Certification. PG-13
Running Time. 2 hours 41 mins
Director. Ryan Coogler
Cast. Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Lupita Nyong'o, Dominique Thorne, Letitia Wright.
Rating. 62%
Just a few short months after the death of Chadwick Boseman, filming for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began. The late actor's presence unsurprisingly is felt throughout this sombre sequel. The film handles King T'Challa's entirely off-screen death with grace and great dignity, a self-contained prologue focuses primarily on the personal toll that T'Challa's death takes on his younger sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright). The result is one of the more emotive instalments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A comic book movie with depth, as we witness well-loved characters dealing with grief and coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.
There are standout performances from Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright and Winston Duke. Angela Bassett dominates early proceedings as Queen Ramonda, a strong central lead who stoically balances her loss against her duty to her people. We see King T'Challa's younger sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright) evolve as a character, into a young woman shaped by loss and grief. And Winston Duke's role of M'Baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe, is rightly elevated in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In line with the original film, the costumes in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are simply stunning. Costume designer, Ruth E. Carter has excelled once again. The colourful traditional Wakandan dress is replaced by a dignified, pristine, white wardrobe for state funerals. And Lord M'Baku would appear to be ever more embracing the White Gorilla mantle thanks to his costume and simian mannerisms.
After the disappointment of Black Widow and Dr Strange In The Multitude Of Madness, is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finally a return to form for Marvel Studios?
Yes, and no. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's lacklustre final confrontation with Namor (Tenoch Huerta) ensures the film ends on a downbeat note. And whilst the film itself is strong, too many obligatory Marvel Cinematic Universe subplots keep Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from greatness. The criminally underwritten role of Riri (Dominique Thorne) is a particular failing. Whilst, Riri Williams becomes Ironheart in the Marvel Comics, the inclusion of the character in this film merely serves as an introduction to a character given her own Disney+ series screening in 2023. Every second of Marvel Cinematic Universe exposition and franchise crossover erodes away at the very core of the integrity and self-identity established in Black Panther.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever marks the conclusion of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and suggests that the next Avengers crossover, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, planned for release in 2025 may just be back on track.
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