I caught Black Panther last weekend.
A solid contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Strong performances and a solid yet unique approach to establishing the character.
I thought it fell flat in the 3rd act, and not even a strong performance from Michael B Jordan was enough to make me overlook the Panther vs Anti-Panther climax, so overused in Marvel films.
Iron Man vs Iron Monger, Ant Man vs Yellowjacket, US Super Solider vs Nazi Super Soldier. Hulk vs Abomination. Its part of what I think makes Loki Marvels best villain. He isn’t just an evil version of Thor. Thor is bravado and strength. Loki is cunning and guile. Makes for a far more interesting villain.
Something that could have been achieved with the Mandarin. Mysticism vs technology. But that let down is why Iron Man 3 is probably my least favourite Marvel film.
Black Panther features an unexpectedly fresh car chase scene that alone makes the film worthwhile. But backed up by several strong acting performances throughout the core cast, goodies and baddies both, just a little too much reliance on predictable tropes hold Black Panther from challenging for the best of the MCU family.
Avengers Infinity War trailers abound. The next great question. Can a Marvel film cram in dozens of name characters under the one movie title and not regret the result?
I hope so.