Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) User Reviews

Not what I expected...

[Movie_Rating_n_Ranking · 6/10 · 14 November 2022]

I am conflicted with this film and with Marvel.

Let's review the good first. There is a heartfelt tribute to T'Challa and obviously to the actor who played him. The emotions shown feel real and manage to move. The performances are good in this regard. Angela Bassett stands out above the rest.

I'm not one to oppose the replacement of Atlantis by Talokan, as this gives another excellent excuse to show some content that derives from universal culture in gigantic products like the MCU movies. Namor is an excellent addition to the ranks of Marvel superheroes immediately showing how powerful he is and what he is capable of.

The action sequences are entertaining, as Marvel has already accustomed us.

The wardrobe is also something to value in this film. There is a great effort and meaning behind each of the suits, which successfully try to mix the different cultures with the new times full of technology. This makes an excellent contribution to character design.

Now what I didn't like about the movie. The entire story feels too light and if you think about it, pretty ridiculous. Namor's motivations don't match his plans or his actions throughout the film. Marvel Studios again falls flat when writing and developing their villains. It all feels like a mere excuse for the characters to clash. There is nothing really of weight in the story, except for the death of T'Challa, which is also not well used, abusing the drama whenever they can.

I liked Riri Williams' introduction, but not Ironheart's introduction. The story devoured her as a secondary character and was relegated to the background when in fact the beginning of the film gives her much more importance.

The pacing of the movie is inconsistent. It's pretty monotonous until the action scenes, which are good, but short. Sometimes, there is too much information happening too fast without giving the opportunity to fully appreciate each sequence and each character involved.

Finally, the effects are good, as expected, but something is wrong with the composition of the cities. Both Wakanda and Talokan have a contrast and color problem that prevents them from being fully appreciated.

The final battle scenario also seems pretty bad to me.

Overall, the movie is entertaining if you just want to have fun with fights and visuals, but I think it's about time Marvel got serious about their movies and realized that adults are also consuming superhero movies.

A very bold but fairly underwhelming, slow, and bloated Marvel project.

[frankiesilver-91836 · 6/10 · 27 November 2022]

I never thought the original Black Panther was anywhere near being the best solo Marvel movie, but I did enjoy it and T'Challa's character throughout his appearances. With that being said, when Chadwick Boseman sadly passed, I accepted that this franchise was doomed. I always believed that recasting T'Challa was the only way to go. It would've been incredibly hard to find a good replacement, but the character is very important to the Marvel universe. It is also simply too soon to pass the mantle of Black Panther on. When they confirmed he wouldn't be recast, I felt like it was a big mistake narratively.

Now does Wakanda Forever handle the death of T'Challa/Boseman well? Absolutely! Being able to respect the legacy of the actor while also metatextually connecting the event to an in-universe tragedy is definitely one of the movie's standout features. Regardless, I feel like the movie is a little too reliant on the audience being impacted by Boseman's passing.

Don't get me wrong, the fully silent opening gave me chills. They incorporated the death beautifully and honorably, but the result is what feels like two movies in one. You can clearly tell the original script was written before Chadwick's death. I really respect Coogler's decision to not recast, but I still wish T'Challa and Namor got to cross paths.

My issues spring not from the T'Challa-related parts of the film, but from how the rest feels lacking without his presence. I don't think Shuri works as the protagonist. She was a fun (yet underdeveloped) carefree tech nerd in the original movie and here she takes a 180 to being reserved and bitter. The changes to her character were perhaps necessary for this story, but it doesn't make them good changes for her. Some don't match her at all and her vengeful arc is just T'Challa's from Civil War with a less fitting character. She never struck me as someone who would willingly become the Black Panther and there isn't much impact when she does anyway.

Ramonda is a pleasant surprise in this movie. Her monologues are insane. Angela Bassett deserves all the credit she's been receiving. However, Okoye is the only character I felt really connected to and she is stupidly sidelined a third into the movie. She would've enhanced the film a lot if given more screen time. So would've M'Baku, who is completely wasted. Between them and W'Kabi, who is fully absent, we have three characters connected to T'Challa and it isn't explored how his death affected any of them personally. This is one of many missed opportunities that came with trying to focus the movie on both Talokan and T'Challa's death.

Some of the action scenes are awesome and some drag. As to be expected from Danai Gurira, Okoye's fight scenes are the tensest we've gotten from Marvel all year.

Namor himself is a pretty good villain. In a similar fashion to Killmonger, his actor sells the character for me despite his viewpoints being completely ridiculous. They somehow managed to adapt his crazy mutant powers to live-action in a cool way. Changing his kingdom from Atlantis to Talokan ended up being a really cool idea, even though the place and its people needed more elaboration. There are many more cool concepts they could've explored with the Aztec roots. Hopefully they are saving more about the civilization, the people's powers, and their technology for a Namor project.

Ironheart is an even more underdeveloped part of the movie, undoubtedly to save content for her upcoming show. Her character is just as dumb and not relatable as I expected her to be and her suit looks awful. A Black Panther movie didn't feel like the right place to introduce an Iron Man ripoff.

Also, Ross's entire storyline felt weird and unneeded. It's only included to add awkward colonizer jokes and set up future MCU films. If he and Ironheart were removed, there would definitely be enough room to have included more from the aforementioned underutilized characters.

By the latter half of this movie, the pacing really starts to drag. I've complained recently about Marvel movies like Multiverse of Madness and Love and Thunder being way too short, but this film had no reason to be 2 hours and 40 minutes and feel like it's over 3 hours. There's so much downtime between the action that when the final battle starts, the movie has already overstayed its welcome.

