Monday Movie Mania - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This may be the last theater viewing DH and I do for a while. Just when I started to get comfortable going to the local cinema again, COVID, RSV, and flu rates started climbing in our section of Ohio. The rates are high enough most of my doctors have gone back to requiring masks in their office for both staff and patients. And even in the offices that aren't requiring masks, more and more people are voluntarily wearing them as a precaution.

But enough about that.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever provoked an intense emotional reaction from the audience, though not the same emotions as the original Black Panther. One kid stood up and cheered. The rest of the audience, men and women, young and old, black and white, were bawling their eyes out.

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SPOILERS

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PROS

1) The beginning and ending of the movies were amazing tributes to both T'Challa and Chadwick Boseman. The end especially was the reason we were all crying.

2) Leticia Wright claimed the mantle of Black Panther as expected and did an excellent job as the lead.

3) The revision of the Sub-Mariner's storyline was essential because it's practically the same as Aquaman's in the comics. The writers gave a little more sympathetic storyline to Namor, and Tenoch Huerta Mejia beautifully pulled off the revised Namor.

4) Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, makes her debut. I think I'm in love with Dominique Thorne. All the replacements for the original six Avengers is now complete for Marvel's Stage Four.

5) The cameo by Michael B. Jordan expands Shuri's grief and anger at failing to save her brother.

6) M'Baku and Shuri's agreement on how affairs in Wakanda will be handled showed a maturity in both characters.

7) General Okoye. 'Nuff said.

CONS

1) How they handled Queen Ramonda pissed me off because I love, love love Angela Bassett. She always provides a wonderful, nuanced performance in everything she does.

Chadwick Boseman was on his way to becoming one of the greatest American actors of all time. His talent brought a grace and humanity to a role that could have been treated as a joke. His loss over the same stupid disease that nearly killed DH just fucking kills me. But everyone involved in the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever lived up to Chadwick's talent and ideals. They made a movie that was a wonderful homage to both the character and the actor. And Leticia Wright earned her stripes as the new Black Panther.

Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earn 10 stars out of 10.