Spoilers Obvi

Given the incredible task of having to create a follow up film after the death of Chadwick, the fact that this movie is good in of itself is a miracle. But this movie is more then good, it’s brilliant. Ryan Coogler. The director that you are. 

One of the main recurring motifs of Black Panther is death and mourning. T’Challa taking over after King T’Chaka, Ramonda taking over after T’Challa and Shuri after Ramonda. However, the very real death of Chadwick adds to the depth and heaviness of this film. And instead of shying away from it and focusing on making a franchise, Coogler allows us as an audience to mourn along with the cast, crew and characters. A very much welcomed changed of pace, the slowness of the story forces the audience to sit with your emotions. While I believe that all marvel movies are too long, Wakanda Forever is probably the only MCU film that justifies its run time. The silent Marvel title screen oh my god you could hear a pin drop in the cinema.

Now Letitia Wright is no Chadwick, but she does a brilliant job holding the story together and playing the lead. However, Tenoch (Namor) Dominique (Riri) and Angela (Ramonda) are the beating hearts of this story. Every scene that they are in is stellar. Truly phenomenal acting.

The world building of Wakanda and Talokan is just wow. And using these two worlds to showcase not just how western countries continue to destabilise the rest of the world for their benefit and colonialism has placed two communities against each other was just brilliant. While Namor is shown as the villain against Wakanda, it is made abundantly clear that European and American neo colonialism and entitlement is the real villain.

The soundtrack once again is stellar but Alone by Burna Boy is clearly the stand out. 

And that final credit scene, I have not yet recovered.

Hopefully Marvel wake ups and realises that the characters and world of Wakanda is much bigger then the MCU. Can’t wait to see this movie again.