“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (2022) Review
Written by Victor DeBonis
“Wakanda Forever” is a solid sequel. There are a few specific areas where the movie are at its strongest. One regards the action scenes that are solidly done. Some of the on-ground battles have a shakiness that can be distracting, but the camera stays with the fighters as spears clash or fists aim towards one another. There is more creativity with air chases and a few other types of action that make for an entertaining view.
The other area in which the movie shines the strongest concerns scenes that discuss grief. Similar to the predecessor, “Black Panther 2” welcomes genuine discussions and debates about issues, which I loved, and I’m happy to say that this aspect is increased here regarding the passing of Chadwick Boseman’s character (May he rest in peace). The tribute to Boseman is very well-done, and the audience was stunned with how quiet and powerful the scenes honoring him are.
In addition to that, Shuri (once again played fantastically by Letitia Wright) has much frustration and pain from the passing of her brother, and, when she talks with other people about trying to cope with the loss and how one should deal with the hurt, the movie doesn’t provide any easy answers to her hurt, which I love. Loss is a complicated experience in numerous ways, and this film doesn’t dance around that.
One scene with a fantastically used cameo takes a direction with grief that I was surprised to see in a superhero film for family audiences, and I was very impressed. What it leads to is a little predictable and, if I’m being honest, a little disappointing, but I’m still happy that this scene played as it did.
It’s also worth noting that the acting is also great. Angela Bassett is assertive and, in some scenes, intimidating when confronted with the conflicts in front of her and her kingdom. She’s incredible to watch in every scene. Wright brings plenty of charisma and humanity to a role that requires both, and she never disappoints.
What keeps this movie from being great for me is, partly, that the runtime is a bit much. Somewhere around the middle, I was still enjoying the film, but the pacing was crawling a bit with some of the explanation, and I did find myself checking my watch at least once or twice.
As I’ve stated before, I’m not against longer runtimes if the story or experience makes it worththewhile, but, while I did enjoy this movie, overall, I found some of the plot here to, once again, make me question in my mind why so many contemporary blockbusters feel the need to show and explain every detail.
There’s also an FBI subplot that doesn’t add anything to the story aside from a few bits of so-so humor. I was happy to see Martin Freeman, since he’s always an interesting actor, but his character doesn’t contribute much to the overall events.
Additionally, another world of sorts is introduced in this film. It’s neat to see some of the culture, but I didn’t find this underwater world to be that different from other ones that I’d seen before. And, I’ll just say that the main antagonist of this movie has a legitimate motive, along with an intriguing backstory from his world, but I didn’t fear him or find him that interesting. He’s acted fine with a quiet assertiveness, but I feel that it takes a while before he does actions that make me sense his frustration for his home and his situation.
All in all, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a good movie but not a great one. Even if certain elements don’t click as much as they should or could be left out, the story, action, and themes of grief and moving forward are handled well enough that I give it a solid recommendation.
Grade: B