The things I'm disappointed they didn't include or flesh out have no excuse to not be here or be better implemented considering how aggressively long and slow the film is.

So this definitely isn't a bad movie per se, but it's not fantastic either. It's very bold but very flawed with iffy decisions on what to prioritize and how to structure this challenging project. I was pretty disappointed when I first saw it, but there's some great stuff sprinkled throughout. The lack of T'Challa, awkward pacing, and wasted opportunities easily made it worse than the first movie to me.

Too long, too muddled

[lord_orsum · 6/10 · 26 November 2022]

Let's start with the good points - this film doesn't try to be all comedy and spectacle, like the recent Dr Strange 2 and Thor 4. In fact, there is almost zero comedy at all.

It does try to bring some drama, and to make some points about the responsibility of nations to use their wealth, resources and technology for global benefit, rather than national advancement.

Namor is different to the comics, but once I got past the initial differences, I think the portrayal was a good one. He isn't a one-dimensional villain, his people are descended from the Mayans, and he has proper motivation.

But the film has a lot of problems. Firstly, the pacing is all over the place - it should be at least half an hour shorter. The comic-book science is paper thin (Shuri extracts DNA from plant fibres on a bracelet that has been underwater for 400 years, but cannot do the same from the recently dead plant in her lab). Shuri takes a spear right through her stomach and out of her back, but gets over it after a short breather. The Wakandan ship is breached from undersea, tilts over by 45 degrees and then the next scene it is upright and apparently seaworthy again. The fact that Namor's people take mortal wounds but get up again is never explained.

And then there is still my biggest problem with Wakanda. Both Black Panther films promote the idea that Wakanda is a Utopian society, both technology and socially. Yet they still choose their leader by who is best at beating up other challengers.

I think there was a missed opportunity here. Namor would be more likely to say "join us, or if not, don't get in our way", as he plans to attack the rest of the surface world. This would present Wakanda with a far more interesting moral dilemma - standby by and watch untold millions die, or utilise their resources and technology to aid the nations who have been trying to rob them.

Wakanda: It felt like forever!

[Kevin-42 · 18 November 2022]

Sorry, but this was boring. Mind-numbing boring. Sleep-inducing boring. "Are we there,yet?"-boring.

Dang, I liked Mr. Bozeman and they pay some propper respect to his character in the first couple of minutes and it really hits you in the feels but after that we are let known that Wakanda have mastered the technology of exposition dialogue. If that is their main achievement then I say we forget vibranium and let them slink back behind their stealth shield and call it a day.

They could have done so much with this movie and show Africa as a vibrant place full of ideas and hope in the face of many problems. Maybe explore Ubuntu philosophy, or visual art. Unfortunately, Wakandan culture is reduced to a song&dance number for the day-trip tourists in cinema seats.

This was a missed opportunity and almost a missed movie if not for a good double espresso I had before it.

Phase 4 MCU's average movie to end an average phase

[Benjamin-M-Weilert · 6/10 · 2 January 2023]

As the last film in the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) proves that there was no plan for this phase other than to clean up the remains of the Infinity War saga. To its credit, though, Wakanda Forever was burdened with finding an in-universe replacement for the titular Black Panther after the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman. However, considering how most of Phase 4 was passing the mantle from one hero to the next generation, it fits well within this theming.

There's a line in Avengers: Endgame (2019) where Naka (Lupita Nyong'o) states that Wakanda is aware of an anomaly on the ocean floor near their country and that they were handling it. This throwaway line was likely played for laughs, but it's peculiar how Wakanda was woefully unprepared for the invasion of their land by underwater enemies, even though they clearly knew about it three years ago. Phase 4 of the MCU has highlighted how difficult it is to maintain continuity in a franchise as huge as it has become.

Even though Marvel has introduced new characters in movies outside their own standalone works since the early Phases, I would have liked something more dedicated to introducing Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) considering how influential Iron Man was to the MCU. I also would have appreciated action sequences that weren't so dark or hard to follow, because I can't honestly recall any of them that happened in this movie. Overall, I felt the end of the MCU Phase 4 was average-which aligns with the MCU Phase 4 as a whole. Here's to hoping the next Phase actually goes somewhere.

Phase 4 MCU's average movie to end an average phase, I give Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 3.0 stars out of 5.

A Boring Waste Of Time As Its A Lousy Storyline That Had No Depth To It Whatsoever!

[silicontourist · 6/10 · 18 December 2022]

The only reason this is scoring a five from me is because of the good CGI, magnificent costumes and wonderful scene shots. Sadly none of that could save this terrible story which the director made it look like he was clueless as what to do with it. Not his fault really as it was woefully lacking in worth, tension, excitement, interest or quality in any way. My personal thoughts as I sat watching it (fighting hard with myself not to just switch it off) was that if they had no creative outstanding story for a sequel then Hollywood should have stopped just trying to cash in on what they thought would be a successful film franchise; whereas instead they made one of the most disappointing rubbish sequels of a film.

They spoilt the memory of a great Black Panther and this will most likely do so bad at the box office that there may not be a third film being made in the future. Its the typical cash in if you can, from people involved in the putting together of the fans heroes, from directors and studios who don't give a toss about the Marvel/DC heroes and heroines; they are there too see if they can amass better wages and high end film contracts.

In straight forward simplistic words, "This was a bloody disgrace and only did damage to a superhero that has never had enough exposure!

