Since I am watching it again in honor of its best picture nomination, one nitpick for the introduction to #BlackPanther:

Nothing about being cloaked and accessible only by stealth ship using a “secret passage” is Wakanda “hiding in plain sight”.

Good phrase. Bad usage.

Great (but light) tie-in to the rest of the MCU with use of the Klaw and Vibranium plot from Ultron.

It’s these small ties, much like the use of Bilbo’s ring to launch the Lord of the Rings, that give the MCU its breadth while still valuing accessibility.

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The reveal of Wakanda from the initial fly in to the breach of the shield wall is pure Star Wars (original recipe) and one of my favorite moments of the MCU. @ludwiggoransson’s score doing heavy lifting here. Brilliant stuff.

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Speaking of heavy lifting, the ladies of #BlackPanther kill it in their introduction scene at T’Challa’s landing from the Queen Mother on down.

Shuri in particular is a stand-out as everyone’s bad-ass, brilliant baby sister.

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And then comes Mr. Michael B Jordan, Mr. Coogler’s personal muse, clearly having fun here and relishing the opportunity to play the villain. A villain, as it turns out, with real motivation, beginning a great year in the MCU for such roles.

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And again @ludwiggoransson’s score works its wonder, giving Killmonger his Hip-Hop flair which nicely juxtaposes with T’Challa’s more traditional African theming in the coronation scene.

This is a movie where every little thing comes together.

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I love that the coronation music is given an underwater filter effect while the camera is observing the waterfall removal devices, before then coming into crystal clarity as the camera emerges from the water.

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That mining tribe guy really looks like he’d like to challenge for the throne.

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The effects work (particularly the cliff) in the coronation scene isn’t perfect, but the look of the battle with M’Baku, especially the decision to place it in the water with all the dynamism that provides, is fantastic.

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The film does feature two similar coronation scenes, but this first one does such good character work, for Shuri, for T’Challa, for M’Baku, that It works.

It also gives us the T’Challa chant (which you can’t help but chant internally w/ the theme).

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The ancestral plain (plane?). Gorgeous. A lot of Lion King in there, honestly.

Again, used wisely to juxtapose later on with Killmonger’s own journey.

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The stinger used in the score for “stand up, you are a king”...pure opera.

Big things are happening.

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And now the politics that the Star Wars sequels are missing. Nakia making the first push for Wakanda to join the world stage with T’Challa advocating a more conservative approach.

These things add depth to the world. Legitimate arguments on both sides.

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Also fascinating that the film sets up the multi-tiered relationship between T’Challa, his friend W’Kabi, and W’Kabi’s wife/lover Okoye (head of T’Challa’s special forces), with only a passing reference from Okoye, “my love”. Blink and you’ll miss it.

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More politics in the counsel scene...passivity or aggression with respect to the Klaw problem. Awesome stuff to consider.

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And, of course, a division Killmonger will eventually exploit.

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Shuri with that “my king”... clearly T’Challa shouldn’t expect his new title to garner him any higher level of respect from his baby sister.

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The Wakanda gang walking into the South Korean casino is straight out of a Mission Impossible or heist film.

This movie really is a genre buster.

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Enter Bilbo Baggins. Thankfully Martin Freeman is given substantially more to work with here than he was in Captain America: Civil War.

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And now enter Gollum. There’s really nothing I don’t love Andy Serkis in. (You know except for those Last Jedi troubles...).

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Okoye finally ditching the headpiece. Just a great way to start a (very extended) action scene.

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The fake (you can see some of the seams) one shot action here is also fun. Again, not perfect effects, but I’ll take ambition over bog standard execution any day of the week.

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The car chase may be indulgent and mostly unnecessary but damn if it isn’t sexy and well executed.

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Don’t screw with Okoye.

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Ok. The Flinstones level destroyed car gag is maybe a little much.

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Fun little beats - Okoye wincing at Ross lightly touching T’Challa. When you have a good understanding of character these things complete a world.

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What would T’Challa have done about all the information Klaw revealed to Ross if Killmonger hadn’t executed his recuse attempt that moment?

Heavy is the crown.

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So, Killmonger rescues Klaw just to kill him and offer him back to Wakanda.

