Film Review - Wakanda Forever...
Nov. 27th, 2022 09:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatStill haven't put up my little tree, but I'm also going to my mother's for the Xmas holiday, and will be helping her put up her tree on December 21 or the 22nd, if all goes well.
Today, I saw Wakanda Forever with moviebuddy (aka cjlasky). He liked it slightly more than I did. I thought it was a bit on the long side, and needed to be tighter. This is a common theme with me and movies of late. I've not seen one movie this year that I didn't think was "too" long. Not one. Hmm...I'm wondering if this is a side-effect of watching serial television shows? Or I'm just having troubles focusing? My attention kept wandering - partly due to the fact that the theater patrons kept getting up to get popcorn, go to the bathroom and whatever. This reserved seat thing is annoying - I miss the old days of first come, first serve. Although there was an amusing and somewhat annoying moment just as the movie started - where we ended up with a bottleneck in the rows in the middle and towards the front of the theater.
Me: Ah yes. I was waiting for that to happen.
MovieBuddy: Yep looks like row grid-lock.
Darkened theater, no one can find their seats, and there's no ushers. Which is why this whole reserved seating thing does not work in movie theaters. Live theater, or the Opera, or Rock Concerts or even Sporting Events? Yes, it works. Mainly because people don't tend to show up as it is starting, and if they do, they either have to wait for a break, or it's not as big a deal and the seats are clearly marked and easy to find. Also, there are paid ushers. Movie theaters don't have these things. UA Court Street - did have some ushers - but it closed down, dammit.
Whoever came up with this idiotic idea, clearly did not think it through.
(Probably a marketing person.)
Anyhow, back to the movie. I enjoyed it. It kind of upturned various action/movie tropes, which was lovely. Although I'm not sure you'd have noticed if you didn't know about the tropes, or don't watch these type of films. It's kind of like watching a horror film that satirizes or explodes various tropes - but if you don't watch horror films, you'd be kind of blind to it?
Instead of a male coming of age story, it's a female coming of age story. And instead of the male's entire family being killed off - the female's family is killed off. I'm not really sure it would have worked as well if it were the other way around? And it kind of parallels the first film which was about rising above grief and vengeance, and finding a better way.
I was surprised it went the direction it did - mostly because, I'd read that Letitia Wright had problems filming Wakanda Forever. She didn't want to get vaccinated or wear a mask, and Disney had a corporate policy that you had to do both - soap stars got fired for not complying. Actually not just soap stars.
But something must have happened, she either caved or they did, because she's the main character in the movie and the focus of it - or her character is. And her character arc in some ways is far more layered and interesting than T'Challa's. T'Challah was the Black Panther, and his arc was becoming King and replacing his father. Her's is more complicated than that - she has to overcome her grief and inability to save her brother's life, and get past being the Techie nerd long enough to take on the mantle of the Black Panther. She also has to deal with the death of her mother, and make the wise decision to hand the Kingdom over to someone else, Winston Duke's Mubuto. Add to all that - the villain she deals with is a lot more complicated than Killmonger. Killmonger does show up in a cameo, and he addresses the vengeance and rage inside Shuri.
Instead of giving Shuri - a male romantic lead or male backup, she has female backup throughout. Riri Williams is a female scientist who aids Shuri and Shuri must save. (Riri is going to be the next Iron Man or rather Iron Heart - she reverse engineers Stark's suit, and is the genuis Stark is - without the attitude.) There is no romantic lead - none. An odd development considering usually there is in these things. Imagine a Wonder Woman film without one? Captain Marvel also didn't do the romantic lead, nor did Black Widow. So, it's not atypical for Marvel, who is a bit more progressive in this respect. Add to that - the folks providing back up as fighters are mainly woman. The Midnight Angels are all female warriors. The person who saves her and Riri from Namor, who has kidnapped them, is T'Challah's wife - Nykia, who is a former spy and good at that sort of thing. The banter is between them.
Namor is not put up as a love interest. He doesn't try to court Shuri romantically. Instead he appeals to her as an equal - or leader of a country. Someone he wants as an ally not an enemy. Man to man so to speak.
Her gender is irrelevant to him. He really doesn't care about gender. What he cares about is the people destroying his home for resources - specifically vibradium. Namor also is a very complicated villain. Wakanda's Queen out of grief and fear makes a lot of mistakes in relation to Namor.
