It already sounds like a joke that every time a Marvel movie or series is released, it is said that it is the best of the studio since a certain title. Lately, the usual thing was to use ‘Avengers: Endgame’ as a great reference, in part because Phase 4 of this universe of superheroes has not finished convincing many viewers.
As such, I am aware that saying that ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is my new favorite Marvel movie is going to be met with disbelief. I myself had my doubts that the studio was never going to do anything superior or simply up to ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ - yes there were several that were close like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ or ‘Avengers: Infinity War’-, even less that they were going to achieve it with a tape that had to be remade on the march for the death of Chadwick Bosemanbut that is just what has happened.
more dramatic
It was clear that the absence of T’Challa was going to mark the film. That is evident from its exciting prologueone of Marvel’s most dramatic scenes to date, and runs throughout the entire show, as ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ pays special attention to those characters who have suffered the most from the loss of Boseman.
All this leads to the presence of humor being much smaller than usual. It is not that it disappears completely, since everything related to an inspired Dominic Thorne It has a lighter approach that suits the film very well, but its use is much more dosed and there is no room to make fun of anything, especially the tremendous threat that Namor represents.
There it is true that the script of Ryan Coogleralso director of ‘Wakanda Forever’, and Joe Robert Cole It establishes a dilemma that plays with themes similar to those used in ‘Black Panther’, but it does so without falling into mere repetition. And he also achieves it by giving enough entity to Namor so that he is not just another Marvel villain and his motivations are as well worked out as those of Killmonger in the first installment.
It is fair to recognize that everything related to the world of Namor is not exactly the most fascinating part of the show, both because the marine scenes do not even come close to the level exhibited by james cameron Already only in the trailers of ‘Avatar 2’ -which visually the film often looks quite good but it is true that it shows that there is not so much care there- and because the other characters that inhabit it lack hook, but it does fulfill a function essential for the film to finish taking shape and give it touches more typical of war films than action films.
The two axes of ‘Wakanda Forever’
To make it clear, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ has two main axes. The first is to see how the old acquaintances deal with the absence of T’Challa and the second is the inevitable story of a great threat that the protagonists have to face. The interest of both is not the same, but it is Coogler manages to link them very satisfactorily to give the film greater dramatic depth, even in a subject as hackneyed as revenge, it moves with much more ease than expected.
There it is very noticeable that all those responsible for the film have wanted to give as much care as possible to how Boseman’s absence is addressed, since Marvel had not been in a similar situation to date. And the result of this is an absolute triumph, because at all times that feeling of irreparable pain flies over, giving ‘Wakanda Forever’ unique characteristics that are difficult to reproduce. Here you don’t have to create that pain, just know how to channel it according to your narrative needs.
I’m not going to say something stupid like that tragedy has done the film good, but it has motivated everyone involved to make it a special film to honor his memory. In addition, it offers different approaches depending on each of the characters, paying special attention to a Letitia Wright that assumes the leading role of ‘Wakanda Forever’ in a more than remarkable way.
Other details
It is clear that this penalty is not the same for a co-star -and perhaps friend- as it is for a sister, which is her role in fiction, but there Coogler shows that ‘Wakanda Forever’ is an ambitious film in which everything Regarding the superheroic, it is more something that arises in a situation as compromised as that, giving way to some of the most stimulating scenes in the film, such as a tough combat centered on Okoye (danai gurira).
Luckily, Coogler doesn’t neglect that in general terms either, hitting it especially right with the signing of Tenoch Huerta, both in giving Namor his own voice and in what he contributes so that Wakanda continues to complete the transition without T’Challa. Angela Bassett also has a strong presence there, and there are already those who say that she could get Marvel’s first nomination in acting categories. Being is very good, but it is not something so extraordinary.
Beyond that, ‘Wakanda Forever’ also adds a few more details to keep this universe growing, but that never becomes a priority, to the point where even the only post-credits scene it focuses more on its dramatic side, although planting several seeds beforehand, including a particularly promising one, which Marvel will surely pick up later.
In short
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is a movie more ambitious than usual in Marvel and with enough talent behind it so that it doesn’t remain a somewhat empty promise as happened last year with ‘Eternals’. Here the tragedy that forced everything to change has led to an adventure with a well-worked dramatic background that, even though not everything is equally inspired, also works as a great show. Not by much of a difference, but enough to become my new favorite movie from the studio.