Review: 'Black Panther' is an important film, but not a great film

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WAKANDA — Marvel’s newest offering is headed to theaters this weekend, and it is set to break all kinds of records. “Black Panther” has been highly anticipated for years and excitement is now at a fever pitch as the release is at our doorstep.

Critics have been praising the new film, which has an impressive 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes as of Thursday afternoon. However, I am in the minority as one who was not that impressed by the new film.

I have been dreading this review ever since I saw the film, knowing it would likely be one of the more difficult ones I have written.

In this spoiler-free review, I have a lot to say about the movie and why I wasn’t a big fan, but I also have a lot to say about why it’s such an important movie and one that we have been in need of for a very long time.

The bad

The Marvel formula

This is an issue for me, but for many of you, it will be the exact thing you want. “Black Panther” is a Marvel movie through and through in the sense that it follows their formula to a T. Have you seen “Iron Man,” “Thor” or “Captain America: The First Avenger”? Then you’ve more or less seen “Black Panther.”

I have received threats to burn my house down or challenges to openly fight me in the street — this is not a joke by the way — because I have made it very well known that I am not a Marvel movie fan.

I loved the first “Iron Man” because it was fresh and new, but Marvel has tread that same ground over and over again, and I feel it’s stale at this point. “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Ant-Man” and “Thor: Ragnarok” managed to break free of that mold and are, in my opinion, the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When it comes to plot and execution, “Black Panther” is the same Marvel movie we’ve seen many times before. The fact that this film is also like no other in the entire superhero genre is not lost on me, but when it comes to plot and twists there is nothing new here.

Again, this is a personal opinion that sounds like it may be wrong. I’m about one of three people on the planet who doesn’t adore Marvel movies and lose my mind over the same plot devices and story structures popping their heads up again and again.

“Black Panther” is a textbook example of the Marvel formula, so now it’s up to you whether you see that as a positive or a negative. For me, it’s a negative.

Sloppy character acs

This is an issue for me in any movie and “Black Panther” had some character development issues that I had a hard time getting past.

I don't want to spoil anything, but characters were swapping allegiances at the drop of the hat with very weak backstories motivating the changes. Seeing a character go from giving his full support to his best friend his entire life to throwing that all away for one moment is hard for me to swallow.

This scenario plays out more than once in the film, and it took me out of it. It made for unrelatable, cardboard characters who acted in a way that just happened to fit a certain story construct, instead of being full of tangible conflict and hearty backstory.

I’m sure some are wondering why this matters when you go to a movie just to see stuff blow up and awesome fight sequences and I would agree, but this movie is trying to be something more and it fails in this respect.

It got boring

I am not suggesting the movie itself is boring, but there is a lag in the middle that lost me, and I found my mind wandering and wondering about what I was going to eat at dinner. One critic actually fell asleep at one point.

There are some impressive action sequences and fun fight scenes, but for a time there I was looking at my watch wondering when the film would end.

The good

It’s an important film

“Black Panther” is a film that's long overdue. This movie represents a shift in momentum and culture, as a demographic that has been almost wholly ignored from the big-budget movie genre for generations finally gets its own film.

“Black Panther” stands as an important moment in movie history, as it is the first movie with a $200 million budget to boast a black superhero, black principal cast and a black societal setting.

It’s sad that it has taken this long for studios to finally put money toward a black superhero — and almost long to produce a female superhero movie with 2017's “Wonder Woman” — but finally they have. Much like “Wonder Woman,” “Black Panther” will no doubt make hundreds of millions of dollars and stand as a game changer that should have had its moment long ago.

This is one of the reasons I think I was disappointed in the film. I believe that director Ryan Coogler is proud of the film, and he should be, but I also believe this moment deserved a really amazing film. I don’t think “Black Panther” is it. Regardless, it is an important film and represents a turning point in Hollywood.

Conclusion

I don't think “Black Panther” is a terrible film. I also don’t think it’s the worst of the Marvel movies, but I do believe we’ve seen this plot and story before and my guess is we’ll see it several more times before Marvel is done.

The movie has some fun set pieces and a solid performance from lead Chadwick Boseman, as well as some classic Marvel mayhem, which will delight fans across the world and will undoubtedly get them coming back to the theater for multiple viewings.

I’m excited about the tide of change “Black Panther” will create, but unfortunately, I’m not excited to see it again. I hope this series can take on a similar evolution as “Captain America” where each sequel seems to get better than the last.

“Black Panther” is rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence and a brief rude gesture.

Check back tomorrow to see Dave Clyde’s parent's guide review to find out what you can expect in “Black Panther.”


John Clyde

About the Author: John Clyde

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about. Contact him on Twitter at @johnnypclyde.