I liked it a lot

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 8/10 · 11 November 2022]

Phase 4's MCU comes to a close with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It's been a truly inconsistent run of films. There was the good (Shang-Chi, Spider-Man, some of Dr. Strange 2), the eh (other parts of Dr. Strange 2, Black Widow and Eternals), and the ugly (Thor 4, which is easily the worst MCU movie so far). If this movie had been bad, it might have been enough to make me bail on keeping up with the MCU's movies, and truth be told, I've already bailed on the Disney+ series', because WandaVision, Falcon & Winter Soldier, and Loki really didn't do it for me.

If you're expecting Black Panther 2 to wrap up Phase 4, you might be disappointed. But then again, there hasn't been a consistent narrative to the last two years of Marvel releases, so there's really nothing to conclude, overall. Importantly, it's just a very good movie, and that's enough to ensure it ends Phase 4 on a high. It's not a total slam-dunk, but there's a great deal about Black Panther 2 that's extremely effective, and enough great stuff that I feel the overall movie is a strong one.

I think the pacing is its greatest strength. I really didn't feel the 2 hour 40 minute runtime. The opening half-hour doesn't flow the best, but there was a need to adjust after Chadwick Boseman's passing meant T'Challa died, too. Once the movie establishes this and sets up its main plot, it's pretty smooth-sailing, and unlike many Marvel movies, it saves its most emotional moments and best action scenes for its excellent final hour.

It's a very emotional movie, and the way it pays respect to Boseman and T'Challa is essentially perfect. With good action, a solid story, a very good new antagonist (Namor and the whole underworld were great), and fantastic music (maybe the best Marvel score so far?), this was a very good MCU movie, and gives me a little more hope for the franchise going forward.

Underwhelming, But OK

[slightlymad22 · 6/10 · 17 November 2022]

I just got out of Black Panther

I found it pretty underwhelming. It's a better put together movie than both Thor: Love & Thunder and Doctor Strange & The Multiverse of Madness, and there is no sense it was butchered in the editing room, like both of those movies. That said I probably had more fun with those two.

The Chadwick Bosman stuff was touching, but I expected more. Disappointed not to see at least, Bucky there. When I heard there was a cameo, I expected it to be someone at the funeral. I DID NOT see that cameo coming. I thought the Marvel logo was a nice touch.

Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett are both good, but I'm not sure where this Oscar nomination talk is coming from. Then again, I didn't think Black Panther should have got a nomination for Best Picture, so she could get one. Winston Duke was a bit wasted as Umkaku, disappointed by what he did at the end

There is no reason for it to be as long as it is. I was bored a few times. I was especially bored during the story between Martin Freeman and Julia Drefuss, it was really weak and unnecessary. Was it just there to put some white people in it? I didn't like the scientist girl, she irritated me and had awful dialogue. Some of the CGI/Green screen work was not the best, too.

I can safely say, with the exception of Spider-Man: No Way Home, nothing from Phase 4 will be rewatched, never mind find its way into my collection.

Overall I found it OK.

Pays an appropriately sombre tribute to its recently deceased lead actor by showing how things can still move forward in the wake of his absence

[MrDHWong · 8/10 · 10 November 2022]

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is the sequel to 2018's "Black Panther" and the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed and co-written by Ryan Coogler ("Fruitvale Station", "Creed"), it pays an appropriately sombre tribute to its recently deceased lead actor by showing how things can still move forward in the wake of his absence.

One year after the untimely death of King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the African kingdom of Wakanda is still in mourning as they struggle without their beloved monarch to lead them. T'Challa's younger sister, Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), feels the immense pressure to take over as ruler but believes she cannot handle such a huge responsibility all by herself. Not long after, the inhabitants of the underwater civilisation of Talokan, led by King Namor (Tenoch Huerta), emerge to wage a war against the surface world. With limited time remaining, the citizens of Wakanda must quickly overcome their grief to put a stop to the Talokan threat before everything is destroyed.

After the unfortunate passing of "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020 due to cancer, the MCU was left with a complicated dilemma - should the sequel recast the lead role with a different actor or should they re-write an entirely new story without him? Either of these options would have been a risky move since audiences have become so familiar with Boseman's portrayal of King T'Challa (a.k.a the Black Panther) that it would be near impossible to accept anyone else in the role. It was soon revealed that out of respect for both Boseman and the fans that the latter option was chosen, with the character's in-world demise intended to mirror the actor's real-life death. Now with the release of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", we see how all of this has managed to play out, in a follow-up that makes good use of its supporting cast while also remaining respectful to the foundations that have already been laid down.

Anybody who saw the 2018 film will remember it has already been established that Wakanda is a place full of interesting characters that have helped this kingdom thrive for so long in seclusion. Because of this, it is believable that its citizens can continue to function without a King due to their personal code of discipline. However, due to their overwhelming admiration for King T'Challa, the Wakandans still feel a sense of emptiness with him no longer being around to lead them and as a result, they are living directionless lives. This is all conveyed to us primarily through the characters that knew T'Challa best and the audience gains a solid understanding of the grief they are each experiencing.

