Movie: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Director: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel
Producers:Kevin Feige, Nate Moore
Writers:Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole
Story:Ryan Coogler
Editors:Michael P. Shawver, Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame
Music:Ludwig Göransson
Cinematography:Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Production Company: Marvel Studios
Release Date: 11 November 2022
3.5/5
The IBC News Rating
Directed by Ryan Coogler, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ has officially arrived despite the tragedy & obstructions set on it. With the expectations & emotions towering higher than ever, it would be difficult to really understate the weight this particular sequel is carrying. Let’s get into it now.
Story :
The film begins with the passing away of their king T’Challa, who dies of a disease that his sister Shuri believes could have been cured by the “heart-shaped herb”. With the announcement of the true nature of Wakanda, powerful people across the globe try to interfere with the extraction of Vibranium from them. How the tribe of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T’Challa forms the rest of the plot.
What’s Entertaining & What’s Boring:
The very attribution of the film with the late star Chadwick Boseman provides a steady, hard & emotional terrain needed for the film to get started & connect with the audience. The background score is much of an added bonus for the progression of the film in the way it is intended to, gripping & emotional. Along with the way the action & emotional sequences were shot, the surprise elements work the charm on the audience.
But the wondrous action sequences aren’t just enough. The reason & the sentimental value behind them are very much underwritten. Even though the drama is set up all along, the undercurrent emotions were not brewed enough to last long. This lead to the feeling of fights being stretched and drama being unsubtle.
Performance of Cast & Crew:
Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther steals the show. Her exemplary performance and dedication which can be seen in the action sequences simply put her on the top while, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye / Midnight Angel, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart has given a tough competition to all the supposed leads.
Along with the masterful cinematography by Autumn Arkapaw, Music by Ludwig Göransson is the biggest asset of the film. Needless to say, the sentimental & dramatic pitch is wholesomely handled by the background score, which is befitting to the stunning visual composition of the film. While the editing could have been crispier, the costume works stand out too, reminding the audience about the legacy of Wakanda.
First Half & Second Half:
The film’s first twenty minutes stand out with the establishment of the emotionality surrounding the passing away of Boseman both on & offscreen. Although the drama remains to stay in tack, the action seems to fall apart in places, making space for the subplots & elevations of the backstory & mythology.
The second half heavily relied on the action sequences and they just couldn’t maintain the pitch of the first half. At one point, it felt like the makers are just pooling in too much on these sequences rather than the drama or the plot. This is the big drawback of the film, affecting the pace & mood.
Impressive:
Emotional Sentimentality
Lead Cast Performances
Cinematography
Music
Background Score
Unimpressive:
Run-time
Weak action sequences
Forced MCU Subplots
The IBC News take on Movie:
‘Wakanda Forever’ doesn’t always be its most fluid or compelling form to engage & dramatize with the audience, but it never loses sight of its urgency. None of this is to imply the failure as a movie nor even that it’s bad, but it’s just the film is trying to be a few too many things at once, affecting the beautiful ideas to become a little shabby in the process by forcing them to compete with one another for space and time.
One-Line Review:
Although it might not match its predecessor, it’s amply satisfying! Long Live the King!