"Captain America: Civil War" introduced us to the MCU's version of Wakanda's very own rich, genius superhero: T'Challa the Black Panther.
In "Civil War," Black Panther was introduced as a kind of ambassador before his father T'Chaka was killed in an explosion caused by Baron Zemo. Taking neither side in the Avengers' argument on registration, T'Challa's aim was simply to capture Bucky, the Winter Soldier, who had been framed for the bombing. This film ended with T'Challa, having learned the truth, offering shelter to Captain America and Bucky, stating that if the US want to hunt them down, they can try. This film opens in the past when T'Chaka was Black Panther, and confronted his brother N'Jobu for helping smugglers steal vibranium, the world's strongest metal. Incredibly rare, vibranium is the material used for Captain America's shield, and unbeknown to the rest of the world, Wakanda has a massive source of it. Though N'Jobu denies the treason, N'Chaka's spy reveals evidence of the brother's treachery, and the scene fades as the brothers reach tense silence. Picking up sometime after T'Chaka's death T'Challa is freeing prisoners and retrieving his former lover Nakia from a mission so he can invite her to his coronation. In one of the most simple-yet-effective moments of the film, T'Challa's reunion with Nakia results in him freezing up, one thing he had just mentioned he never does, and simply saying "...hey..." when he sees her. This one, short line goes a long way in humanizing T'Challa and showing that while he has been groomed for royalty his whole life, he is just like any other character. The two rejoin T'Challa's head guard, Okoye, and travel back to the technologically advanced Wakanda. To the outside world, Wakanda is a third-world country, due to not knowing about their vibranium, which is also used to keep the country cloaked. From the inside, the country consists of large cities powered with vibranium, while still following their own classic African culture. T'Challa reunites with his mother, Ramonda, and sister, Shuri, interacting with them in another humanizing scene as they poke fun at him for "freezing." The multiple tribes of Wakanda meet for T'Challa's crowning ceremony, during which they can challenge for the crown and mantle of Black Panther. M'Baku of the Jabari steps forth, and T'Challa defeats him in combat, convincing him to yield, so he won't have to die. Shuri shows T'Challa the advances she has made to the Black Panther suit, explaining it will absorb and redirect kinetic energy. Elsewhere, Erik Killmonger steals a vibranium artifact for Ulysses Klaue, seen in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" where his hand was sliced off. As T'Challa prepares to fight Klaue, his friend W'Kabi urges him to kill or capture Klaue, as he holds a grudge against the black market dealer. T'Challa, Okoye, and Nakia move to intercept Klaue, who plans to sell the vibranium to another character introduced in "Civil War:" Agent Everett K. Ross. After a stunning chase scene in which T'Challa makes use of his kinetic reversal, the group succeeds in capturing Klaue. While interrogating him, however, Killmonger arrives and frees Klaue, and T'Challa notices Killmonger's ring, which matches the one he got from T'Chaka. After returning to Wakanda, T'Challa tells a disappointed and angered W'Kabi about Klaue's escape, earning his ire. T'Challa then confronts Zuri, a close character, about Killmonger, and learns of T'Chaka's confrontation with N'Jobu, where Zuri was the undercover spy. Zuri explains that T'Chaka had to kill N'Jobu to save Zuri, and the two kept the event secret, choosing to tell everyone N'Jobu had disappeared. Killmonger was outside at the time, and entered the room to find only his father's corpse, naturally blaming the Wakandans, whom his father had taught him about. Murdering Klaue, Killmonger arrives in Wakanda to reveal himself and his heritage, and challenges T'Challa for the throne and Black Panther mantle. Due to being royalty, Killmonger's challenge goes through, and he successfully defeats T'Challa, tossing him over a waterfall after killing Zuri. With Wakanda splitting further into those T'Challa's supporters and Killmongers, issues of isolation or tradition come to a head. Wakanda dissolves into civil war as tribes begin fighting one another and T'Challa's loved ones try to find a way to stop Killmonger. For many, Black Panther has become one of Marvel's greatest and most important films, in part due to its cultural significance. This is one of the first times where a movie consists almost entirely of black cast members, and is directed by Ryan Coogler, a black man. "Black Panther" doesn't freeze in making statements about oppression and colonialism, with Wakandans even referring to white people as "colonizers." Though extremist in his views, it's hard not to sympathize with Killmonger and understand his point of view. Having been raised in rough US streets rather than Wakanda, Killmonger was somewhat detached from his culture, yet got to see oppression firsthand. To Killmonger, the Wakandans' decision to remain hidden is an insult to black people around the world, who still face racism and oppression. This view was focused, of course, because of his father's death, and he made it his life's goal to become Wakanda's king and use its resources to wage war. When gaining the power of Black Panther, individuals go into a kind of meditative world, with T'Challa seeing the past Black Panthers and speaking with his father. During Killmonger's meditation, he returns to the building where his father died, and speaks to him, reverting to childhood at one point and breaking down. Though I might not support his mission, it's hard to imaging what Killmonger had to go through growing up without his father in a rough, uncaring world. T'Challa and Killmonger's opposing views and lives are represented by the score, with scenes that focus on Killmonger taking on a rap or hip hop vibe in sound. While some could claim this is some kind of condemnation of rap, tome it seemed an example of what it represents. Rap began as a way for black people in horrible conditions to tell their stories, confronting worldly injustice and escaping the rough places they were forced into. This is exactly what happened with Killmonger, as he was left to grow alone having to fight for survival. While he deceived the Wakandans by not mentioning his role in helping Klaue steal vibranium, Killmonger clearly means and believes the things he says. He brings up the murder and oppression of black people in the world, and at some moments mentions the slave paths that took black people from Africa to America. T'Challa grows in many ways during the film, both because of his new responsibilities and the things he learns. The first time he meets T'Chaka's spirit, he mentions not feeling ready to be without his father, receiving encouragement from the former king. When not in private, however, T'Challa stands as an imposing figure, intimidating when he needs to be and not backing down from anything. His discovery of Killmonger and his father's lies send him into confusion, as he has already been struggling with whether to reveal Wakanda to the world or keep up the lie, only to see what lengths his father went to just to keep Wakanda hidden. Along with the film's firsts in terms of race, it also effectively brings in multiple powerful women characters. From the beginning, we get Okoye, his lead guard, and Nakia, a spy, with both being experts in their respective fields. Okoye is, at times, more intimidating than even T'Challa, taking her traditions and duties incredibly seriously. During one of my personal favorite scenes, Ross makes a jab at T'Challa and lightly smacks his chest, prompting Okoye to step in and stare him down. In Wakandan, she tells T'Challa that she will pin Ross to a table if he touches the king again, and Ross asks if she speaks English, to which she responds by giving him a wry smile and saying "When she wants to." Both moments got audible reactions from the audience at my viewing, including from me, and other moments with Okoye would as well, as she showed her prowess. Nakia proves herself a capable combatant as well, though she is better at infiltration, and T'Challa's sister Shuri has an important role. Shuri is not just the one who showed him his suit's improvements; she is the one who improved it, as she is the lead technologist in Wakanda. "Black Panther" breaks all kinds of social barriers and stereotypes as it gives us a a fantastic film led by black people and a great number of women. Rather than a bland villain like some films have given us, like "Iron Man 2" or the many important characters relegated to small time, we are given a complex and sympathetic foe for T'Challa. Whatever is set for Wakanda in the future, for the moment it has given us a grand experience that fans will love to see.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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