Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) Movie Review

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was never going to be able to simply leap over the huge chasm left behind by Chadwick Boseman's death.

The identity of the franchise and its celebration of Blackness was so intrinsically interlaced with the man who donned the Panther mask back in 2018 for the first movie. Along with T'Challa's in-depth back story, Boseman ushered a new Afrocentric age into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The costumes, the accents, the mannerisms, the music (oh those sweet beats), the list trails on and on. It was a cultural gift that made Black heritage feel seen and appreciated in a space where it had never been before.

Chadwick Boseman's death was an unexpected sledgehammer that hit the fans, his fellow actors (who apparently adored him) and the franchise itself hard. While no one film is about just one individual, he was the very heart of Black Panther and so the question of how to carry on without someone so deeply woven into every part of the movie was complex at best.

That being so, what director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and the team have done with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is nothing short of outstanding.

Under Coogler's guidance, they unpicked the world which they had so carefully crafted, a world which held Boseman in the middle, and put it back together again.

What results is something that feels and looks as gloriously celebratory as it always has, but is something that moves and walks in a whole new way, its gears twisting and turning to a new rhythm.

Though the technical details of his passing could have been explained a little better, how they deal with that process is seamless. Coogler leaves room for mourning, for a moment of stillness, for celebrating his life before gently and carefully nudging us into the direction of the real story that's being told. His succession versus the new threat on the horizon.

Unavoidably, Boseman's absence paradoxically has a presence of its own but in a way that feels wholly appropriate and is not distracting.

So much of this story is about answering the question of how grief shows up for you. You see it move amongst Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Queen Mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett), within the Dora Milaje and the wider Wakandan tribes. Its manifestation leads to character growth that shows up in how they deal with the unfolding events.

The introduction of Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his fellow Talocan residents is, of course, one such unfolding event that hugely shapes the movie.

While Namor's backstory may have been clunkily shoehorned in, the details behind it are rich. It does what Black Panther does best, continuing to address larger issues in social history that still affect people today.

The change in Namor's ethnicity as he transitions from the comic book pages to screen does not feel tokenistic. Rather it's the perfect platform to give South- and Central-American culture the opportunity to be represented and explored within the superhero genre. It is also a part of (though not limited to) what gives Namor such interesting nuance.

Namor being an underwater god also means the fight scenes are next-level satisfying. Expect spectacle and you won't be disappointed.

When it comes to pacing, don't be put off by the 160-minute runtime. Wakanda Forever is the perfect example of allowing a story as much time as it needs to be told. It flows on, never wasting a single scene – or moment – with fluff, bloat or filler. Everything is precisely set up.

There are many things to rave about but if you're here to find out if Wakanda Forever is better than its predecessor then the answer is, yes. By a hair.

Black Panther, the original movie, was great in its own right, but what makes Wakanda Forever arguably that smidge better are the surprise twists.

With the debut movie, viewers could generally predict the overarching story. The setup was pretty formulaic, but fans forgave this minor transgression because the execution was flawless.

It was a visual feast with great actors to back it up and a balm to those of us in dire need of Black inclusivity.

This time around, there is less telling how things will pan out – which adds a healthy level of anticipation. There are also a couple of events that will almost certainly take your breath away.

Ironheart's Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne) also makes her debut and you'd think with all these changes and new characters, the film would feel overstuffed. It doesn't. Dominique switches up the dynamic in places adding more than just comic value but definitely a lighter, humorous tone nonetheless.

It would be impossible to talk about Wakanda Forever without tipping one's philosophical hat to the costume, hair and make-up department, but hair in particular.

Their contribution tends to be overlooked when it is so often underestimated how representation through afro hair matters – the less we talk the better about Black girls on screen who step into a shower and drench their afro hair as if it would only take minutes to coiffure for the next scene.

Wakanda Forever's various teased 'fros, locs, braids and cornrows appropriately embellished with headdresses and accessories show off the diversity of Black hair and cultural creativity.

Finally, the movie wraps things up by paying further tribute to T'Challa in a fashion that speaks to the ethos of the movie and that question, "How does grief show up for you?"

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is masterfully and delicately handled. It doesn't sink under the weight of its uphill challenges, rather it rises to and exceeds expectations. You Can Now Free Download and Watch Offline on MovieShorgo.