Choosing to fight him as opposed to trying to talk to him - as Shuri does.
We get a lot of world-building and exposition in the film - possibly too much. They have to do a lot here. They have to set up a new Black Panther, with T'Challah's actor dead. They have to set up the character of Namor as neither a clear villian or hero, so much as an antagonist and potential ally. And they have to set up the CIA as...well an antagonist, with Valentina La Fontaine as the head of it, with Martin Freeman's character (her ex-husband, and disapproving of her approach). In addition to all of that - they had to set up Riri Williams as the new Tony Stark.
That's a lot to do in one film. And still make it entertaining.
Did they succeed? For the most part. I like Namor - and he was well differentiated from Aquaman and DC's Atlanteans. Actually Namor and his people were done far better in the film, and better than they were in the comics (in my opinion). Instead of Atlantean (the comics), they are Taloquian, and from MesoAmerica or ancient Maya. They drank a potion and became mer-folk - breathing water, better than air. Namor was born a mutant, his mother drank the potion and birthed him under water - he has wings on his feet, and pointy ears, and can breath on land and under water. But he has a weakness, he requires water after a specific period of time.
The casting of Namor and his people is spot on. And I think Marvel handled this far better than DC did with Aquaman.
Also, I liked Shuri's arc, even though Letitia Wright lacks the sheer charisma that Chadwick Boseman had as T'Challa, or Lupona has as Nykia (which was why I thought they'd go with Lupona instead). That said, it works for Shuri to take up the mantle - and she is the Black Panther in the comics for a while. We do have T'Challa Jr as a potential Black Panther in the not to distant future.
So for the most part, it works. I'd have shortened the fight sequences, which always feel like an extended video game to me. In fact I took my bathroom break during one of them. They seemingly go on forever. I'd also have shortened some of the sequences with the CIA, and in Wakanda. But that's just me.
Overall, a better than average superhero film. Not quite as captivating as Black Panther, which was a little tighter and wasn't doing quite as much heavy lifting, but good in its own right.
Afterwards, we went to dinner at a little Korean Restaurant. We tried Cafe Lulu, but it is cash only and wasn't very amenable. The Korean Restaurant, had gluten free items listed, along with low carb entries, and took credit cards. It may not have been quite as comfortable, but it was quiet and easy to talk in.
Sunday night - has less folks out and about, particularly after a holiday weekend, at 4:40 pm, and on a rainy day in Brooklyn.
Today, I saw Wakanda Forever with moviebuddy (aka cjlasky). He liked it slightly more than I did. I thought it was a bit on the long side, and needed to be tighter. This is a common theme with me and movies of late. I've not seen one movie this year that I didn't think was "too" long. Not one. Hmm...I'm wondering if this is a side-effect of watching serial television shows? Or I'm just having troubles focusing? My attention kept wandering - partly due to the fact that the theater patrons kept getting up to get popcorn, go to the bathroom and whatever. This reserved seat thing is annoying - I miss the old days of first come, first serve. Although there was an amusing and somewhat annoying moment just as the movie started - where we ended up with a bottleneck in the rows in the middle and towards the front of the theater.
Me: Ah yes. I was waiting for that to happen.
MovieBuddy: Yep looks like row grid-lock.
Darkened theater, no one can find their seats, and there's no ushers. Which is why this whole reserved seating thing does not work in movie theaters. Live theater, or the Opera, or Rock Concerts or even Sporting Events? Yes, it works. Mainly because people don't tend to show up as it is starting, and if they do, they either have to wait for a break, or it's not as big a deal and the seats are clearly marked and easy to find. Also, there are paid ushers. Movie theaters don't have these things. UA Court Street - did have some ushers - but it closed down, dammit.
Whoever came up with this idiotic idea, clearly did not think it through.
(Probably a marketing person.)
Anyhow, back to the movie. I enjoyed it. It kind of upturned various action/movie tropes, which was lovely. Although I'm not sure you'd have noticed if you didn't know about the tropes, or don't watch these type of films. It's kind of like watching a horror film that satirizes or explodes various tropes - but if you don't watch horror films, you'd be kind of blind to it?
Instead of a male coming of age story, it's a female coming of age story. And instead of the male's entire family being killed off - the female's family is killed off. I'm not really sure it would have worked as well if it were the other way around? And it kind of parallels the first film which was about rising above grief and vengeance, and finding a better way.
