"Black Panther" | 2025: Movie Records vol.15
(Click here for the previous entry)
Nice to meet you, I'm Kyo.
Personally, this is by far the most unique work in the MCU, and it's a film that always gets my heart racing even before I start watching it.
Today, as always, the MCU ↓
"Black Panther"
"A work that is perfect because of its perfection"
I'll start with a story this time.
"A man has his father, who was working for his homeland and the advancement of Black people far from the kingdom, killed by his uncle. The man then makes a vow: to erase his own existence to cover up that fact, to take revenge on his uncle's family who are living in luxury, to reclaim his homeland, and to fulfill his late father's long-cherished wish."
↑ This is not the story of the protagonist of this film, but the story of the villain, Killmonger.
There aren't many hero films out there with a villain who has such charm and depth that, if the perspective were different (even if not as a hero), they could have been the protagonist. He is such a perfect villain that I can think that, and his look, which combines contrast and symmetry, is also incredibly cool.
But it's not just about having such a great villain; the charm of the hero-side characters adds to that, resulting in a perfect film.
It's great that every character has their own core and personality, and that their characterization is solid. That's exactly why it's so heart-wrenching to watch them struggle and make decisions between the state (order) and their emotions within the story. (Okoye and Ramonda are particularly charming.)
And then there's the story.
I'm impressed by how carefully crafted it is, with explanations of systems like succession through combat that pay off in the second half.
I also really love the ethnic genre of the film, and the vast nature and encounters with different cultures give me new perspectives and strength (I'm a dubs person, but for some reason, I only watch this film with subtitles). I think I said this when talking about "Shang-Chi," but I prefer works that have this much individual originality, rather than just being one entry in the MCU.
And the final great speech.
It's great that Marvel films sometimes link to real-world issues like this, skillfully elevating them into works of art that transcend the framework of entertainment movies (I'm sure this is a factor that resonated with the Academy Awards). Speaking of elevating real-world issues, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is exactly the same.
The only thing that bothers me is the CG (VFX) in the final act.
There were a few questionable scenes here and there (like where the scenery of Wakanda is shown on a large scale), but in the most important scene after the battle ended, the roughness became prominent (perhaps due to the lighting, it looked like they weren't in the same space), which is, well... It's a real shame, especially since everything else is perfect.
Come to think of it, when will the White Wolf foreshadowing be resolved? It doesn't look like it will be resolved in "Thunderbolts" either, so was it just fan service for those familiar with the original work?
I didn't notice it when I watched it before, but the opening has been replaced with a special version. I think this kind of respect from the studio for the cast is wonderful. (More on that in the Wakanda Forever entry.)
Thank you for reading until the end!
Day 72
It usually ends up being over 1000 characters.