Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Review - Slow But A Steady New Rise In The Black Panther's Legacy

Chadwick Boseman's departure made things very difficult for the Black Panther sequel, not just in terms of casting but also theoretically. Black Panther was a highly successful film because it represented the meeting of American and African cultures in the Marvel universe. I couldn't believe it for a second that a standalone superhero flick like Black Panther earned more than Avengers: Infinity War at the American box office. But that's what describes its popularity, no. Now that Chadwick is gone, it was a big task for the makers to live up to the standard set by him as a character and as a film too. Marvel knows how to make sequels and how to take stories forward, and they did exactly that with Ryan Coogler's superhero saga. Wakanda Forever is somewhat slow but steady sequel that gives new rise to the entire Wakanda universe in the MCU.The film begins with T'Challa's death, and then his mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), takes charge as the Queen, who is secretly grieving her big personal loss. Wakanda is left without their protector and most powerful person, Black Panther, when they are attacked by Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Namor also has the same vibranium powers, but he has set his kingdom underwater. An MIT student, Riri (Dominique Thorne), builds a machine that can help the Americans trace vibranium, which is the main reason why Namor wants her dead. However, he has to tackle the Wakandians who stand beside Riri. So it's a three-way battle, but only two sides have to settle things first. Will Wakanda survive against powerful Namor without their protector, or will there be a new hero for them?Wakanda Forever is a well-written script, and Ryan really knew where to spill the dice. He, along with Joe Robert Cole, has written a solid screenplay that compiles the usual conflicts of a superhero flick with human emotions, family drama, and social conscience very well. It takes time to settle, which is fair enough because it isn't a typical money-spinner franchise for Marvel. Black Panther is supposed to be story-driven, unlike other superheroes in the Marvel Universe, and that's what they have tried to do there. Even so, it still has a few flaws that can't be overlooked. A few scenes follow the same tantrums from days gone by, and the heroism is missing too (even with females). Nevertheless, there are more good things than bad, so the battle is won.Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has more female characters than male ones, so it wouldn't be inappropriate to say that the females are the top performers here. Letitia Wright as Shuri takes the lead here. I kind of liked her in the first Black Panther film more than any other supporting character in any Marvel film. There was some excitement about her character, and then the tech-savvy boost really made me fall in love with it. Wakanda Forever takes that away, which is sad, but it brings her to the front, which is the best thing that happened to her. Tenoch Huerta's sexy body and physical appeal speak more than dialogues, and even the attitude is fine. The two supporting pillars of T'Challa's life, his mother, played by Angela Bassett, and his lover, played by Lupita Nyong'o, also deliver a steady performance. Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, and Martin Freeman's support are excellent throughout the film.Wakanda Forever is not a heavy VFX film (it was never supposed to be one even in the previous appearances of the superhero), but the action scenes are well executed. They are fewer in number, and with a long runtime of 160 minutes, it is definitely too little. The framework of Autumn Durald Arkapaw is quite fascinating, as the film has so many underwater scenes and many ashore. That Avatar: The Way of Water feeling has arrived a month earlier. Some may argue, but the editing could have been more crisp, in my opinion. Ryan Coogler knew that he had to carry Boseman's references along with the new story, and he has done a superb job there. Watch out for the surprise in the end credit scene. Wakanda Forever stands steady as an individual film of its own, and you have to watch it for that. It does not include much of the outer world or even the other Avengers like every other Marvel film, so just keep that in mind. It's a wholesome Black Panther film and nothing else, but the emotional quotient adds extra to your viewing experience.