I think the film does a decent job of exploring the concept of losing someone you deeply care about, whether it is a close family member or someone you admired from afar. In particular, we get a good look at how Shuri, the next in line to the throne, just cannot bring herself to take her brother's place as the rightful ruler of Wakanda. Despite her lingering heartache, Shuri, along with the rest of Wakanda's de facto leaders, must find a way to set aside her sadness to confront the looming annihilation by advancing enemy forces. Most of the film shows how not only Shuri, but also Okoye (Danai Gurira) and Ramonda (Angela Bassett) all need to work together in order to prevent a major catastrophe from happening. I interpret this plot element as a metaphor for depression as a whole, since rising above intense emotional pain often requires the help of others. Because of that, this is a nice way of telling the audience that no matter how hard things may seem, there will always be others to aid them through their own personal difficulties.

Due to the prevalent themes of loss and despair, this is the most melancholic film in the entire MCU library, even more so than the beginning of "Avengers: Endgame". Naturally this is a striking departure from the MCU we are all familiar with, which is usually light-hearted and fun for practically everybody. As a result, there are very few moments of comic relief to brighten the mood, and even then it does little to help alleviate the severity of a specific scene. If you are expecting the usual humorous situations that MCU fans have grown accustomed to after all these years or the characters constantly cracking jokes at a convenient time, you are going to be sorely disappointed.

This film never wavers on its downbeat tone, with frequent reminders that the original hero is dead and not coming back. Of course, this is entirely understandable considering it would be disrespectful to not take into account Chadwick Boseman's monumental contribution to the series and the film plays along like something crucial is missing without him. Bearing that in mind, the film is still enjoyable in other ways. It does contain a number of good action scenes with some creative fight choreography and a deeper exploration of Wakandan lore to keep the audience invested. These are easily the most entertaining aspects of the film, as they remind us that Wakanda is more than simply the location where the Black Panther character originated. Just don't expect to be smiling too much during these highlights.

Out of the three main actors whom the film chooses to focus on, I think Letitia Wright really shone the most as Shuri. Though we have seen Shuri do many important things in previous MCU films, I think it is here where we finally get to see her come into her own. Gone is the confident, meme-quoting sister of King T'Challa and in her place is a mournful, vulnerable young woman who misses her brother and just can't see herself taking his place as leader. Regardless of this shift in personality, Shuri still retains her intelligent side, which is featured much more extensively in this film than we've ever seen before. It's quite impressive to see how well Wright plays into Shuri's insecurities, never once exaggerating her emotions to the point of caricature or melodrama. Instead, she is shown to be a relatable human being, coming to terms with the sudden curveball life has thrown her.

Though I must admit, none of this would have worked as well for Wright without the help of Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira as Ramonda and Okoye, respectively. As previously mentioned, they are all dealing with grief in their own unique ways but soon learn that working together to overcome it as a team is the best strategy. These characters feel like a real family, sticking together through what needs to be done to protect Wakanda from anything that threatens their existence. Even with the King no longer around to assist them, these three still prove themselves a formidable force against any hardship they may face.

Given the unexpected turn of events surrounding the death of its main star, this film works surprisingly well with its remaining cast members and a more interesting look at Wakanda's place in the MCU. It's hard to say for certain how things may have turned out had Chadwick Boseman lived to reprise his role here, but if I had to guess I would assume we'd have gotten a more optimistic sequel without that feeling of loss hovering over every scene. Personally, I think they made the right decision not to recast and with all of that said, I am nonetheless convinced that Boseman would be pleased to see his legacy honoured in the best way possible under these circumstances. I know I would be.

I rate it 8/10.

Overall, weak

[Chanandler-Bong · 6/10 · 19 November 2022]

This film had some great stuff in it, there's no doubt of that, but I felt it was overall weak. I can't imagine how hard it was for everyone in the film to come back without a lead, and most importantly, their friend. Chadwick's passing is unbelievably sad but it did leave a gap for Marcel to fill, and they could have done it so well. But they didn't.

Firstly, the good. All the emotional scenes were well-scripted and well-acted, and I have to commend Angela Bassett and Letita Wright for their fantastic acting. I never cry in the cinema but this film really had me going because it felt from the heart in some scenes, and I am sure it was.

I also enjoyed the costumes - wow were they beautiful. The only one I didn't like was the Midnight Angels (or whatever they were called). They didn't feel like they fit. Some of the fighting was great as per.

The rest of the film felt slow, boring almost. I've just come from the cinema and I am struggling to remember much of it.

The story was gaping with holes and so much was skipped over with little explanation. The beginning when T'Challa dies felt cold and rushed. That should have been the pivotal moment for the story, but it was brushed over. However, maybe it was too hard for the cast and crew to linger on.

The Talokan/Atlantis story was odd to me and felt so disconnected from Wakanda. I didn't enjoy that storyline. They could have made it so much better.

Anyway, it was enjoyable and I'll maybe watch it again. But I won't rush to do that.

Disappointment in every aspects

[alexpeychev · 2/10 · 1 February 2023]

Most boring Marvel movie yet

We understand that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won't be the same as what it used to carry but still thinking of some flashy action scenes or a few mesmerizing displays of characters which the movie failed to do so.

__ The movie felt like more or less a family drama with no strong plot for why the agony started in the first place. So if you want to see people just being emotional while wearing costumes, this movie is just for you.

_ Also if you are expecting some interesting turns of events that will disappoint you also. The movie goes in the usual MCU ways and does not significantly represent the way a Black Panther movie should be.

__ So if you have seen the trailer, you already have seen the whole movie and would find nothing new.

A depressing end to a disappointing Phase 4.

