When the first Black Panther premiered in February 2018 there was a lot of excitement. Not only because Marvel Studios was releasing another action movie but because they brought to life a character comic fans of the company were introduced to in the Fantastic Four comic Issue no. 52 published in 1961, The Black Panther.
And for black people, we felt seen. From the coarse, kinky coils that make up our natural hair texture to the magically captured richness of black, dark skinned women being presented on screen, it was clear that the film was not only breaking barriers in its African inspired storyline but through its overt challenging of issues surrounding colourism in Hollywood.
In the midst of this, we got to witness Chadwick Boseman embody the role of T’Challa King of the Wakanda with such grace and ease that it is merely impossible to think of The Black Panther and not envision his face. T’Challa as a leader of that nation represented honour and pride in one’s African ancestry but also strength, something Boseman knew very well as he silently battled colon cancer for four years before dying in August 2020.
From the moment Black Panther: Wakanda Forever begins we are taken on a trip down memory lane of some of the special moments of the first movie with T’Challa. And throughout the film there are scenes that draw back to who T’Challa was as a leader challenging who Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, chooses to become as she replaces her brother, T’Challa as the Black Panther.
The film, like its predecessor, does a good job at maintaining a predominately black lead cast mainly female and the continued portrayal of black women as warriors in armies but also leading armies with Danai Gurira playing Okoye the head of Wakandan armed forces.
This time the star of the film is award winning actress Angela Bassett who plays Ramonda Queen of Wakanda. Ramonda exudes strength, pride, resilience and leadership through her authoritative stance in maintaining the security and intelligence of the nation while embodying a nurturing presence in guiding her daughter Shuri on her journey of healing, as she mourns the death of T’Challa.
However, at times the film feels busy and confusing. When you are introduced to the villain Namor The Sub-Mariner played by Tenoch Huerta’s, the king of the underwater Talokan kingdom, you may be inclined to think you are watching the film Avatar. For marvel comic fans Namor’s presence in Wakanda Forever isn’t a shock as this tribe and his character appears in Marvel comic books dating back to early 1939.
Oscar Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter did a phenomenal job at creating looks for the second film that signify the beauty of the Wakanda nation with her use of vibrant colours and bold designs. It creates that added feeling of authority that Wakanda has as one of the leading countries in technology and security in the film.
There are scenes in the movie where Shuri’s development as a character could have been enhanced especially on her journey to becoming The Black Panther and how she grapples with grief and loss. But overall Wakanda Forever did justice in honouring Boseman not only as the first Black Panther but as the great actor he was, Wakanda Forever. – Bongeka Gumede
lex Livinalli as Attuma and Mabel Cadena as Namora in Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’. Image: courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Let me start off by saying, I was really hoping I would love this movie. No really, I mean it. Not only because it’s about an African, black superhero, but because Black Panther stole my heart back in 2018. Glossing over the dodgy Xhosa, the Marvel blockbuster was dazzling, daring and made Chadwick Boseman a real-life superhero for many black and brown children around the world.
I will never forget waking up on a Saturday morning in 2020 – after having spent months in Bheki Cele’s oppressive Covid lockdown – to the news of Bosewick’s passing from colon cancer. The trolls of the internet had been unkind about his appearance not knowing that he was battling a terminal illness privately. Bosewick’s death was heartbreaking. I cried and even posted an inspirational video the next day, where Bosewick spoke about purpose, he said: “When God has something for you it doesn’t matter who stands against”. So, I hope you realise how deeply I mean it when I say I was really hoping I would love the sequel.
But sadly, Wakanda Forever is like willingly ordering lukewarm coffee, you can drink it but why would you? The film is not bad but it’s not good either. I am certainly not going to poo-poo over Ryan Coogler’s attempt to remind us of the magic that T’Challa brought to us but throwing everything and the kitchen sink on a story that’s so nuanced, just feels like a letdown. And while she gave it her best shot, Letitia Wright’s Shuri falls short of walking us through her grief and giving us a true sense of herself.
There’s also an unnecessary spoiler on the death of a character that actually served no purpose in dying. Keeping that character alive would’ve been stronger in helping the audience grapple with the many things the movie attempts to address. In fact, therein lies the real rubble, there are so many themes the film tries to tackle that it feels like eating your aunt’s made-with-love soggy trifle that looks more like a dog’s breakfast than an appetising dessert. The colonial theme continues from Black Panther but now there’s an added layer of combining the grievances of all indigenous people – from Mexico to the Native Americans – making it hella complex; while you’re still dealing with that Coogler hits you with patriarchy and sprinkles it with some awkward flirtation between Shuri and Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta Mejia. The less I say about Namor and his grand entrance into the movie, the better.
Angela Basset as Queen Ramonda.
But where the movie does shine is in the costume choices by award winning costume designer, Ruth Carter. Not to sound like I’m saying, “Great gowns, beautiful gowns,” like the putdown Aretha Franklin once used to describe Taylor Swift’ singing, Carter really does bring the Wakanda nation to life. Having won the best costume design at the Academy Awards for Black Panther, Carter combines the sports luxe of Adidas with the high fashion of Louis Vuitton (by the way, the LV glasses Danai Gurira wears in the film are actually hers – Coogler and Carter decided she should wear them after she rehearsed in them).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a strong 6 out of 10 but I would’ve preferred watching it in the comfort of my house where I could pause and check Instagram while pouring a glass of wine.- Lerato Tshabalala