Honestly I've just been avoiding this about as long as I've been thinking about just how to articulate my thoughts on it. It being "Black Panther" of course. The movie. The most recent in the Marvel cinematic universe. Yes. This is a review. Of sorts. So let's just start off with the premise. I thought it was just okay.
It's a strange place to be, a strange time to be alive. It hasn't been all that long since the movie came out and already it's being heralded as prolific and iconic and a game-changer, etcetera, etcetera. So many people have so many opinions on how great and grand and lovely the movie was but I found it pretty lackluster. Truthfully I found myself more emotionally invested in the reactions of non-POCs than the movie itself. Don't get me wrong, there was some phenomenal acting going on. Michael B. Jordan? Danai Gurira? Winston Duke? Andy Serkis? Simply killed it. Chadwick Boseman, the titular character wasn't bad either but I just was a bit more invested in the stories of the supporting cast. And my goodness, Letitia Wright? From "Black Mirror" to "Black Panther?" I can see her picking up a lot more work in the very near future. But I don't want to just leave that little strand out for grabs. The mass reaction and any sense I can make of rectifying it with my own has me putting thought to the page in the first place.
The CG was subpar. The transitions fell short of the quality expected of Marvel properties. The practical scenes looked and even to an extent felt so authentic and pure but then not-so-subtle lines would destroy a moment. ahem "what are those" ahem The ending felt rushed. I don't know how it can't be considered as a trend at this point for Marvel to kill its antagonists. The standouts being Spider-Man which to be fair would be a pretty bold swing considering the hero's 15-ish and Civil War where, really they could've just done it but because they didn't, made it so much more prolific. From Marvel's Netflix shows to its cinematic, so many villain chapters seem to be permanently closed thanks to plot. Which really, is just so uncomicbook-like. Just a note.
But really, the movie wasn't bad. It just feels like it got that extra bit of hype from the inherent guilt pushed mainstream by this post-PC climate that seems to have taken hold of the United States. When non-POC are talking about how revolutionary a movie that was generally pretty mediocre is, how can any POC not see the "why?" Not saying it's true for all but that, looks like a duck, talks like a duck.... I've never really cared about representation. Growing up I just like good stories and fantastic visuals. Race didn't matter to me as I longed to connect based on ideals and personality. But all this talk now just makes me wonder. And I can't even begin to unpack why it is infuriating to hear non-POCs tout praises. The new "Get Out" which was the new "I would've voted for Obama a third time" except it wasn't "Get Out." This was a super hero movie. I'm a fan of super heroes but even I can't overlook the glaring flaws. Or maybe it's because I am a fan that I can't. Either way. While I await the next in the shoots I just wonder, no, hope that they will be better. And hope that whatever wild haze is clouding the minds of the masses finds a new home so creators can get back to what they should always be doing, creating that which expands understanding and furthers the evolution of the mind, body, and soul.