Really great, just not quite the superhero masterpiece it could have been. But definitely a top tier MCU film for a variety of reasons. Maybe the best? It feels important and you can clearly see the love and care that's been put into every scene. It feels purposeful and what the escapism of cinema is all about.
Some of the the visuals are stunning, the sound of the film is immense, the characters are diverse and interesting with their intentions and motives clear and understandable, the story itself is great. And I could listen to Chadwick Boseman do that voice for daysssss.
Things I wish were better, because it got so close to being fantastic:
- The development of Black Panther as a character is slightly minimal. I think it would have been nicer to see him face more dilemma's and suffer a little more. In the end his arc is laid out a little too neatly for him.
- The plot gets going at a yomping pace and I think could have benefitted from a little more character/relationship building in the mid-stages.
- The action towards the end didn't feel physical enough, an issue with many superhero films. Black Panther is a very physical character and that could have put forward so much more.
- Lots of cuts and edits in the end battle, which is par for the course, again took me out of the action. It all just seems to blur together which is a shame.
I'd still give it an A because I had such a good time with it and I loved being in Wakanda and with the characters, but ARGHHHHH it was so close to being something even more.