I was surprised it went the direction it did - mostly because, I'd read that Letitia Wright had problems filming Wakanda Forever. She didn't want to get vaccinated or wear a mask, and Disney had a corporate policy that you had to do both - soap stars got fired for not complying. Actually not just soap stars.
But something must have happened, she either caved or they did, because she's the main character in the movie and the focus of it - or her character is. And her character arc in some ways is far more layered and interesting than T'Challa's. T'Challah was the Black Panther, and his arc was becoming King and replacing his father. Her's is more complicated than that - she has to overcome her grief and inability to save her brother's life, and get past being the Techie nerd long enough to take on the mantle of the Black Panther. She also has to deal with the death of her mother, and make the wise decision to hand the Kingdom over to someone else, Winston Duke's Mubuto. Add to all that - the villain she deals with is a lot more complicated than Killmonger. Killmonger does show up in a cameo, and he addresses the vengeance and rage inside Shuri.
Instead of giving Shuri - a male romantic lead or male backup, she has female backup throughout. Riri Williams is a female scientist who aids Shuri and Shuri must save. (Riri is going to be the next Iron Man or rather Iron Heart - she reverse engineers Stark's suit, and is the genuis Stark is - without the attitude.) There is no romantic lead - none. An odd development considering usually there is in these things. Imagine a Wonder Woman film without one? Captain Marvel also didn't do the romantic lead, nor did Black Widow. So, it's not atypical for Marvel, who is a bit more progressive in this respect. Add to that - the folks providing back up as fighters are mainly woman. The Midnight Angels are all female warriors. The person who saves her and Riri from Namor, who has kidnapped them, is T'Challah's wife - Nykia, who is a former spy and good at that sort of thing. The banter is between them.
Namor is not put up as a love interest. He doesn't try to court Shuri romantically. Instead he appeals to her as an equal - or leader of a country. Someone he wants as an ally not an enemy. Man to man so to speak.
Her gender is irrelevant to him. He really doesn't care about gender. What he cares about is the people destroying his home for resources - specifically vibradium. Namor also is a very complicated villain. Wakanda's Queen out of grief and fear makes a lot of mistakes in relation to Namor.
Choosing to fight him as opposed to trying to talk to him - as Shuri does.
We get a lot of world-building and exposition in the film - possibly too much. They have to do a lot here. They have to set up a new Black Panther, with T'Challah's actor dead. They have to set up the character of Namor as neither a clear villian or hero, so much as an antagonist and potential ally. And they have to set up the CIA as...well an antagonist, with Valentina La Fontaine as the head of it, with Martin Freeman's character (her ex-husband, and disapproving of her approach). In addition to all of that - they had to set up Riri Williams as the new Tony Stark.
That's a lot to do in one film. And still make it entertaining.
Did they succeed? For the most part. I like Namor - and he was well differentiated from Aquaman and DC's Atlanteans. Actually Namor and his people were done far better in the film, and better than they were in the comics (in my opinion). Instead of Atlantean (the comics), they are Taloquian, and from MesoAmerica or ancient Maya. They drank a potion and became mer-folk - breathing water, better than air. Namor was born a mutant, his mother drank the potion and birthed him under water - he has wings on his feet, and pointy ears, and can breath on land and under water. But he has a weakness, he requires water after a specific period of time.
The casting of Namor and his people is spot on. And I think Marvel handled this far better than DC did with Aquaman.
Also, I liked Shuri's arc, even though Letitia Wright lacks the sheer charisma that Chadwick Boseman had as T'Challa, or Lupona has as Nykia (which was why I thought they'd go with Lupona instead). That said, it works for Shuri to take up the mantle - and she is the Black Panther in the comics for a while. We do have T'Challa Jr as a potential Black Panther in the not to distant future.
So for the most part, it works. I'd have shortened the fight sequences, which always feel like an extended video game to me. In fact I took my bathroom break during one of them. They seemingly go on forever. I'd also have shortened some of the sequences with the CIA, and in Wakanda. But that's just me.
Overall, a better than average superhero film. Not quite as captivating as Black Panther, which was a little tighter and wasn't doing quite as much heavy lifting, but good in its own right.