WAKANDA — Marvel’s newest offering is headed to theaters this weekend, and it is set to break all kinds of records. “Black Panther” has been highly anticipated for years and excitement is now at a fever pitch as the release is at our doorstep.

Critics have been praising the new film, which has an impressive 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes as of Thursday afternoon. However, I am in the minority as one who was not that impressed by the new film.

I have been dreading this review ever since I saw the film, knowing it would likely be one of the more difficult ones I have written.

In this spoiler-free review, I have a lot to say about the movie and why I wasn’t a big fan, but I also have a lot to say about why it’s such an important movie and one that we have been in need of for a very long time.

The bad

The Marvel formula

This is an issue for me, but for many of you, it will be the exact thing you want. “Black Panther” is a Marvel movie through and through in the sense that it follows their formula to a T. Have you seen “Iron Man,” “Thor” or “Captain America: The First Avenger”? Then you’ve more or less seen “Black Panther.”

I have received threats to burn my house down or challenges to openly fight me in the street — this is not a joke by the way — because I have made it very well known that I am not a Marvel movie fan.

I loved the first “Iron Man” because it was fresh and new, but Marvel has tread that same ground over and over again, and I feel it’s stale at this point. “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Ant-Man” and “Thor: Ragnarok” managed to break free of that mold and are, in my opinion, the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

When it comes to plot and execution, “Black Panther” is the same Marvel movie we’ve seen many times before. The fact that this film is also like no other in the entire superhero genre is not lost on me, but when it comes to plot and twists there is nothing new here.

Again, this is a personal opinion that sounds like it may be wrong. I’m about one of three people on the planet who doesn’t adore Marvel movies and lose my mind over the same plot devices and story structures popping their heads up again and again.

“Black Panther” is a textbook example of the Marvel formula, so now it’s up to you whether you see that as a positive or a negative. For me, it’s a negative.

Sloppy character acs

This is an issue for me in any movie and “Black Panther” had some character development issues that I had a hard time getting past.

I don't want to spoil anything, but characters were swapping allegiances at the drop of the hat with very weak backstories motivating the changes. Seeing a character go from giving his full support to his best friend his entire life to throwing that all away for one moment is hard for me to swallow.

This scenario plays out more than once in the film, and it took me out of it. It made for unrelatable, cardboard characters who acted in a way that just happened to fit a certain story construct, instead of being full of tangible conflict and hearty backstory.

I’m sure some are wondering why this matters when you go to a movie just to see stuff blow up and awesome fight sequences and I would agree, but this movie is trying to be something more and it fails in this respect.

It got boring

I am not suggesting the movie itself is boring, but there is a lag in the middle that lost me, and I found my mind wandering and wondering about what I was going to eat at dinner. One critic actually fell asleep at one point.

There are some impressive action sequences and fun fight scenes, but for a time there I was looking at my watch wondering when the film would end.

The good

It’s an important film

“Black Panther” is a film that's long overdue. This movie represents a shift in momentum and culture, as a demographic that has been almost wholly ignored from the big-budget movie genre for generations finally gets its own film.

“Black Panther” stands as an important moment in movie history, as it is the first movie with a $200 million budget to boast a black superhero, black principal cast and a black societal setting.

It’s sad that it has taken this long for studios to finally put money toward a black superhero — and almost long to produce a female superhero movie with 2017's “Wonder Woman” — but finally they have. Much like “Wonder Woman,” “Black Panther” will no doubt make hundreds of millions of dollars and stand as a game changer that should have had its moment long ago.

This is one of the reasons I think I was disappointed in the film. I believe that director Ryan Coogler is proud of the film, and he should be, but I also believe this moment deserved a really amazing film. I don’t think “Black Panther” is it. Regardless, it is an important film and represents a turning point in Hollywood.

Conclusion

I don't think “Black Panther” is a terrible film. I also don’t think it’s the worst of the Marvel movies, but I do believe we’ve seen this plot and story before and my guess is we’ll see it several more times before Marvel is done.

The movie has some fun set pieces and a solid performance from lead Chadwick Boseman, as well as some classic Marvel mayhem, which will delight fans across the world and will undoubtedly get them coming back to the theater for multiple viewings.

I’m excited about the tide of change “Black Panther” will create, but unfortunately, I’m not excited to see it again. I hope this series can take on a similar evolution as “Captain America” where each sequel seems to get better than the last.

“Black Panther” is rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence and a brief rude gesture.

Check back tomorrow to see Dave Clyde’s parent's guide review to find out what you can expect in “Black Panther.”


![John Clyde](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2608/260868/26086842\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: John Clyde ----------------------------

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about. Contact him on Twitter at @johnnypclyde.

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John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about.

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