‘Black Panther’ Is In One Word A Masterpiece

Photo courtesy of Disney Studios

‘Black Panther’ written by Joe Robert Cole and Ryan Coogler (who also brilliantly directed the film based on Stan Lee’s and Jack Kirby’s Marvel comics character of the same name) is absolutely hands down one of the best and most original, exhilarating superhero films I’ve seen to date.

The mostly black cast that includes Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther), Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Sterling K. Brown, Danai Gurira (as the most powerful warrior in all of Wakanda), Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis (the very evil arms merchant), Ulysses Klaue, Martin Freeman (a CIA agent), and Florence Kasumba, all give incredible, riveting performances.

Besides having a great story, amazing visuals, complex emotional relationships and, of course, edge-of-your-seat action, the film is also very funny in all the right places and definitely elevates the “superhero” movie.

Not wanting to give anything away, here’s a very general synopsis.  After the death of his father, T-Challa returns home to the nation of Wakanda, a place hidden from the rest of the world, to take his rightful place as king.

After he is given a special Heart-shaped Herb which has a mystical connection with the Wakandan Panther God, T-Challa develops acute senses, enhanced strength, speed, agility, stamina, durability, self-healing, as well as amazing reflexes, and becomes the Black Panther.

Oh, did I mention, his sister, Shuri (the very funny Letitia Wright) whose scientific brain leaves Bond’s “Q” in the dust,  has come up with a very cool outfit for T’Challa’s alter ego along with some extremely nifty weapons, cars, planes and an assortment of other very handy high tech devices?

It’s a good thing too, because there are people in T’Challa’s kingdom, including an exiled American black ops agent known as Killmonger (Martin B. Jordan) who not only desires the throne, but wants to use the country’s advanced weaponry and super technology— created by a rare mineral Vibranium, which landed via a meteorite—to free the repressed people of color around the world. However, this would mean killing a large part of the population and exposing Wakanda to the world.

“Black Panther,” which opens in theatres Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, is a “must see” film for everyone, even people who aren’t into “superhero” films.  It is truly one-of-a-kind and I can’t wait for the sequel.