Written by Tara Kaul
On February sixteenth, the iconic Marvel film, Black Panther, was released. The excitement and buildup to this movie in America had been absolutely enormous, and I won’t be ashamed to admit that I was a part of the crowd, counting the days until the third Friday of February. The days after its release, millions of viewers flocked to the movie theaters- but did the movie generally satisfy the audience who had been patiently waiting for so long?
I believe the answer is a resounding yes. Black Panther was an amazing experience, having a hugely talented cast and an outstanding technical crew which really made this movie come alive. However, more than being the first Marvel film that was released in 2018, Black Panther really made history by being the first Marvel Movie to have an all African-American cast. The movie itself helped exhibit the culture of Africa, and most of the cast spoke in an African accent.That’s what made this movie different and exciting as in the past, Marvel movies have tried to assemble a diverse cast and failed. So as expected, many were surprised and excited to see this culturally ambiguous film.
The society represented in the film showed men and women treated equally. The army was comprised of all women soldiers who were trained to protect their king- a pathbreaking diversion from the cliched and stereotypical stories Hollywood churns out every few months. Instead of portraying women as weak, they were seen as powerful, strong soldiers- exactly the type of role models that should be created by the film industry for little girls.
The story takes place in a fictional country in Africa named Wakanda. The people there are shown to use an exotic, special mineral called Vibranium to create advanced technology that helps them in their day-to-day life. Their newly coronated king, T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, is ready to take the responsibilities as ruler of Wakanda and as the protector of his country as the Black Panther. He is the ruler of Wakanda who wears a suit made of Vibranium which gives him special abilities allowing him to protect his nation and its secrets. In the movie, a man named Ulysses Klaue, played by Andy Serkis, wants to steal this precious mineral, with the intent of making weapons and sharing its existence with the world. He teams up with Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, to sneak into the kingdom of Wakanda. Killmonger, however, has different plans, abandoning Klaue and attempting to take over the throne for himself to avenge his father’s murder. As the plot thickens, new conflicts and twists play out and the Black Panther is forced to make some difficult decisions that are aimed for the eventual betterment of his people.
With a solid 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and widespread critical acclaim, Black Panther has made more than a billion dollars only a month and a half since its release. Widely agreed to be one of the best Marvel movies ever made, its global popularity is spreading like wildfire. For Marvel fans and adventure loving enthusiasts or just the regular moviegoer, I would most definitely recommend this film.
Marvel’s Black Panther is a landmark movie, featuring an all African-American cast and defying gender stereotypes set by the movie industry.
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