Black Panther Review
Summary: T’Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country’s past.
- Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole
- Rating: PG-13
- Runtime: 2h 14m
- 3D Type: Post-Conversion
Story:
Black Panther is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character by Stan Lee. The film tells the story of T’Challa, taking his rightful place as the newly crowned king of Wakanda, a technologically advanced African nation through their abundance of rare a metal called ‘Vibranium’. T’Challa must unite his people and defend his kingdom from the threats that endanger it.
I found the story to be a little bit slow and somewhat hard to follow, with some scenes dragging on. Especially at the beginning of the movie. It is predictable at times, and certain plot points are not as well-explored as they could have been. Such as the relationship between T’Challa and his uncle, Killmonger: The film explores Killmonger’s motivations and backstory, but there could have been more exploration of the relationship between the two characters and how it contributes to the conflict between them. Additionally, some of the pacing is uneven and some of the dialogue scenes felt a bit too long to me.
Picture:
Sound:
3D
Despite it being a post-conversion, in general, I found Black Panther‘s 3D effects well-executed and added to the immersive experience of the entire movie. I have not seen a movie with as many vibrant colours and costumes as Black Panther in a given scene such as the ceremony as M’Baku challenges T’Challa. They really went far to showcase the colour and culture of the different Wakandan tribes. It really is eye candy in 3D. However, it’s worth noting that some scenes may not benefit as much from the third dimension.
Pop:
Many of the weapons definately pop in this. There’s spears pointing out of the screen in fight scenes, spears of the Dora Milaje flying at you when they fight against Killmonger’s forces, as well as other projectiles. Like most Marvel movies, the action and fight scenes in Black Panther are pretty pheonomenal as expected.
Depth:
From the opening scene, the depth and dimensionality of the 3D adds to the immersion of the film’s world of Wakanda. The action scenes, especially the ones taking place in the vibranium mines, the royal palace, and the car chases are particularly striking in 3D and give a sense of being in the middle of the action. The 3D is also used to great effect in scenes that take place in the African landscape and give a sense of the vastness and beauty of the environment. For example you have waterfalls, mountains, planes and valleys – all look incredible.
I found that the use of depth in certain scenes, such as T’Challa’s visit to his father’s ancestral plane, gives the audience a sense of being there with the characters and experiencing their emotions.
Verdict:
While the story and plot of Black Panther may not be the strongest among Marvel films, the action sequences and vibrant colors, as well as the 3D effects, make up for it and provide some great eye candy. Despite its shortcomings, Black Panther is still worth watching on 3D Blu-Ray, espically if you are a fan of the Marvel cinematic universe.
Category | Scores |
---|---|
Story: | ★★★ |
Picture: | ★★★ |
Sound: | ★★★ |
Pop: | ★★★ |
Depth: | ★★★★★ |
TOTAL SCORE: | 11/15 |