the best sequences in the film is when we see Shuri explore the underwater city. Further, the contrasts between Wakanda and Talokan also provide some very interesting commentary on colonization, to the extent that one can in a blockbuster film. But it demonstrates Coogler and Joe Robert Cole’s strengths as screenwriters. Even in small moments, the themes of the film shine.
At 161 minutes, Wakanda Forever is not a small movie. It has to juggle so many pieces and characters and by the end of the film, it all feels just a little too messy. For most of its runtime, Wakanda Forever likes to take things slowly. It like doesn’t rush between scenes or characters and lets ideas and moments land. But by the time we arrive at the third act, this president shifts. The new Black Panther is introduced with little fanfare which builds into a lacklustre finale. The film feels incredibly bloated by the end and so its amazing elements are too often offset by things that do not belong in the film. The viewer is left really feeling the length of the film by the end and not for good reason.
There is much to love about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It’s the most emotionally resonant MCU film since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), the performances are brilliant, and the film is a visual standout amongst its peers. It is a step in the right direction for the sort of heart and soul Marvel films can strive for. While it is far from perfect — the film struggles under the weight of its narrative ambitions and unfocused storyline — Wakanda Forever is nevertheless a fitting send-off for Chadwich Boseman and promises a bright future ahead. The legacy of Wakanda will live on.
The king is dead, long live the king.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theatres.
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole
Starring Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Dominique Thorne, Tenoch Huerta, with Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett
Released 11 November 2022
161 minutes
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