A Fantastic, Emotional, and Mature Marvel Film

[kjproulx · 9/10 · 11 November 2022]

Black Panther was a very welcome addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2018 and I was really looking forward to seeing the progression of that character. Obviously, with the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, that just wasn't possible anymore. I figured they would recast the character and continue forward, but they made the tough decision to write the death of the character into the film as well. For that reason, I was worried and relieved all at the same time. It seemed like an impossible task to make a sequel to such a beloved film, but not have the core character there the entire time. Well, after seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I can confidently say that they handled it as well as they possibly could have. I thought this film was emotional and fantastic, and here's why.

Picking up six years after the events of Black Panther (in accordance to the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), this film focuses heavily on the loss of T'Challa and how the country can move forward without their leader. With the emergence of Namor and the underwater city of Talokan threatening all of Wakanda, the remaining characters must band together and protect their country. Shuri (Letitia Wright) is easily the one with the most screentime here and the burden of carrying this franchise is on her shoulders the whole time. This must have been a daunting task, but she pulled it off. Her character, along with her mother, portrayed incredibly well once again by Angela Basset, are the beating hearts of this film. The emotional aspect of this film got me on a few occasions.

Some people may complain about the fact that the death of Chadwick Boseman is basically the jumping-off point for this story to even happen, but I found that it was very tastefully done. With the addition of other characters that will have a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this film was filled to the brim with story. Where I might have my only complaint though, is the fact that this feels like a big budget prelude to what will come next. It's a fantastically made film by director Ryan Coogler and I loved watching every minute of this one, but I have to admit that it did feel like more of a long eulogy for the passing of Boseman.

With all of that said though, I'm only complaining about that because I'm reviewing it and criticizing it. That complaint isn't something I will regularly say about this film. They take the time to make a great film on top of that, so it really worked for me overall. I can't wait to see where certain storylines continue later and the fact that I'm excited about that, all while this film is satisfying on its own, is nothing short of great. I wept, I was entertained, and I was engaged in the story at hand, so what else could I really have asked for from this film? Also, the final scene that takes place during the credits is easily one of my favourite post-credit scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was very well handled. Now playing in theatres, I absolutely recommend checking out Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

I Yield

[dannylee-78082 · 6/10 · 11 November 2022]

First of all, RIP to Chadwick Boseman. They really did do a good tribute to him in this movie through various devices. Performances when reflecting his death felt real and convincing, probably because there was little "acting" involved. Losing a franchise star is really a tough blow. While I felt Boseman's absence, I don't think not all of the movie's downfalls are linked to his absence.

Biggest head-scratching moments were for me was poor writing mainly from some of the tactical choices. The whole conflict stems from the existence of Riri (soon to be Ironheart), who built a Vibranium detector for a school project. Apparently, she's the only one in the world who can do that. Aside from that ridiculous premise, I thought Ironheart's introduction to the MCU was not bad (I still think the suit is ugly). She was likable enough and I think she has potential. I do worry about the overlap between her and Shuri because while they do have good chemistry, they are such similar characters. Anyways, this detector triggers a cascade of events where Shuri and Riri are taken to Talokan. First of all, getting rid of Riri will not do anything because the technology is no longer in her hands alone. Also, Wakandans have very little reason to protect her other than the fact she's a great scientist. I was also baffled that key hostages like Shuri and Riri could escape Taloka with the help of one person DURING an ongoing negotiation. A rookie foreign affairs mistake. It was not even a hostage situation. It was closer to an aggressive invitation. This was literally the cause of the all-out war and I thought it was just poorly written how they started that conflict. And at that point, the entire war felt so meaningless and stakeless because it wasn't clear why they were fighting. It still isn't clear why Talokans wanted to go to war with Wakanda. So whatever came after that became difficult to love. Ramonda's death was also quite preventable in my opinion. The queen with no protection and left to drown. Like why does Riri matter so much to Ramonda that she sacrificed herself to save her? It almost felt like an artificial plot device to pump up Ironheart's value as a a character. And Shuri does not blame Riri once or show any animosity toward her even though she was an indirect cause of her mother's death? Seemed a little strange unless she didn't know what happened.

There were positive things too. I thought Taloka's story was interesting and was well introduced. Loved Namor as a character and his action scenes were powerful enough. The performances were solid across the board, especially Ramonda and Namor shined. I thought some of the battle sequences were interesting despite being imperfect (really bad CG moments here and there). Overall, it was rather inconsistent with really cool spear fighting scenes and just generic scenes. The whales really did surprise me. I thought the locations were well chosen. I really like their portrayal of Wakanda and Taloka in general so that's a plus. I enjoyed how they incorporated the idea of the oppressed (the Mayans) versus oppressor like they did in Black Panther 1. But again, this should only unite Taloka and Wakanda together rather than fight against each other.

I'd also like to comment on Shuri. She has now become the official franchise star with the death of Ramonda and T'challa. My overall impression that while she has the potential to be the franchise but it's a tough transition. She's been known as the geek scientist sister but now she's the black panther and the sole protector of Wakanda. That's a big jump for both the audience and the character. That type of transition, fueled mostly by grief and revenge, should usually take multiple movies or a series to hash out but that was not an option for the production team. So while I still am not used to the transition, I think they were handled as well as they could be. Her characterization was complex and meaningful enough. A far better experience than the most recent MCU movie.

In the end, phase 4 has been a let-down for most fans with a notable exception. I was disappointed that this movie was not able to be part of that exception.