One thing I like here is that T’Chaka’s death, the coronation, and the confirmation that Wakanda wants Klaw...all lead to Killmonger acting.

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This is, frankly, a (small) problem in Infinity War, where there is no real additional context given for why Thanos is acting...today.

Love that it is addressed logically here.

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Probably could have staged Killmonger’s takedown of Klaw a bit better than a simple marksmanship competition.

But the movie has bigger fish to fry.

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The sins of the father are visited upon the son.

What do you do when your birthright is built on a wrong?

When your very father is not who you thought him to be?

This is no mere “comic book” movie.

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And a great decision to have W’Kabi be the face of the border tribe. Who better for Killmonger to deliver Klaw to?

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And a moment of calm and reflection as T’Challa confides in Nakia. These are all too rare in modern action movies.

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One of the best scenes in the movie. Killmonger arrives in the throne room.

“I am not king of all people.”

“Hey, Auntie”

A great juxtaposition between these two powerful characters, with a heartbeat of a score ready to explode.

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Revenge is a powerful motivator. It’s wrong, but it’s impossible to not be sympathetic to Killmonger’s plight. Fantastic villain.

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One reason T’Challa fails in this first fight with Killmonger...he thinks it can end on a yield.

He will not make that same mistake again.

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Forest Whitaker’s second death in as many years in service to the Disney brand. (Rogue One)

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Villains: Never “kill” the title character by throwing them off screen. It never works out.

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Nakia and Okoye is one of my other favorite scenes. What is loyalty? To king? To country? What are rules of succession if they are not followed? What if the rightful successor will destroy everything you love?

What a movie.

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Killmonger’s journey to the Ancestral Plane is very different from T’Challa’s. Revenge does not offer peace or fulfillment, only more tears.

“They will say you are lost.”

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Everyone (everyone!) is so important to the plot. All would be lost if Nakia did not save a single heart-shaped herb.

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A world on fire and upside down.

Visual storytelling as Killmonger takes the throne.

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Interesting flip of the “Sun will never set” given its origin as describing the British Empire.

What a smart script.

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Do you think M’Baku just sits up there in his empty throne room, or...only for special occasions?

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M’Baku stealing the show as the enigmatic ally our heroes have no choice but to rely upon.

“I’m kidding. We are vegetarians.”

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Where did that mortar and pestle come from?

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A devastating scene as T’Challa confronts his father.

Chadwick Boseman knocking it out of the damn park.

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Killmonger or no Killmonger, it’s here that it becomes clear that Wakanda will join the world.

“I must right these wrongs.”

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The lawyer in me loves that the finale is based on a technicality. No death, no yield, no coronation.

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“We will not help you.”

M’Baku doing his best to keep some third act suspense.

“At dawn, look to the East.” :)

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Bit of a crisis now.

No coronation. No king.

Civil War.

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Gonna be hard for T’Challa and W’Kabi after this.

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I called Black Panther my favorite Disney Star Wars movie and this third act is one of the reasons why. A multi-tiered army battle, personal duel, and “space” dogfight all happening simultaneously.

Great character work throughout.

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Shuri and Nakia, inches from winning this thing themselves, and giving T’Challa the opening he needs.

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The sonic stabilizers are an interesting wrinkle, but aren’t used to their full effectiveness in the final duel. It’s unclear what effect they wind up having until the final blow. Feels like there were (minor) improvements to be made here.

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Okoye stops W’Kabi in his tracks, based on a relationship that was basically only mentioned once, but it works.

“Would you kill me, my love?”

“For Wakanda, without question.”

Okoye’s love of country is unmatched.

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Killmonger is defeated. But it not a moment of triumph.

He is broken, wronged by a world in which he can no longer live.

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So three kings in a week (plus a Civil War) for Wakanda. Tough month.

I’m sure nothing worse will happen to them from here...

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And Wakanda joins the world stage, not as conqueror, but as partner.

T’Challa determined to put right what once went wrong.

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Thank you for joining me on this live tweet of my favorite movie of 2018.

It’s rare that a film can master so much: from plot to score to character to action to questions of politics, and more, while being so important to so many people.

Wakanda Forever

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