Year of Release: 2022
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Alex Livinalli, Mabel Cadena, Danny Sapani, Isaach de Bankolé
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon Prime
Synopsis and Review
Following the colossal success of "Black Panther" and the sad passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, there was uncertainty of where this sequel to that film and storyline was going, but writer/director Ryan Coogler (in addition to screenwriter Joe Robert Cole), managed to get the project back on track. Following the passing of T'Challa, his sister Shuri retreats to her technological research endeavors, while Wakanda becomes under further scrutiny from the world due to their reserves of vibranium. The Queen mother who has become the new ruler, urges Shuri to keep researching how to generate the heart shaped herb, so that a new Black Panther may emerge and become the new defender of the country. In the meantime, a new nation and possible foe emerges under the leadership of Namor, when the search for vibranium is heightened thanks to a new engineer/scientist who has built a better detector for it. Shuri and Okoye discover that the scientist in question is a young woman who is studying in Boston at the MIT. When they attempt to rescue her, they are attacked by Namor's warriors and both Riri (the scientist) and Shuri are taken. The Queen manages to get Nakia's help to locate and retrieve Shuri (and Riri), but even though they're freed, Namor's counter attack has dramatic consequences. Shuri decides to fight back with all her skills and a fresh sense of purpose.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is as it turns out an interesting exercise, one where there's a familial drama focused on loss, tradition, and finding out one's path in life, all of this within the trappings of a formulaic Marvel action film. The narrative places the sad demise of T'Challa front and center of the narrative, which means the nation has lost its hero and defender, and the family has lost the force and catalyst that brought them all together. And that is for the most part of the narrative the strongest thread that comes across in the film. Writer/director Ryan Coogler's creation of an underwater nation (and this once again differs from the original mythology in the comics), one that is a potential foe for Wakanda, feels very much like an addendum or afterthought, since not much of those creatures/beings is ever truly expanded upon (unlike James Wan's "Aquaman", there isn't that much going underwater here). While Namor's goal seems to be the deterrence of the discovery of Vibranium and potential threat there is to his homeland, not much else seems to be showcased of his existence (considering he's quasi immortal), aside from his origin story. It's a film that attempts to capture loss, the re-emergence of a new combative warrior, and a central character coming to its own, but done in a way that's neither particularly revelatory, nor engaging, with the story arc ultimately feeling underdeveloped. At this point, Marvel probably needs to start rethinking their storylines, since they actually need additional development and focus, at the risk of turning into shallow exercises in fluff, that even the most polished special effects can't bring to life. The cast tries their best, with the highlight going to the always fantastic Danai Gurira, who manages to showcase enormous strength and vulnerability in a single swoop. The production team is equally solid, featuring the beautiful cinematography from Autumn Dural Arkapaw, costumes from Ruth E. Carter and production design from Hannah Beachler. Watchable and forgettable.
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