Last week it just wasn't in the cards as several church and civic groups had bought out all except the latest showings. It was the first time in years I was required to buy my tix ahead of time and it was the first time in decades that I actually had to stand in line to get into the theatres.
So was it worth the hassle? For the most part, yes.
The film takes place somewhat immediately after the events of Captain America: Civil War. King T'Chaka is dead and Prince T'Challa is about to be crowned King. But before he can, T'Challa must entertain challengers to the throne, one of which is threatens to unlock secret sins from the past.
Black Panther is over two hours long and it's essentially two different films. The first hour has T'Challa earning his crown and then going on a mission to apprehend the dastardly Ulysses Klaue. Years ago, Klaue, played masterfully by Andy Serkis, stole vibranium from Wakanda and is seeking to sell some to the highest bidder in South Korea.
With an exotic casino, alluring femme fatales, and tech from the dreams of James Bond, the first hour of Black Panther plays like a spy movie. This kind of action would make Nick Fury jealous.
The second hour of the film was a mix of Lord of the Rings and The Lion King. Or maybe Hamlet. Wait a minute, The Lion King was based on Hamlet, so I stick with my earlier assessment. The climatic action takes place in a setting that looks like it was also the scene of a battle between elves and orcs. Plus, the battle rhinos that tossed around warriors like rag dolls looked a lot like the wargs in The Two Towers.
Anyways, back to the Lion King/ Hamlet element. Well, I can't go too far into that as there's some major spoilers. What I will say is that Michael B. Jordan who plays Killmonger did a fantastic job as the sympathetic villain and has really come a long way as an actor since his days on Friday Night Lights.
The first half special effects were great. But the second half really showed it's CGI age and that's not good for Marvel if they don't start making improvements. This is definitely a film that is not going to look as good on TV as it will on the big screen.
Lastly, it was refreshing to have a more serious Marvel film for a change. The last two offerings, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2 and Thor: Ragnarok were comedies, no question.
That doesn't mean Black Panther didn't have some laughs. But this movie was more action and adventure and it was something that had been missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite some time.
Black Panther was a very good movie. Pay the extra couple of bucks to see it in 3-D. It won't make you sea sick or give you a migraine like some 3-D movies can. In fact, it might have even made some of that outdated CGI look better than if would have in regular format.
Worth Consuming.
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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