Afterwards, we went to dinner at a little Korean Restaurant. We tried Cafe Lulu, but it is cash only and wasn't very amenable. The Korean Restaurant, had gluten free items listed, along with low carb entries, and took credit cards. It may not have been quite as comfortable, but it was quiet and easy to talk in.
Sunday night - has less folks out and about, particularly after a holiday weekend, at 4:40 pm, and on a rainy day in Brooklyn.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-28 01:08 pm (UTC)Movies have indeed grown a bit indulgently long in recent years, especially given how many classic great movies are under two hours. (Admittedly, I just watched North by Northwest, that too is long, I think I fell asleep for later parts.)
Yeah, with this one, I admit I didn't notice the trope-upturning. I certainly don't miss the lack of romance though.
I too was surprised/curious about the Letitia Wright pandemic issue, I wonder if it was all sorted out more reasonably than the rumors suggested.
I was a bit doubtful about the idea of the mantle T'Challa Jr may someday take on after a childhood of, frankly, not being much prepared for it. Even just for the intra-Wakanda stuff I'd want to come in already knowing the people and leaders well!
no subject
Date: 2022-11-28 03:40 pm (UTC)I was a bit doubtful about the idea of the mantle T'Challa Jr may someday take on after a childhood of, frankly, not being much prepared for it. Even just for the intra-Wakanda stuff I'd want to come in already knowing the people and leaders well!
More story potential though. I mean if he was raised there and known to be T'Challa's son, and expected to be King, that would be kind of boring to watch. But if he isn't known, wasn't raised there, and is an outsider - that opens things up a bit for stories. A lot more you can do there.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-29 09:27 pm (UTC)M'Baku would be King and Shuri would continue as Black Panther, serving as her own tech support. She wouldn't have to stress out about politics and M'Baku could deliver withering put downs to diplomatic idiots of all nations.
Just one thing: I'm not entirely sure this is a mutually agreed upon idea. It's possible that M'Baku may have been laying back for the whole movie to make this power play at the end.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-30 02:21 am (UTC)Shuri doesn't want it. And if you listened carefully - she was supposed to show up at the challenge for King/Queen, but declined and he showed up instead. What's unclear, I guess, is whether she knew about it or not. But I got the feeling from the brief scenes she had with M'Baku, that she didn't want it. Shuri doesn't like being center of attention.
But T'Challah Jr. will want the power and the role when he comes of age.
There's a lot of story threads to follow here. Also, not being Queen, frees Shuri up to join the New Avengers - when it forms to combat the new big villain. They did a lot of setting up of Phase 5 in this movie. Namor, Shuri's alliance with Namor, Shuri as Black Panther, Valentina ousting her Martin Freeman and going after Wakanda, T'Challah Jr, and M'Baku as King.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-29 05:35 pm (UTC)Regarding Letitia Wright, she shared some sort of anti vaxx video on her twitter, but she did end up complying. And she claims as of recent, when called out about it, that she's 'apologized and moved on'.
I agree with your take on Shuri's character and how rich her arc was. I didn't think twice at her not having a romantic interest but unless the guy took Riri's role, they probably didn't have time, considering all the characters/back stories they had to introduce. I bet she may have one in the third movie though. I did like the Aquaman movie but I also liked what they did with Namor and his people too.
You make a good point about the lack of charisma with Shuri. She works best when she is working with someone (and she has strong sibling chemistry with Chadwick). I was a little worried early on in the movie that Lupita had been side lined but I am glad Nakia got to play a role. She is one of my faves and definitely has a strong presence. I guess they figured they can have a 'T'Challa Jr' as opposed to going through with any recast.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-30 02:15 am (UTC)I was surprised they didn't center it more on Nakia - who has more presence and charisma. But I get why - in the comics, it was his sister who took on the role of Black Panther. Also, Nakia wouldn't want it - she didn't want to be front and center, and she's raising a son. I was glad that she got the role of saving Shuri and Riri, as opposed to someone else.
I was glad there wasn't a romantic interest - or relieved - because it is very rare in movies, for the female lead not to have a romantic love interest that she either has to save or saves her. Only in the recent Marvel films have they swung away from it. DC has yet to follow suite. But if you haven't seen a ton of these types of films - you most likely won't pick up on how they upturned that particular trope, or television series. In the 20th Century and up until about five years ago, you didn't get a female action film without a love interest. Male action films - no love interest, but female? Forget about it.