Based on Marvel Comics, Black Panther was released in 2018 and was produced by Marvel Studios. The film was distributed by Walt Disney Studios and is directed by Ryan Coogler and has a host of well-known actors such as Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Chadwick Boseman.
The main plot of the film follows Black Panther who becomes king of Wakanda after his father has died. Someone who wants to get rid of the country’s policies and start a global revolution contests his sovereignty.
Nominations and Awards
The film premiered on 29 January 2018 in Los Angeles, and then on 16 February in the US in various formats, 2D, 3D and IMAX. Many people also watched it online, as it is as entertaining as online Blackjack. The film was praised by critics for the way it was directed and produced, and was also applauded for the soundtrack and the acting and costume design.
It was recognised by many as being one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and was also recognised for its cultural significance. Organisations like the National Board of Review and American Film Institute named the film as one of the Top 10 Films of 2018 and grossed over $1.35 billion around the world and over $700 million in the US. It broke many box office records including highest earning film by a black actor.
Black Panther was nominated for many awards and had seven Academy Award nominations, which included best picture, best costume design, best original score and best production design. The film was also nominated for 3 Golden Globes and won two awards at the Actors Guild Awards as well as twelve nominations at the Critics Choice Awards of which they won three.
The Plot
The film starts off with the history of Wakanda and the Black Panther and then flashes forward to 1992 where we meet the young King T’Chaka who confronts his brother N’Jobu who is smuggling Vibranium, a precious metal, from their homeland.
N’Jobu believed that the rest of the world, especially the black people should benefit from Vibranium in order to fight back. T’Chaka does not agree and kills N’Jobu and then the film flashes forward to the present day.
T’Challa becomes the new king when his father T’Chaka dies and after he has earned his crown during combat he finds out that an arms dealer, Ulysses Klaue, who is an enemy of Wakanda, has been seen.
T’Challa decides to bring him to justice and enlists the help of General Okoye, his ex-girlfriend Nakia and his sister Shuri. He gets caught up in a larger plan though by N’Jobu’s son who tries to realise his father’s vision.
The film is politically motivated, and although previous Marvel films have raised political issues before, this film focuses on them and looks at how isolationism can affect a country and what the cost of it is.
The writers use Wakanda as a vision, what African people can accomplish with resources and if they are free from colonisation and as a symbol. An excellent film that is suitable for ages 12 years and older.