Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Black Panther Movement

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest release is ‘Black Panther,’ right in time for Black History Month.  To be honest, I was a bit concerned that BP would splutter at the box office not because of the character’s skin color but because, let’s face it, BP just isn’t one of Marvel’s better known superheroes.  It turns out that my fears are unfounded since BP has raked in over $700 million worldwide ($354 million domestic) after just two weekends, breaking not only the color barrier but also setting all kinds of box office records.  Part of the reason for this is that the film has drawn moviegoers who don’t typically go to superhero movies.  Why do I think that?  Because at the showing I went to most of the people left the auditorium before the final credits have rolled, missing out on the mid- and post-credit sequences.
 
Chadwick Boseman first appeared as BP in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ on the right side as part of Team Captain America against Iron Man’s crew.  As you’ll recall his father (then king of Wakanda) perished in a terrorist attack in that movie.  BP picks up where CA:CW left off as Boseman’s T’Challa picked up his father T’Chaka’s mantle as the new King of Wakanda after proving himself in ritual combat.  However, his authority is further challenged by none other than N’Jadaka aka Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan, after a brief stint as the FF’s Human Torch), who wants to use Wakanda’s heretofore hidden advanced technology to empower oppressed colored people around the world in an armed uprising a la’ Malcolm X to oppose T’Challa’s MLK.
 
Timely and socially relevant, BP is not just another typical superhero tent-pole movie, even though it has all the markings of one.  Anchored by the charismatic Boseman and Michael B. Jordan and helmed by one of Hollywood’s finest young directors, Ryan Coogler (‘Fruitvale Station,’ ‘Creed’), BP proved once again that Disney and Marvel can make tons of money on movies about almost anybody even if they safely tread familiar territory.

Grade: A-

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