Wakanda Forever. Deconstructed.

Title; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Starring: Angela Bassett, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Tenoch Huerta Mejia as NAMOR

Screenplay: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole

Direction: Ryan Coogler

Run time: 161 minutes

The 1st Black Panther film starring Chadwick Boseman in the Titular role was a brilliant film. Not only because it has the MCU label, spectacular special effects and

mind-boggling action but also because it presented a heartwarming tale of loss, leadership under tough circumstances and friction of human emotion. It introduced the audience to an isolated and technologically advanced African Nation; Wakanda. No wonder it found its way to the Academy awards nomination list as the best film of the year.

A lot changed since then.

Black Panther did not win the Oscar for the best film. Thanos was defeated in Avengers Endgame; the film which briefly went on to become the highest grossing film in the world. Iron Man died. MCU became a wee bit woke. The existence of a multi-verse was established. Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) quietly passed as his fight with cancer came to an end. All hope was lost.

Then Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was announced; a sequel to the 1st film. Without Chadwick Boseman. Without Black Panther. Nobody knew what to expect. Except Ryan Coogler, the writer-director of Wakanda Forever. Coogler, with the creative heft of the MCU behind him, weaved a screenplay which is not only smart but also exceptional in terms of entertainment. Without the titular character being in the film.

Wakanda Forever starts immediately after the passing of King Tchalla (Chadwick Boseman) in the Wakanda-verse. The opening scenes are those of a Wakandan funeral. King Tchalla's funeral. He passes due to an unknown disease in the film, which seems a bit out of place considering The Black Panther’s immunity and the fact that Wakanda is technologically equipped to deal with any illness. But knowing the bitter truth, this sequence is apt; rather than replacing the character with another actor.

Wakanda is unprotected without The Black Panther to defend them. The queen mother (Angela Bassett) assumes charge as the ruler of Wakanda. Sensing vulnerability, The COLONIST world is vying to gain access to Wakanda’s vibranium resources; all attempts of which are thwarted effectively by the isolated kingdom.

The COLONIST world, in its desperate attempt to find and harvest vibranium, stumbles upon something more dangerous and absolutely unknown; deep within the ocean. This is when things start to get interesting. The audience is introduced to two new characters at this point. One incredibly mysterious and awe inspiring. The other, not so much.

Enter Namor(No love. No amore); The mysterious king of an underwater civilization called Talokan. Namor is as fascinating as he is magnetic. He has bird like wings on his ankles and superhuman strength. Talokan is a Meso-American underwater kingdom off the Yucatan coast in Mexico. It is replete with vibranium; from where it derives its infinite energy.

Talking about the storytelling, Ryan Coogler has created a beautiful palette showcasing Talokan, its people and their mysterious king, Namor. The effects, as always, are jaw dropping and awe inspiring. Coogler’s screenplay combined with Ludwig Goransson’s enchanting background score make the film a thrill ride. The screenplay consumes very little time explaining Namor’s back story and yet, it is effective. Somewhere, deep down, you feel for the guy and don’t want him to lose or die outrightly. It is this emotion Coogler has exploited and presented a rather compact climax.

In terms of continuity, Chadwick’s Black Panther is definitely missed and this film is a true-blue homage to the late actor. As is tradition with Marvel, a new character of Iron Heart is subtly introduced without much noise. And it does not add to the wow-bulk of the film. What does however add to the wow-bulk of the film is Wakanda pushing the boundaries in terms of technological advancement and presenting an all-new Black Panther. By 3D printing the heart shaped herb; which was completely destroyed in the first film.

Wakanda Forever has opened the Pandora’s box in terms of ideas and possibilities for future Marvel films. Talokan and Namor will be in the thick of things in upcoming Marvel films. As a stand alone film and as a follow up to the 1st film, Wakanda Forever is more of the same with twice the punch. Skewed with spectacular special effects and mind-boggling action, it is a heartwarming tale of loss, leadership under tough circumstances and friction of human emotion, with twice the punch. Wakanda and Talokan.

What feels a little out of place is the way Namor goes down and how easily he is defeated. The whole film explains and builds the might and mystery of the power Namor harbors. And in the end, he gives in easily. Probably, it is to be continued. Probably Namor will eventually become the good guy and fight alongside the next batch of Avengers in future films. Until that day, Namor will rest.

Performances of the cast are sincere all round. Letitia Wright as princess Shuri and the new Black Panther, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia the spy and Danai Gurira as Okoye, the commander of the elite Dora Milaje put in earnest performances. But Angela Bassett as the Queen mother Ramonda and Mexican actor (Making his debut in a Hollywood film) Tenoch Huerta Mejia as the charismatic Namor stand out and breathe life into the film with their emotive performances.

This marks the end of phase 4 of the MCU. And it ends on a high note, much needed especially after a flaff laden Thor: Love and Thunder. What follows should be a lot of fun.

Wakanda Forever.

Now playing.

Watch it for Namor of Talokan.