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Movie Review: Marvel Is Now Mostly Painting By Numbers With “Black Panther”

[yasr_overall_rating]
 

T’Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.

In the seemingly endless series of Marvel properties comes “Black Panther,” set to open really big at the box office this week. Perhaps because of that, my expectations may have been a little on the high side. Nevertheless, I did expect more from the film and came away wanting.

The complaint is less about what’s wrong with “Black Panther” – in fact at this stage, that’s probably not the right question. The weakness of the film boils down to simply more of the same Marvel recipe dressed up with different characters in a different context. Because of the paint-by-numbers technique, there’s no need to delve too much into the plot. Like “Thor” and other mythical Marvel creations, that’s not really the draw – we pretty much know where things will end up by the closing credits.

As a result of these constraints, it is necessarily incumbent upon filmmakers to make use of the remaining opportunities available to them. Specifically, that would comprise writing a script that infuses interesting characters, leading-edge special effects, and witty humor. In all of these categories, “Black Panther” too often merely scratches the surface.

Case in point: I wonder how many obligatory fight sequences audiences will endure before growing weary of them. Having asked the question, I realize I might not like the answer. As an economist, I could indeed conclude from current theater offerings that viewer demand is infinite, no matter how ubiquitous the supply.

Much as the first-half of the film is devoted to the backstory. In a nutshell, we slog through the mythical history of the fictitious East African country of Wakanda, followed by a somewhat interesting exposition regarding the special element called vibranium. This fantastical isotope, found only in Wakanda, can absorb all nearby vibrations and kinetic energy and is imbued with other special properties.

All well and good, but the narrative tidbits are ladled out ever so sparingly and deliberately. Further, throughout the movie, but particularly at the beginning, almost everyone is so stiff and formal. There is an oppressive sense of self-importance that the all-too-few interruptions of humor cannot assuage.

Bright spots include Letitia Wright as Shuri, sister to the title character T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. Shuri is the enchanting technological brains behind the outfit, so to speak, and is a delightful presence on screen whenever she appears. Of the many characters in the film, Wright has the best lines and delivers them flawlessly.

Daniel Kaluuya, now best-known for “Get Out” (but also “Sicario”) turns in yet another fine performance as W’Kabi. He has been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar this year, and as of this writing, the results have not yet been announced.

The old guard of tribal patriarchs and matriarchs are represented primarily by Oscar-nominee Angela Bassett and Oscar-Winner Forest Whitaker. They provide suitable gravitas to the production, but unfortunately, their characters aren’t given very much to do that’s interesting.

At this juncture, it’s worth mentioning the alternative approach that Warner Bros. applies to the superhero genre based on the admittedly darker DC Comics material. Clearly, the studio has had both hits (“Wonder Woman”) and misses (“Man of Steel”) and mixtures of both (“Suicide Squad” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”). But at least the WB is willing to take a few chances. “Black Panther” has taken no chances at all in this exceedingly formulaic adventure.

That’s a shame, because “Black Panther” so often seems ripe for opportunity. Fleeting satirical references to European colonization of Africa, or of the War on Drugs that disproportionately targets U.S. citizens of African-American descent could and should be mined further in future installments. While the film clearly intends to impart a message about social injustice, it does so with too much preachiness and too little acerbic wit. Here’s hoping for a better entry the next time around.

In theaters Friday, February 16th

 

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Thomas Tunstall

Thomas Tunstall, Ph.D. is the senior research director at the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is the principal investigator for numerous economic and community development studies and has published extensively. Dr. Tunstall recently completed a novel entitled "The Entropy Model" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982920610/?coliid=I1WZ7N8N3CO77R&colid=3VCPCHTITCQDJ&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it). He holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy, and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas, as well as a B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.