Yawn, zzzz

[The-Sarkologist · 4/10 · 8 January 2023]

Depsite there being a few interesting aspects to this film, like a number of elements that seemed to have been borrowed from Ancient Greek mythology (namely the sirens and the winged feet), I have to admit that I found that this film was rather dull and boring. I guess one of the reasons was that Boseman's death seemed to be hanging over the entire film. Sure, one should pay tribute to him, but the problem is that I felt that it went just a little bit too far at times, and thus it really wasn't all that enjoyable.

The film is basically about how the rest of the world have become rather annoyed at Wakunda because they aren't willing to share Vibranium with them, but they then discover some at the bottom of the ocean, using a machine that has been designed to detect vibranium. However, the rig is attacked and everybody on the rig is killed, and of course the people who are first accused is Wakunda. It turns out that they aren't the only ones who have access to vibranium, as the leader of a nation of undersea peoples approaches them and instructs them to find the scientist who invented the detector.

Okay, ignoring the fact that a country who's economy is based on a single resource (and a resource that they don't even trade) is unlikely to become a world superpower (and of course they clearly don't want to interact with the rest of the world either), it does put things into perspective, particularly with regards to the United States. Unlike the previous film, there is more going on in the United States, and there is clearly some animosity towards Wakanda, namely because they aren't willing to play fair, at least play fair as far as the developed world is concerned.

However, the main focus of the film seems to involve two empires who have vibranium coming into contact with each other, and the question iswho would win in the battle. This, mind you, results in there being a number of other plots that seem to not get resolved, or get resolved a bit too quickly, particularly the one involving the CIA agent who is eventually arrested because, well, he has got a bit too close to the Wakundans. Of course, we also have the ending, which is interesting, namely due to the suggestion that Wakunda may not actually be able to effectively integrate into the world at large.

Still, in the end, I really found that this film was quite lacking, and rather boring. Some have suggested that Marvel can't do sequels, but I don't think that is the case because they have released some pretty good sequels. However, as for this one, I can't really place my finger on it, but it really didn't grab me all that much, and in part I really couldn't wait for it to end.

Frustrating.

[Darwinskid · 5 December 2022]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has ambitious goals but does not manage to meet them due to its overlong and sometimes unfocused screenplay that often feels very first draft level in craft and trying to have one too many political conversations to streamline linearly. It has its moments, with some very solid dramatic acting work by its performers, but on the whole it is an admirable effort but also a major step down in quality from its predecessor. I personally feel they should have waited on a sequel, and take more time to figure out what to do with the Black Panther and Wakanda as the Marvel Cinematic Universe was progressing post Endgame and after the unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman. The loss of T'Challa is seriously felt in this story, and I think most would have been fine with a recast just a few years later, the new actor might not have been on Mr. Boseman's level, but they could have still performed the part well and carry the franchise further. As is, the mantle gets passed, and its executed just okay, but it would have more impact if the story were more focused. Namor is a nice addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is adapted fine, I would certainly like to see more of him in later installments. Still, you feel that the character probably should have come into the picture a lot earlier on, like in Phase Two or Phase Three at the least.

Chadwick Boseman is sorely missed.

[fredschaefer-406-623204 · 6/10 · 27 November 2022]

If there is one thing BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER gets right is the reverence and respect it gives to the memory of Chadwick Boseman, taken from us way too soon after making the role of T'Challa, the Black Panther, totally and uniquely his own. From the opening montage, where he is the only Marvel superhero whose visage we see, onward throughout the film, his shadow looms over the characters, story, and action. We feel his missing presence in every scene. It is clear that director Ryan Coogler, the returning members of the cast from the first film, and the producers where dealt a very difficult hand when crafting a sequel and finding a way forward. Perhaps it was an impossible chore, perhaps there was no way they could have succeeded under these conditions, but the resulting film was just a disappointment as far as I'm concerned. In the absence Boseman, WAKANDA FOREVER fills the void by elevating the principle female characters to center stage, and having them face off against a threat from Prince Namor, the leader of an undersea race heretofore unknown to the MCU over the issue of vibranium, an all purpose element found in abundance in Wakanda (and the source of its technological superiority), and now for the first time, discovered outside the African nation on the ocean's floor. Coveted by other nations, this sets off a conflict when Namor demands that Wakanda do his dirty work for him, and eliminate the threat from the surface world. I don't fault the actresses-Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and the indomitable Angela Bassett-who totally give it their all, and clearly bring it. But the script goes heavy on the themes of female empowerment, anti-colonialism, and Afro-futurism that earn praise from mainstream film critics and pop culture commentators at the expense of the tension and conflict, and even humor that made the first film something special. A cameo by Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger in a dream sequence only served as a further reminder of what WAKANDA FOREVER was missing. At a running time of more than two and half hours, WAKANDA FOREVER works way too hard to generate some heat with its thin plot. Namor is played by Tenoch Huerta as another antagonist motivated by past injustice, so he never really feels like a Big Bad. And those wings on his heels look silly. Tweaking Namor's origin to make him and his undersea kingdom have a connection to the ancient Mayans, who escape Spanish oppression by ingesting vibranium, works, but giving all of them but Namor blue skin invokes unflattering comparisons to AVATAR (it didn't help that the trailer for James Cameron's latest epic played in the theater before WAKANDA FOREVER). There are some great action set pieces, something the MCU does well, but the resolution of the final battle between Princess Shuri and Namor is underwhelming. There are a few cameos, and I liked the interplay between Martin Freeman and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. And was I the only one who thought Richard Schiff was just playing an older version of his character from THE WEST WING when he shows up as the Secretary of State?

