Directed by : Ryan Coogler

You said you wanted to burn the world. Let us burn it together. 

Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o in 'Black Panther :Wakanda Forever'

Spoilers ahead... 


It's been a year, Wakanda is still mourning the loss of King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) when they learn about a new civilization 'Talokan' - Blue skinned people living under-water ruled by Namor (Tenoch Huerta). T'Challa's mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and General Okoye (Danai Gurira) are ready to fight Namor rather than accept his offer of being allies to destroy the surface land who he feels is after the vibranium which Talokan possesses much like Wakanda. 

The movie's start and ending both have some heart-wrenching scenes paying tribute to Chadwick Boseman, and if you are his fan then it most likely will get you very emotional. The whole idea of showing (not directly for obvious reasons) unexpected death of King T'Challa and following it up with a very well done funeral sets you up for this movie which you feel might explore grief and loss a lot more specially as another key character dies half way through the movie. Even the Marvel logo animation pays a brilliant silent tribute with images of Chadwick in the Marvel Universe before. 

Now, I don't understand what made this film a mess, was it the fact that they decided not to bring a new actor to play Black Panther as a result showing death in first scene, or because they made Namor so identical to KillMonger (from 1st part whom T'Challa killed in the final battle) or did the pressure of being 1st Marvel movie to get Oscar nomination got to them. For me the movie appeared as confusing as Shuri feels throughout the film. 

I enjoyed Letitia Wright more when she was at her humor best in previous movies, the idea of Shuri becoming new Black Panther felt absurd specially for the long time it takes to get there, and then to watch her explore the already tried theme in Captain America : Civil War by T'Challa himself felt a nostalgia not really worth repeating. When Shuri goes to visit Talokan which showcases glorious looking underwater visuals of their people who reside there, for a moment it looked like maybe Shuri won't be keen to go on war but sadly she does the opposite. 

Tenoch Huerta on the other hand is great to watch, he gives a lovely believable performance even if it has resemblances with KillMonger. His introduction scene is very well staged using right background music creating the mystery surrounding who he really is. The mutant kind features of him flying or taking oxygen through sea and despite not a built of Hulk/Thanos, we see how tough it is to beat him and there's never a better sight in any movie - superhero or not, where it takes immense effort to defeat the villain. If only the motives were different, it would had made for a much better watch. 

There was also a case of Lupita Nyong'o (playing Nakia) to get a much significant role which she doesn't. Honestly, she would had been perfect to be next Black Panther in my opinion. 

Angela Bassett is lovely as a caring and grieving mother who is worried everytime Shuri goes out in the field, love her monologue that is intercut with an action setpiece that happened a night before at one of the Wakandan centres. 

Danai Gurira for me was the most enjoyable character, she has this great comic timing and her camaraderie as Okoye with Shuri throughout gives some good laughs specially in a movie that's based on loss and grief for major part. Love that wonderfully done run away sequence that involves another of new key character Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). Its a pity that firstly we see Okoye unreasonably removed off her duties from being a General, and thereafter we see very less of her.

Dominique Thorne starts off as an interesting character, almost like Shuri was in 1st movie, being a total tech expert..  though much like Okoye she also gets sidelined. The whole little plot of Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis Dreyfus) doesn't work either. 

When a movie isn't working, the last thing you want is to be as long as 2 hrs 40 mins. As always there's a reveal at the end credits, that gives hope of a new better movie. But you feel its high time Marvel got their act together and let the movie we are watching be worthy too because after Black Widow, Doctor Strange Madness and Thor, this is 4th movie in a row that has turned out to be average at the best. It worries me for the coming Antman movie. Also, since the Avengers EndGame, there's been one sad common trend and that is how the final battles have been lacklustre.

Overall, Black Panther - Wakanda Forever, works for few action set-pieces and mostly the tributes to Chadwick Boseman.. the new story is never engaging and the confused narrative along with the choices characters make does this film no justice. 

My Rating : 5/10