Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a very busy film without, thankfully, being a very messy film. They manage to stuff the movie to the (ahem) gills with character and plot without the whole merry-go-round flinging everyone off in a fit of centripetal fury.

The film opens with the bad news of Chadwick Boseman’s passing which is written into the script in an honorable and respectful way. The Black Panther is gone and Wakanda’s secret is known to a very greedy world which plots and schemes for that sweet, sweet Vibranium. Meanwhile, a threat from a second hidden empire also rich with Vibranium is rising from the depths.

This film does a very good job of not just dealing with Boseman’s passing but also writing it into a story that deals logically with the fallout from the end of Black Panther. Dealing with the governments of the world makes sense contextually and the way the new baddies come into play is also smart. It ties into this world’s geopolitical mud quite well. I also dig how it even brings in themes from Civil War.

Letitia Wright’s Shuri has the emotional arc of the film and she’s up for the gig. What could have been shrugged off – her grief over her brother’s death – is allowed to play out with emotional depth and follow-through. Yet she’s not really the star of the movie. Without a Chadwick Boseman or a recast of Black Panther, the movie dances between a decent sized cast of characters. It makes things feel a little unfocused without a central character to root for. But I think that’s why the movie is named Wakanda Forever. We’re focusing on a Wakandan extended family and not just a Black Panther.

Which isn’t to say that Letitia Wright doesn’t get some hefty emotional screen time or important action set pieces. It just means that, while hers is the one with the most emotional heft, Angela Bassett has almost equal screen time and arguably an even more emotional role to play. Danai Gurria and Lupita Nyong’o are both back with their own plots and heroics. They are all joined by newcomer Dominique Thorne in her own important role/setup for a Disney+ show. 

And then we have our new villain in Namor… His character and backstory fit perfectly in Black Panther’s themes of colonization and subjugation, just from a different culture. A culture we don’t get on screen very often so it was nice to see the new aesthetics. Namor himself does some heavy lifting as  another villain we can empathize with on some level. In fact, he’s arguably less villainous than Killmonger… and he’s got a more sly politically-minded outlook on life.

Though he does have wings on his feet which proves my whole theory: it’s hard to put wings on people’s feet and make them cool.

The film-making and imagery is probably ultimately better than the original Black Panther. There’s a decent amount of individual shots and slow-motion work that’s really eye-popping. Plus the CGI doesn’t go all Gumby like at the end of Black Panther. Unfortunately, I found much of the first half of the film remarkably dark, especially when compared to the first film’s color and tone.

Unfortunately, the action set pieces, particularly at the end of the film aren’t all that great. It always looks good and moves smoothly, but something about the end set piece feels like the movie was pulling back on its budget. It didn’t really feel like the stakes were all that high since it took the battle away from where we expected it and plops it on the back of an abstract boat. Not the most exciting place for fisticuffs.

I think that the action certainly looks better than it did in the last film, it’s just sabotaged by not feeling very impactful or critical. And that along with not having a strong main character is why the film comes out just a little behind the first Black Panther, which in my list of MCU films, puts it at about the center of the pack (I wasn’t as huge a Black Panther fan as most). It’s still a very good film though, just not top tier Marvel.

Score: 86