Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

r96sk 1/5/2023 4:56:56 PM 8.4

Chadwick Boseman is undeniably missed, but <em>'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'</em> still manages to produce an entertaining and even touching final chapter of the MCU's Phase Four. I had a positive time with this, one good thing about watching it almost two months after release is that I got to watch this in an empty cinema - absolute bliss. Thankfully I managed to avoid all spoilers, though had heard the name Namor bandied about online so that's all I knew coming into it. Speaking of Namor, I'm a fan. He makes for a cool new character to the universe, as does Talokan as a whole, with Tenoch Huerta a welcomed addition to the cast - first time I recall seeing him in something, and I'm impressed. The star of this 2022 flick, however, is Letitia Wright. I don't really remember her standing out in the original much, at least to me, but here Wright is excellent. Angela Bassett is very good also, there's one emotion-filled speech scene in particular that stands out in my memory. Danai Gurira is always a joy to watch, while Winston Duke and Lupita Nyong'o are the best of the rest - though, the whole cast are good; even Martin Freeman, who I'm not always convinced by. The film handles Boseman's absence nicely, there are some very touching moments in there. I'd say they went the correct way with the character of T'Challa, no-one would've been able to even closely replicate Boseman. The music, meanwhile, is pleasant. I do think this has some relatively minor pacing issues, mainly around the midway point, but other than that I felt more than satisified with what I had just watched when leaving the cinema. Phase Five, see you soon!

The Movie Mob 11/11/2022 5:50:54 AM 8.4

**Wakanda Forever was an earnest film that tackled some tough themes and honored its hero well but got bogged down introducing vast new worlds and complicated characters.** Wakanda Forever left me with mixed emotions. The respect and love paid to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman were heartfelt, meaningful, and sincere. The movie wisely grappled with the aftermath of T’Challa’s passing on his family and nation. This subject matter created excellent opportunities to dive deeper into characters like Shuri, Nakia, and even M’Baku. Instead, Wakanda Forever primarily served as a vehicle to introduce Namor and Talokan. The film rightfully embraced a more somber tone as it dealt with themes of loss and legacy, but the mournful spirit caused the plot to sag and drag along throughout most of the runtime. Winston Duke offers the little levity the movie had. The cast delivered exceptionally, with Angela Bassett’s performance as the true standout. I liked the movie, but the melancholy approach made it more difficult to really enjoy, and the introduction of Namor and his threat to Wakanda chewed up so much of the story that it was difficult to bring closure to characters struggling with loss and heartbreak satisfyingly.

Manuel São Bento 11/11/2022 10:20:32 AM 8.4

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/black-panther-wakanda-forever-spoiler-free-review "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever may not quite measure up to its predecessor, but it leaves a proud, beautiful, silent tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, telling an emotionally powerful, resonant story about how grief can truly be love persevering. The screenplay runs into problems when it deviates from the central theme and tries to mix in other MCU stories/characters, with Namor and Riri suffering collateral damage. Technically, the action set pieces are mostly riveting, despite some inconsistent VFX and lighting. Score and sound production stand out in a remarkably memorable manner. Brutally passionate, moving performances, especially from Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, and Danai Gurira. Exquisite pacing reduces the weight of the long runtime. Totally worth the emotional investment." Rating: B+