There is a single mid-credits scene that reveals that the legacy of T'Challa is more than what it first appeared, something I thought the movie was leading toward all along. It opens up a host of possibilities for future BLACK PANTHER films, but I was further disappointed that there is no hint as to where Phase IV of the MCU is heading. That was one of my complaints with THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER and I think the loyal fans are getting restless. Namor is a character with a lot of history with The Fantastic Four, and this would have been an opportunity to give us some idea of how and when they might be introduced into the main MCU. Namor also mentions that he is a mutant, one of the first ones ever in the Marvel universe, raising the possibility of the X-Men showing up-how great would it have been if he'd been approached by Magneto in another after credits scene seeing how their back stories have similarities. Will just have to wait and see what the next Ant-Man movie shows us.

Namor was great - should have been his movie

[RussHog · 6/10 · 12 November 2022]

Wakanda Forever tells the story of how Wakanda got a new Black Panther in a war with the Atlantis (or whoever they were). The film's best parts are the underwater beings who attack Wakanda. Prince Namor is really cool and the actor who plays him has great screen presence. His underwater people are a lot of fun to see in action.

The film's big problem is that the lead is insufferable and annoying. She doesn't have a lot of screen charisma, makes a much better sidekick than a main protagonist, and overall it's not that interesting that she ever becomes Black Panther. You never really root for her I this film.

Also, this film is mostly boring acting and writing repeating information we already know and everyone being depressed all the time. It's hard to get into a movie that is two hours and forty minutes of this.

Probably, it should have just been called Namor and have Wakanda be the side characters.

A big challenge that Ryan Coogler overcame!

[Matt-Canalcon · 8/10 · 9 November 2022]

I want to start by saying I haven't been the biggest fan of this Phase 4 by Marvel that started with Black Widow in 2020, it's been hit & miss for me so I was nervous for the sequel to Black Panther. I'm happy to report that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a success. I think Ryan Coogler and his team hit a home run with Wakanda Forever by paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman and moving the story forward respectfully.

I won't go into spoilers, but the movie starts with an emotional bang. Wakanda Forever builds on the great fondation that was established in the first Black Panther, a visual feast with breathtaking production design, fantastic costumes and impressive action sequences. The music from Ludwig Goransson is once again phenomenal, he creates a signature to this film that gives us the iconic sound of Wakanda while incorporing new themes for this sequel.

Similar to the first film with Wakanda, there's a lot of world-building with the newly introduced Namor and the underwater world. This allows director Ryan Coogler to let his vision shine on the screen, it's spectacular to look at and the way they filmed the underwater sequences was truly astonishing. Ironically, most of superhero movies depend on their villains in order to succeed, they nailed it with Killmonger and what they did here is just as good, if not better.

I don't think it's a perfect film, with a hefty runtime of 161 minutes, there are some moments that were dragging in the middle for me, but I think it was necessary for this film to be a bit longer than usual. Every character has their shining moments, Shuri is at the heart of this movie but Nakia, Okoye, M'Baku and Queen Ramonda all get their shining moments and a solid story arc that is rewarding by the end, so I don't really have an issue with the movie being this long.

I have some other nitpicks that are spoiler-y, so I cannot really discuss them at the time. Everyone's motivation is clear and the main story is so engaging that I didn't really care for Marvel doing their usual "laying the ground for the future" stuff with certain characters (without getting into details). However, I can say that Namor was a terrific character, I absolutely love what they did with him storywise and visually. He absolutely slays during the action sequences, Tenoch Huerta is a great actor that fits the role perfectly, no surprise with the spot-on Marvel casting there.

This is a movie to see on the big screen, without a doubt this is the best film the MCU has delivered in the Phase 4. The scale is epic but the film feels very intimate and personal because of what happened with Chadwick. The fact that they incorporated his passing into the story beautifully was so important & crucial. Ryan Coogler is probably the best director working for Marvel right now and I'm very excited to see what he does next after this big win.

8/10.

Overblown and Oversaturated Airplane Movie

[Revuer223 · 6/10 · 11 November 2022]

At this point, Marvel is getting too saturated for its own good. The movie's beginning and the end is good, but the middle is too slow and crammed with corporate-mandated plot requirements, so much so that the writers didn't know what to do.

I really feel that this is the product of unrealistic corporate deadlines, leading to incohesive and plot-hole ridden story, subpar CGI, and morally problematic characters that we are supposed to think are heroes. I don't think Marvel is really taking the time to quality check.

To start, the villain is not really likeable or unlikeable. The villain just sort of exists. At least the first Black Panther movie had a villain that was likeable, carried by the performance of Michael B. Jordan. Another point of weakness is how Ironheart was crammed into the plot as required by Disney. As they tried to cram her in, plot points began to crack (which will not be mentioned here due to spoilers). The story is not cohesive. The third, and perhaps the biggest, point of weakness is the action scenes.

Action scenes, you would think, would be the centerpieces of superhero movies, right? But Marvel's sweat-shop CGI studios seem to lack the motivation or at least the time to render quality products, not to mention how the choreography is sub-par as well. At the end, Black Panther 2's action scenes are forgettable.

It is mildly entertaining enough to be an airplane or a steam-at-home movie, but this is by no means a great movie.

Extremely Emotional Movie About Loss, Legacy And Healing!

[MiroslavKyuranov · 8/10 · 9 November 2022]

"Wakanda Forever" is MCU's 30-th movie and is phenomenal! The most powerful project of Phase 4. I can not understate how masterful the score is from start to finish. There are no weak links in the cast, but I have to give a special shoutout to Angela Basset and Letitia Wright's Shuri. Letitia is quite the beating heart of this film. And Tenoch Huerta? They couldn't have found a better Namor."

