It’s impossible to talk about this film without bringing up Chadwick Boseman. One could argue that no film in recent memory has had extenuating circumstance surrounding it quite like this one, at least emotionally. After Chadwick’s shocking passing in 2020, all eyes were on this film and how writer/director Ryan Coogler (“Creed,” “Fruitvale Station”) would be able to craft something without his friend and collaborator.
So, there’s a lot of pressure on this film; not only does it need to fill the check marks typically expected by both audiences and executives of a Marvel film, but it also needs to serve as a sendoff for an actor who poured so much of himself into these projects. Yes, there are others who are just as closely associated with their characters as Chadwick was. But with him, it felt different.
The film opens with the death of T’Challa. Racked with grief, the country of Wakanda, led by Queen Ramonda, played by Angela Bassett (“9-1-1,” “Mission Impossible: Fallout”), must deal with Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta (“Blue Demon,” “The Forever Purge”) after he seeks their help in dealing with a Vibranium detecting machine built by young MIT student Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Judas and the Black Messiah”), being using by the United States to find Vibranium underwater, threatening his underwater nation of Talokan.
Whereas the first film was centered around T’Challa, Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole (“The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” “Black Panther”) have made the smart decision here to build the film as more of an ensemble piece. Bassett is frankly just incredible, as is Huerta as a leader who’s just as easy to empathize with as Ramonda. Letita Wright (“Small Axe,” “The Silent Twins”), Winston Duke (“Us,” “Nine Days”), Lupita Nyong'o (“Us,” “”Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), and Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead,” “All Eyez on Me”) all return from the first film, and all take advantage of the heavier emotional weight at play with their performances. Wright is positively incredible, displaying a downward spiral for Shuri’s character in an engrossing, dramatic way. Nyong’o is just as good as before, delivering plenty of great character work opposite the rest of her cast.
But it’s Duke and Gurira who arguably are the biggest standouts compared to their roles in the first film. Duke is fantastic, effortlessly charismatic and powerful, forming M’baku into a big gruff teddy bear type character who becomes an instant standout here. Gurira meanwhile gets far more emotional material to play with and becomes an absolute scene stealer, with one moment in particular opposite Bassett arguably being the best in the entire film. Newcomer to the series Thorne holds her own well against the cast, although Riri does feel more like a background character than the others, introduced here to have her own arc later. She’s still a great addition though, playing extremely well with Wright in particular.
The same goes for Martin Freeman’s (“Sherlock,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”) Everett K. Ross; while he reprises his role from the first film, he’s less of a central role here. He pops up until the film forgets about him, seeming more like future set up than an integral part of the movie. As fun and great as it is to see the Dora Milaje expanded as well with the addition of Michaela Coel (“Chewing Gum,” “I May Destroy You”) as Aneka, the character feels more like an additional background character rather than an integral part of the main cast.
It feels almost unfair to talk about the production design, costuming, and music here. They’re all fantastic here, just as good as the first film’s and it stands out in particular against other recent Marvel films due to the high level of physical sets. The CGI backdrops of films like “Multiverse of Madness” and “Love & Thunder” simply don’t hold a candle to the tangible world built here. It was an absolute marvel to see in 2018 and it still holds true now, standing alongside the first film as one of the best-looking films in its genre. The visual effects are also improved, and while they still aren’t the most incredible in the industry, they’re definitely an upgrade from the “PS2 cutscene” level effects on display at the end of the first film.
The writing here feels like a particular standout for numerous reasons, even against the first film. It’s clear that Coogler and Cole wanted to craft a story that was emotionally sound and deliver something both fun and also cathartic on a dramatic level. They’ve resoundingly succeeded in that goal and crafted what might be the single most emotional and engaging standalone film in the MCU. The emotional arcs of each character feel connected in smart ways, and it all overlaps to create a tale where the dramatic elements are far more engaging than the superhero elements.
That being said, the ensemble nature of it all leads things to feel less focused than the first film’s. It doesn’t weaken the emotional impact or arcs by any means, but by the very nature of a film with a larger main cast, its going to feel like a less tightly knit narrative. Likewise, given the heavy emphasis on the dialogue scenes and the film’s overall emotional weight, it leads the typical third-act superhero fight to feel like its there more out of obligation than anything else.
“Wakanda Forever” does overall have that kind of messy emotionality to it that comes from when a director or a cast are so closely tied to the core of the film they’re making. It’s impossible to separate in this case, and while it makes for a slightly messier movie when compared to the first, it also makes for an extremely engaging adventure, one where you’re legitimately attached to the characters involved.
In some ways, reviewing this film is unfair. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is on a completely different level compared to other recent Marvel projects in terms of excitement and also somberness. This is a movie that’s not afraid to engage with its emotional side and is arguably at its best when it focuses on those elements. It’s a messier experience because of its larger main cast and that emotional focus, but it’s a richer and more captivating film that it overwise could have been if it hadn’t. Lead by a commanding cast and a deep sense of dramatic weight, its easily the best Marvel has been in a long time. 4/5
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