By Naomi Anderson, Entertainment Editor
When I started writing this, I didn’t know how to. Where could I begin with this outstanding film? The graphics? The clothing? The actors? The soundtrack? There is so much greatness in this movie, so we’re just going to go with what I want everyone to know: You need to see Black Panther.
In the beginning, we learn about the fictional place Wakanda, a technologically-advanced and extremely wealthy country, and how the Marvel superhero Black Panther was created with the use of a heart-shaped purple herb.
Wakanda relies on vibranium, a strong and powerful metal, and isolates itself, masked as a Third World country.
The story follows T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) becoming the king of Wakanda after his father’s death. Although Black Panther is a little slow in the beginning, the storyline picks up pace when T’Challa goes to South Korea with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), his ex, and Okoye (Danai Gurira), the head of the all-female special forces of Wakanda, to stop Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) from selling a Wakandan artifact he stole from a museum.
The movie includes a criminal alliance between Klaue and Eric “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), who used to be a U.S. Black Ops soldier and got his nickname from how many people he killed. This is discovered by T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), a tech savvy teenager. Both men seek Wakanda’s vibranium, but for different reasons: Killmonger wants to use the wonder resource to claim what he believes is his rightful place on the throne, while Klaue wants to make money from Wakanda’s vibranium.
Black Panther has beautiful costumes, breathtaking cinematography, and a mesmerising soundtrack.
The costumes are sleek and alluring, full of colors from bright blues and yellows to deep reds and gold. Everyone has their own color and it is so beautiful! Black Panther has a purple theme, Okoye has red, and Nakia has golds and greens.
The cinematography blew my mind. My favorite scene is when T’Challa ingests the heart-shaped herb and travels to a mystical realm. The sky is a gradient of purple and blue which makes T’Challa look bright and pure in his white clothes. Another perfect shot is when the jet zooms through the beautiful city of Wakanda. All the shots are smooth and fast.
The soundtrack is just gorgeous! The soundtrack includes artists such as Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and SZA. The awesome beats and feel make a scene totally boss and epic. Aside from the songs and lyrics, the instrumentals bring out African vibes. The vocals and drums give a tribal feel to the place. It made Wakanda seem almost graceful because it was warm and happy, yet sometimes dangerous.
As of March 15, Black Panther has brought in more than $1 billion worldwide at the box office. Since the release of the film, the movie inspired black cosplayers to dress as the cast, according to an National Public Radio Here & Now report. Even though Wakanda isn’t real, the language sure is! The Wakandans speak Xhosa, a language of South Africa.
All in all, this movie made me want to become a Marvel fan. The actors in this film are spectacular, with several familiar faces such as Daniel Kaluuya, who played W’Kabi, and Forest Whitaker, who played Zuri. I plan on seeing this movie again, mostly for the music and to see Danai Gurira kick butt like she does in The Walking Dead as Michonne.
I would definitely give this movie a five out of five stars!