Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Mourning the death of King T’Challa, princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) finds herself buried in her work as a distraction. Meanwhile, the nations of the world have become envious of Vibranium, the prized metal closely guarded by the Wakandans for its immense potential and abilities. So, when a bizarre attack on a Vibranium discovery vessel in the Atlantic leaves more questions than answers, the UN has many questions for Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett). As it turns out, there’s another inhabitant on earth closely guarding a second repository of Vibranium, the people of Talokan. Now, the two superpowers, Wakandans and Talokans, will have to sort their differences and find mutual agreement on terms, or, find themselves in battle against each other to a brutal finish, can a truce be found and met?
Directed by Ryan Coogler and Written by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole this dive back into the world of the Black Panther brings many elements to the table, including a touching and dignified handling of the passing of Chadwick Boseman, a concept which becomes the engine that drives the rest of the film forward, nicely done. And, continued efforts from the rest of the ensemble work nicely to re-create the magic of the Black Panther one more time, well choreographed battles, art direction, and immersive world building take the viewer deeper into Wakanda, to that, the pieces fit. But, considering the excessive runtime of two hours and forty one minutes, perhaps a more judicious razor could have tightened things up in the extra narratives and side panels; in this case, longer isn’t necessarily better, just tiring. Regardless, the film is a solid vehicle for Marvel and a strong film overall for its emotional complexity and ability to be resilient. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is rated PG-13.