Ryan Coogler's emotional movies is about loss, legacy and healing. The story is intimate, but vast with global power struggles and palace intrigue. Tenoch Huerta's Namor is a force, better than I hoped. So much can be told...

The scope, the camera work, the acting, and the raw emotions on and off screen can be felt throughout! Fantastic sequel and a great movie. I knew it'd be emotional and it was. Expect your eyes to leak.

Immensely powerful story of forging forward-shattering at times, but also beautifully cathartic and heartening, still cannot get over how well the film earns that title.

If Chadwick could see this movie, he'll be proud as much as I am right now!

Way to long and boring? Yes.

[edwardeggers · 6/10 · 2 February 2023]

I was let down with this one. Action was sub par. Tried to hard to be "emotionally relevant". I understand the tribute to Chadwick, but this whole movie was kind of a downer. Way too goodie two shoes. This was almost... almost, as bad as Wonder Woman 2. I don't understand why they had to drag this out for almost three hours. The underwater city was completely non visible because it was so dark. It was also like they were a primitive people. Playing with rocks? No machines? And really can't live out of water. One well placed nuke and the whole civilization is gone. Obviously not a lot of thought went into this one but at least we got some more female lead characters out of it.

Not Interesting

[marc5477 · 3/10 · 1 February 2023]

No need to beat a dead horse, so ill summarize it as bad plot and generic copycat characters.

This movie really pushed my boredom to the limits. They spend too much time on ceremonies and fantasy lore and almost no time developing the plot. The spent an inordinate amount of time on character development but I still felt nothing for any of them.

This reminded me a lot of the new Dune where the acting seemed ok, and certainly, the movie looked great, but I couldnt care for any of the characters in any way. I felt similarly about Namor and his mermaid people who seemed more like empty plot points than real adversaries.

Id skip it.

A Fitting Tribute

[brentsbulletinboard · 9/10 · 12 November 2022]

At the risk of overstatement, it's hard not to be blown away by writer-director Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." This is a vast improvement over its predecessor offering (2018), if not the best picture to ever come out of the Marvel Universe. It's the kind of film that shows comic book movies can indeed go beyond action sequences and endless explosions to offer viewers something more meaningful and substantial, a result capable of silencing critics like filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who blanketly contend that these releases are without artistic merit. What's more, this second outing in the franchise has undoubtedly saved it from oblivion after losing its lead character in the wake of its initial outing with the untimely death of protagonist Chadwick Boseman. In addition to telling a compelling story, this film provides a credible bridge to the future while fittingly serving as a respectful tribute to its fallen star, one that honors the actor in a way that the movie industry unfortunately never did. Its tactful, reverential treatment of this issue is sure to evoke an emotional response, if not a few tears, in a truly loving but not maudlin way. Beyond that, the narrative and character development in this installment are also a significant cut above the original, telling a more engaging story with deftly nuanced themes that make its predecessor look comparatively simple. It also features fine performances by its ensemble cast, particularly Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, and, most notably, Angela Bassett in a genuinely Oscar-worthy portrayal. But what's most impressive is the film's handling of its principal themes, delving into concepts that action-adventure offerings rarely, if ever, do, and certainly not as capably addressed as here (making pictures like "The Woman King" appear somewhat amateurish by comparison). To be sure, there are a few elements that might have been handled better (the picture is a little too long, it underutilizes the talents of Winston Duke, and there are a few too many James Cameron-esque graphic and cinematic attributes reminiscent of "Avatar" (2009) and "The Abyss" (1989)), but these are minor shortcomings in comparison to everything else the picture has to offer. Of course, it's impossible to talk about this release without noting that it probably wouldn't have the same onscreen impact were it not for the tragic offscreen story that has sadly accompanied it, though the filmmakers truly deserve praise for their sensitive handling of this matter without giving in to cheap exploitation or sensationalism, results that may very well have occurred in lesser-skilled hands. It's truly comforting to see that the "Black Panther" franchise has managed to weather this storm and to do so as well as it has. Wakanda Forever indeed.

Maybe a bit too long than it needed to be, but it was decent

[SafReviews · 7/10 · 17 February 2023]

I didn't have high expectations for this movie because of the mixed reviews, but it was actually decent. The plot was probably a Marvel formula plot, but I found it intriguing because it was interesting to see how Wakanda would cope after the death of the Black Panther. I liked the new characters especially the underwater species who made me doubt whether the Wakandans would beat them. I thought the action scenes were good especially the last fight scene which was pretty epic. I hope this is the last Black Panther movie because I think another movie would not turn out good and Marvel seem like they've run out of ideas.

Was this a joke?

[Silicone54 · 2/10 · 31 January 2023]

I enjoyed the Black Panther even though it was not all that great in the first place. This sequel was a hot mess. Wakanda is no longer even a semblance of a secret African country, just a location where black people are playing dress up in a movie. A lot of the storylines just fell flat. Some characters just appeared for 2 minutes and never heard of again.

At times there was so much dialogue which did nothing to further the plot, where was the editing team? There are very few actors who can captivate the audience with their words none of those actors happened to be in this movie.

The CGI was good and the action was pretty good. Its a Marvel superhero movie so I didn't expect much more than this. Black Panther was always a favorite comic book hero of mine and I am saddened that they could not do better for that legacy.