The nation of Wakanda is pitted against intervening world powers as they mourn the loss of their king T’Challa.
Pam says
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” begins and ends with a loving tribute to the man who brought the series to life; Chadwick Boseman. In an emotional salute, the story starts with King Ta’Challah’s death and funeral, his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) wreaked by guilt after her knowledge and skills failed to save her big brother. You know that this funeral procession elicited real emotion, real tears; no acting necessary. This also effects the audience as the reminder that a great actor is now gone. And as the scene fades to black, we find ourselves in the stereotypical super hero story complete with power, greed, and a disregard for life.
The Wakandan people now have a new enemy threatening their existence and one which promises to be the world’s demise if not stopped. And the world is watching, gazing upon this country devoid of a leader, or so they think. The women of Wakanda including Shuri, Ramona (Angela Bassett), and eventually Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) must stay strong as they mourn The Black Panther’s death and fight Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the leader of a strange new species.
The world is in search of a rare and precious resource that is found exclusively in Wakanda, but now there’s Namor and his people who may possess the key to more. As Ramonda gathers her troops and the Mountain people lead by M’Baku (Winston Duke), CIA Agent Everett K. Ross teams up to coordinate efforts and obtain Intel. Old allegiances stay strong, but is it enough as a young prodigy, Riri (Dominique Thorne) is taken captive along with Shuri? More is at stake that the Wakandan’s are willing to lose, and every effort must be made to rescue the Princess.
The sequel, rewritten after the untimely death of Boseman, boasts a predominately female cast who are smart, strong, and determined. Unfortunately, the writers have just plugged in women to men’s roles, giving us absolutely nothing new. The narrative arc is exactly what’s expected with continuous special effects fight scenes that lull you to sleep. And while the women do shine in their roles exuding power and poise, and dressed exquisitely, it’s not enough to make it an interesting story; it’s just a repetition of an old and tired one.
The film’s length make it feel as if it truly is “forever,” but it is bookended by another touching moment to honor a soul lost too soon.
1 1/2 stars
Chuck says:
It’s no surprise that “Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever” is the most somber entry in the Marvel Films universe. With the passing of Chadwick Boseman, plans for this sequel were altered to reflect that tragic loss, the actor’s absence looming large throughout the movie. His friend and colleague, director Ryan Coogler pays homage to him during the opening moments and never lets us forget his unrealized legacy, poignantly reflected in T’Challa’s own fate. And while its emotional resonance helps elevate this entry above standard superhero fare, it’s Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole’s decision to focus on grief and cultural ideologies that makes it standout.
With the sudden passing of their king, Wakanda is a nation in mourning. It’s also a country under attack, as outside forces mistakenly take it as vulnerable. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), bitter over the loss of her son and infuriated by an unprovoked attack by mercenaries, delivers a fierce rebuke at the United Nations, aimed at her so-called allies who only wish to exploit her country’s resources.
Of course, at the heart of it all is vibranium, the precious metal found only within Wakanda’s borders that other countries hope to weaponize. However, the pursuit of this resource shifts once it’s discovered on the ocean floor near the unknown underwater world Talokan. Founded in the 16th century by Aztecs who, after gaining the power to extract oxygen from water, fled oppression to live in the sea, they too have isolated themselves from the world. After suffering a similar attack, their leader Namor (Tenoch Huerta), a powerful mutant, approaches Ramonda in the hopes of forming an alliance between the two countries.
Had this been the sole focus of the film, it would have been a more streamlined, engaging affair. Instead, Coogler and Cole bog things down with a subplot involving an MIT student (Dominique Thorne) who Namor wants to kill – for the flimsiest of reasons – while Ramonda vows to protect her. The conflict that results could have come about in a more coherent, efficient manner, while another thread involving CIA agent Ross (Martin Freeman) and his duplicitous ex-wife (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is superfluous as well.
Unlike most other superhero epics, the excess on display does not pertain to bloated action sequences as much as moments dealing with grief, identity and the international politics at play. With the loss of T’Challa – and to an extent Boseman- Wakanda’s identity and that of the franchise were thrown into doubt. Contending with the grief of such a loss is at the center of all of this, each key character grappling with it in their own way. Ramonda adheres to her faith, knowing she will encounter her son once more on a spiritual plain. His sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) loses herself in her work, refusing to deal with her sadness, while the warrior Okoye (Danai Gurira) takes a similar tact, more devoted than ever to defending her native land. As for T’Challa’s lover, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) she has left Wakanda for reasons better left unsaid.
Each character must come to terms with the new world they’re living in as does Wakanda. Both victims of imperialism, it and Talokan represent any number of third-world countries that have been pillaged by stronger nations, their resources robbed, their heritage ignored. The importance of defending one’s culture at all costs is central to the film, the identity of the citizens of both nations is at stake, their very existence hanging in the balance.
To be sure, the large-scale battles that are the bread-and-butter of these films are here, a third act throwdown between the Talokan and Wakandan forces proving to be one of the great spectacles in the Marvel Films canon. But that’s not what Coogler is concerned about. What has elevated the “Black Panther” films is their willingness to focus on the humanity of these characters, not so much the tumult that surrounds them. “Wakanda Forever” is about reassessing yourself and your culture after disaster, acknowledging your strengths and building your future upon them, something this film models to great effect.
3 Stars
