112. Black Panther; movie review

BLACK PANTHER
Cert 12A
134 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, injury detail, rude gesture

We had heard and read so much about the diversity of Black Panther, it was high time that Mrs W and I saw whether the biggest box office hit of 2018 met the hype.
It left us with mixed feelings.
Sure, it is important because it goes a small way to redressing the ethnic balance of blockbuster films by having black heroes (and villains of sorts).
And it isn't quite as crass as some of the superhero films where great swathes of cities are wiped out in the name of a good punch-up.
In addition, it tries to have a sense of humour - others in the audience laughed more than we did at its gags we thought were rather tepid.
But its fundamental storyline is too predictable and, ultimately, not as exciting or complex as the best of the recent superhero movies - Doctor Strange and Wonder Woman.
Ryan Coogler's movie stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa, the new king of a secretive African country called Wakanda.
This is a mineral-rich paradise which is hidden behind a Star Trek-style cloak (think Eddie Murphy's Zamunda from Coming To America and add technology).
Anyway, the king has the right to be given a potion which gives him the extraordinary powers of the Black Panther but must first see off, in ritual battle, any claimants to his throne.
At first all seems plain sailing, much to the delight of his mum (Angela Bassett), sister (Letitia Wright), bodyguard (Danai Gurira) and potential romance (Lupita Nyong'o).
But their balance threatens to be upset by a traditional baddie (Andy Serkis) who is after their minerals and a less obvious one (Michael B. Jordan) who is chasing revenge.
There is many a fight with a fair few special effects chucked in. However, I was much more convinced by Jordan as a warrior, than I was by T'Challa who seems strangely low-key.
With much of the action set in a fictional African country, the audience is mercifully drawn away from the traditional American skylines of this type of film (I would love to count up how many times New York or San Francisco have been obliterated on the big screen).
But, instead of bathing in Africa's richness, Black Panther's makers chose to create an entirely new country, let alone city.
What are they trying to say? That it would have been unsuitable for the hero to be Nigerian, Senegalese, Gambian or any other African nationality?
The answer might be that he needed to be an amalgam of all Africans such is the rarity of an all-black picture.
I digress. The principles around Black Panther are entirely right. To have a black director and almost entirely black cast in a mainstream movie and include powerful roles for women, is a rallying cry to Hollywood.
I just wish that it had a more compelling storyline.

Reasons to watch: Ground-breaking superhero movie
Reasons to avoid: Its story is strangely subdued

Laughs: Three (more from others in the audience)
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Director quote - Ryan Coogler on black representation in movies: "As more content gets made, more opportunities like ours can come about for folks. But you’ve got to put your foot on the gas when it comes to that or things can go back to where they were.”

The big question - Why has it taken so long to have an ethnic superhero?

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