Wakanda Forever delivers a delicate tribute to Chadwick Boseman and proves itself as one of Marvel’s best films since Spider-Man: No Way Home.
By: Walter Nelson
In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), center, has assumed the throne following T’Challa’s death / photo : Marvel Studios - © 2022 MARVEL.
With Chadwick Boseman’s passing in August 2020, the world was left with a heart full of frustration and grief. We’d lost an on-screen superhero, but more importantly, we lost a cultural hero. Boseman, with his role as Black Panther, became an incredibly influential name in pop culture and stood as an emblem of Black bravery, virtue, and leadership. Black Panther created a cultural movement much more than the grandeur of a typical “good” Marvel movie. Boseman, Black Panther, and its success led to a pop culture shift by opening up a space in Hollywood where a Black superhero could dominate with nobility, fortitude, and grace.
Following up on Black Panther was already a daunting task for Ryan Coogler. The added weight of Boseman’s passing had Coogler considering the option of stepping away from the film. However, instead of running from the pressures and high expectations of the follow-up, Coogler embraces grief by tapping into the deep disparities of loss and forging together a story that bridges the gap between pain, passion, and catharsis.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), T’Challa’s mother, assumed the throne after T’Challa’s passing and is left to deal with her own emotions, Shuri’s (Letitia Wright) internal turmoil following her brother’s passing, and a seemingly vulnerable nation as the outside world schemes to acquire Wakanda’s reserves of vibranium. With the possibility of a hidden, powerful nation making its round through Wakanda, these women, along with Okoye (Danai Guria), Nakia (Lupita N’yongo), new movie characters Aneka (Michaela Coel), and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), an MIT prodigy, stood alongside Wakanda to fight off a new villain and protect the pride of Wakanda and the Black Panther.
Naturally, it would be easy to write a review of this new Marvel film and cloud it with paragraphs and paragraphs of a plot summary. With most Marvel movies, it always feels like you have to describe the plot in depth before reviewing it. Black Panther, unfortunately, follows the same fate. At times, the film is so jam-packed with background and plot that it’s tough to keep up. Despite this, the pacing of the storyline remains steady throughout the film. Thankfully, it only feels a little rushed towards the end, where the plot takes 3 different leaps in the span of 20 minutes. This rushing makes it difficult to process the many levels of grief occurring in the movie, which makes some moments feel less impactful than others. Thorne, as Riri, felt a bit purposeless at times but she managed to provide comedic relief throughout a grief-packed film–so at least that’s redeemable. Fortunately, these are probably my only qualms with the film.
Wakanda Forever is a slow-burn passion-packed movie that takes the art of letting go and transforms it into almost 2 and a half hours of beautifully shot underwater scenes, intense fistfights, high-tech machines, and special effects that make every moment worth admiring. Emotions are portrayed vividly in every scene with Basset and Wright, colonial symbolism is highlighted with the backstory of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), and sorrow is emphasized through Ludwig Goransson’s heart-wrenching score. Goransson pulls in influence from African-Esque instrumentation and Mayan-inspired sounds to build a score that highlights the movie's main themes: grief, healing, and breaking tradition. The film never loses focus and takes viewers through a multi-layered conflict without confusing or boring audiences. New to this story, the Talokan people add a new atmosphere and aesthetic to the film, giving viewers something new to indulge in. And of course, the production, costume, and make-up teams never fail to impress.
There were a few highlight performances from the film that deserve some immense recognition. Bassett captivated me with her intense Shakespearean delivery and displayed the nuances of grief as both a mourning mother and the Queen. One of the rawest, most emotionally gripping moments during the film comes from Bassett and Guria. Queen Romanda’s burning passion and worry for her lost daughter overcome her while in an intense talk with Okoye. Her facial expressions and vocal performance spotlight the acting prowess of the seasoned actress. “I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything?” Bassett exclaims. The delivery of that line alone means that an Oscar snub would be absolutely ridiculous. Processing pain and sorrow in a different light, impressive nonetheless, Huerta, in his role as Namor, gave a surprisingly stirring performance during the film. As a multi-faceted character who cares deeply for his culture and people, Huerta perfectly shows us how anger can triumph over reason and cause almost irreversible damage. A new character in the show, he could hold his own against the seasoned cast.
It’d be weird to review this film and not talk about the beautiful aquatic scenes. The underwater scenes enthralled me the most–with their combination of insane costume designs, gracefully shot views of the cosmic, oceanic city, and Goransson’s majestic score. Audiences witness a new place in the Black Panther universe that doesn’t disappoint. In contrast to the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer played during previews, the aquatic visuals seem somewhat underdeveloped. Regardless, it was still a spectacular sight to see. Coogler succeeded at creating a new cosmopolitan atmosphere underwater, and it was a nice change of pace from the insane politics of the world above water.
Overall, Wakanda Forever delicately honors Boseman. As an almost matriarchal film with its predominantly female cast, superhero feminism runs rampant. This ensemble delivers a spectacle of performance and proves the formidableness of Wakanda. Worth a watch? Absolutely. Coogler and the entire Wakanda Forever cast create a film that has left Boseman smiling, wherever he is. From my very seat, I could see tears falling from the eyes of people nearby. So once again, Black Panther has successfully resonated and settled in the hearts of viewers everywhere.
コメント