Black Panther- Wakanda Forever review

 

Real life and fiction mesh effectively as Marvel find a way forward after tragedy

 The tragic death of Chadwick Bosemen in 2020 left a personal and storytelling void in its wake. Just as life goes on so does the story of Wakanda but this is a dignified continuation that both pays homage to the past and also looks to the future. 

 Spoilers after the break..

Rather than avoid what happened in real life the film addresses it head on having T’Challa pass in a similarly unexpected and sudden manner leaving those closest to him struggling to deal with what comes next. There is a funeral depicted which in the tradition of many countries it has an element of celebration in it as well. Meanwhile Vibranium, the rare mineral hitherto thought to have only been found in Wakanda turns out to also be found in the undersea kingdom of Talokan. With such a resource and both being cultures previously hidden from the world they theoretically then they should be allies but Talokan is flexing its muscles in incidents for which Wakanda is getting the blame. It’s a three way scenario whose escalation could threaten the world order.

Whereas the first film was dominated by two extraordinary male performances- both from Chadwick Boseman and also Michael B Jordan- so this sequel is anchored by two equally powerful female ones. Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright- as T’Challa’s mother Ramonda and his sister Shuri have to take charge at this delicate time just as Wakanada finds itself in an awkward international position. Angela Bassett exudes calm authority but sometimes when Ramonda is irked it will explode. Her sense of duty conflicts with her feelings and you can see it in her face every time she is on screen. Her speech to the United Nations and her indignation when things go awry in her own army are powerful platforms for the actor. Yet there are those silent looks, that sense of a character trying to contain so many conflicting emotions.

Letitia Wright’s Shuri has a lot to deal with and is always trying to do the right thing. It's easy to see shades of T’Challa in her responses and she seems quite impressed with the Talakan civilisation even though she has been kidnapped by them she retains scientist’s curiosity. Yet when matters escalate she seems about to take a similar path to Killmonger in the first film reminding us how nuanced a character he was. Is what Shuri really wants revenge for her everything that happened? It’s a marvellous performance that Letitia Wright gives despite the narrative giving her a little too much to do at times considering how many other characters are knocking around.

Just like its predecessor this film has an intriguing antagonist. Talokan’s leader Namor played with precision by Tenock Huerta is pragmatic and clever. He has really thought through his methods and delivers on his threats yet is not without charm and diplomatic skills when required. The Talokans prove to be a more formidable opponent than expected yet its aquatic kingdom looks beautiful, one of Marvel’s best imagined places yet.

The set up inspires some terrific action scenes. Especially interesting are the grenades which explode with water on impact and give a different visual than regular explosions.  The Talokans ride clinging onto the side of whales and leap out of water like salmon while much of their imagery seems derived from ancient Mayan culture.. With wings on his feet Namor is seen as a God by his people and for Wakanda is a difficult enemy to beat though the method they eventually find is appropriately scientific rather than military.

Of course the name of this film is Black Panther and eventually that superhero returns in the form of Shuri, something taken from the comics but the road to that development is an interesting one. If I had a criticism its that there are are too many characters at times and the ending, while satisfactory from a visual point of view, seems a little one note compared to the more intelligent arguments that had been bubbling up during the rest of the film. Having established just how keenly intelligent Namor is I’m not convinced he would fall for such a trap as the one they lay here.

We are all running out of ways to say this is another great Marvel film but it really is and stay for the end credits because the extra scene in the middle of them is genuinely a part of this film rather than the usual call forward to something else.