Okay, who hasn’t watched Black Panther? I think one third of the world’s population has probably seen it at this stage. But for those of you who haven’t, well you really SHOULD. I mean, this movie is so entertaining and rich of African culture, so different from the other “white” superheroes movies with predictable stories and endings. To cut it short, here are 5 reasons why 2,5 hours was worth it for this movie:
1. The ALL-STAR Cast (obviously)
I think someone out there should give Marvel’s recruitment team a medal for putting together half of the Holywood in their cinematic universe. Black Panther is no exception, you would see starling performances from Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, and so many more. Solid acting with deep roots on African culture. Even their accents are suited to the whole movie them. But most importantly, I just can’t stand watching Michael B. Jordan being the villain. Help me God, he’s just so awesome!
2. The Best Villain with Logical Conflict
It’s hard for me to relate with villains who only care about “conquering the world” or something like that. You see, most of the superheroes movies are full of villains with shallow motives like “I want to conquer the world”, “I want you to feel like shit”, “I want to seek revenge”, and the-likes. I just feel like it’s not strong enough for you to kill thousand other people just to “seek revenge”?
And so, I really like how Black Panther sees the world in two different perspectives, especially perspective from the villain, Erik Killmonger. He’s a complete character with enough back story, motivation, and relation. He doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Hence, the overall conflict is much more logical. It’s a stark difference of ideology between T’Challa’s and Killmonger’s. And isn’t it what sparks the World War in real life? Not because some people want to conquer the world, but because of different belief in running a country (or in this case, a kingdom).
3. Less Action, More Story
If you are like me who doesn’t like gunshots, bam bam, explosion, fire everywhere, then this movie would please you so much. You won’t get a headache that you usually get while watching other superheroes movies. What I really like about Black Panther is how they keep everything civil and considerate. There’s no huge explosion with thousands innocent victims, there’s no fire this, fire that, lightsaber, etc. Sure there’s still an action, but the actions are only there to complete the whole story, instead of being the highlight of the movie itself.
4. Wakanda culture, forever!
Black Panther stands out from the other superheroes movies, perhaps due to its authenticity in giving the stage to the black culture. I’ve never been to Africa before, but the whole movie basically sums up African pride with so many little yet significant elements. I particularly adore the costume designs throughout the movie. They were all so vibrant, bold, and mesmerizing.
Do you know that the blanket used by traders is actually influenced from Basotho people in Lesotho? The neck rings in kings’ guard is called indzila and worn by married women in Ndebele, South Africa. Even the text font is inspired by Nsibidi fonts from Nigeria. Those are just few out of many elements that they really researched to incorporate African cultures in every part of the movie. The result speaks for itself: a movie full of cultural and political message with A-star cast and spoiling CGI effect in and out.
5. The soundtrack is over the top
Never had I been addicted to superheroes movies’ soundtracks. But Black Panther puts upfront a really great choices of soundtracks from the beginning of the movie to the end. There’s some cultural folklore mixed with modern touch. Whoever picks the music for each scene deserves a credit because it really builds up the feeling as we watch scene by scene goes by.
Bonus: Black Panther is truly empowering women
Black Panther has only two leading roles of men, the hero and the villain. The other supporting roles are rich of strong empowered women, from the kingdom’s guards, to the head of technology! I cannot help but to compare it with Wonder Woman. Unlike Wonder Woman, they do not put woman in quite typical position where they have to be protected or shielded. They don’t have to dress sexy and wear high heels to the battle. (Seriously, who does that?) We can see it clear as day that T’Challa won’t survive without being helped by all the women around him. His sister, his lover, his mother, and his trusted guardian. They lead all the fights and contribute significantly to the success of Wakanda.
There you go, 5+1 reasons to watch Black Panther in the cinema (or streaming, I don’t judge). What else are you waiting for? Go ahead and prepare your snacks cause this movie is dabomb!
