Review of The Black Panther
Feb. 24th, 2018 05:56 pm( bloody tired of the gun debate...and current battle over whether teachers should be armed...which I've been discussing with people on facebook for two days, along with folks at work and elsewhere. It's enough to make me feel really sorry for the teachers, who I think so be paid more to put up with this bull shit )
Anyhow...I owe you an objective review of The Black Panther, don't I? Or maybe you think I've already provided one and you could sort of live without it, thank you very much? Well, you are getting it anyway. But I'll put most of it beneath a cut tag so you can ignore it. Sort of like I did with the gun bit above.
The Black Panther
Upon further reflection and after letting it settle a bit. I don't think it is a great action film or superhero film. There are superhero films that are better made, from a technical perspective. The film as![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cjlasky pointed out in a recent review has overly long and difficult to follow action sequences. While for the most part I liked the one on one battles, panther vs. panther didn't work as well as it should have. I think Black Panther suffered from the same flaws as many other recent action flicks have - an over-reliance on CGI special effects, and not enough reliance on simple hand to hand choreography. A good action sequence is like watching a dance -- but if you add too many elements, it can get busy and cluttered. That's what happened with Black Panther. That is not to say it didn't have good action sequences, it did. Most of which, oddly, featured the female characters -- actually the best action sequences centered around the lead female supporting characters, such as Okoye, who does some amazing sword work. Her fight scenes are beautiful to watch whether it is on top of a car while racing down a highway, or in a casino or out in the middle of a field. In part this is due to the actress having done extensive training with swords and spears for her role on the Walking Dead. I adore the actress - she was actually the only character I liked on the Walking Dead and I considered sticking with it just for her -- but alas, it was not enough.
The movie's strength lay in how it sets up each of its thematic arcs and political themes. Also in how it used its characters to further those arcs, while not losing the characters in the process. Too often in these types of films characters get lost or become pawns of the theme or plot. (I'm looking at you, Joss Whedon. He's notorious for doing that -- both in The Avengers and Age of Ultron, also Buffy S7 and the Buffy comics.) .
It also takes a fairly over-done concept and manages to spin it in a new way. The Daddy Issue/Hamlet tale. In which the son loses his father, and somewhere along the line finds himself questioning what his father stood for and what that legacy was all about. Who are the real villains here and is it really as black and white as he originally thought? In the process, race relations are heavily examined, but again in a new way, a way not usually done within the context of a superhero movie.
It's not that there isn't a great deal of commentary about race out there right now -- in literature, movies, etc -- but this is the first time that a blockbuster action film has addressed it head on. Not only addressed it, but did it in such a way -- that the audience can't quite ignore it, but also can't quite justify their prior mindset.
You really don't need to know the history of the Black Panther in the comic books to appreciate any of this. I certainly didn't. My recollection of the character is a vague one -- in the X-men comics, where he was once upon a time, the husband of Storm. That is until -- the X-men vs. the Avengers storyline that lead to the Submariner demolishing Wakanda and killing millions. I'm hoping the movies ignore that storythread. (I'm guessing they will since it was not a popular one in the comic community. Gee, wonder why?) Anyhow, what I knew of Ta-Nehesi Coats take on the character was through a friend's brief synopsis prior to the movie. And yes, the movie for the most part follows Ta-Nehesi Coats take -- at least according to her synopsis.
But it does help to have an appreciation for the superhero genre and action film genre. If you don't -- I'd skip it. My parents friends went to it and didn't like it. But they don't like superhero and action films. If you don't -- you won't like this one either. Because at the end of the day, it's still a superhero and action film. With endless chase scenes, multiple action sequences, lots of explosions, gun-fights (although less than most movies oddly enough), and lots of people trying to kill each other in various ways. I happen to enjoy action movies. Always have. And have a weakness for the superhero genre -- it's a favorite. So from my perspective -- this was a great flick -- a step or two above your standard superhero or action film.
It's very different than most superhero films. And in some respects has more in common with Thor, as explained in detail inyourlibrarian's review, except I think, unlike Thor, it has something to say and is a bit more innovative. ( major plot spoilers below the cut for the Black Panther, Thor, Captain America - Winter Solider, Dark Knight, Wonder Woman, Man of Steel, and various others. )
I need black panther icons. If you have them -- share, please!
Also, I think it's fitting to combine the gun bit with the Black Panther -- because the latter has a very strong message against using weapons and guns to solve problems.
Anyhow...I owe you an objective review of The Black Panther, don't I? Or maybe you think I've already provided one and you could sort of live without it, thank you very much? Well, you are getting it anyway. But I'll put most of it beneath a cut tag so you can ignore it. Sort of like I did with the gun bit above.
The Black Panther
Upon further reflection and after letting it settle a bit. I don't think it is a great action film or superhero film. There are superhero films that are better made, from a technical perspective. The film as
cjlasky pointed out in a recent review has overly long and difficult to follow action sequences. While for the most part I liked the one on one battles, panther vs. panther didn't work as well as it should have. I think Black Panther suffered from the same flaws as many other recent action flicks have - an over-reliance on CGI special effects, and not enough reliance on simple hand to hand choreography. A good action sequence is like watching a dance -- but if you add too many elements, it can get busy and cluttered. That's what happened with Black Panther. That is not to say it didn't have good action sequences, it did. Most of which, oddly, featured the female characters -- actually the best action sequences centered around the lead female supporting characters, such as Okoye, who does some amazing sword work. Her fight scenes are beautiful to watch whether it is on top of a car while racing down a highway, or in a casino or out in the middle of a field. In part this is due to the actress having done extensive training with swords and spears for her role on the Walking Dead. I adore the actress - she was actually the only character I liked on the Walking Dead and I considered sticking with it just for her -- but alas, it was not enough.The movie's strength lay in how it sets up each of its thematic arcs and political themes. Also in how it used its characters to further those arcs, while not losing the characters in the process. Too often in these types of films characters get lost or become pawns of the theme or plot. (I'm looking at you, Joss Whedon. He's notorious for doing that -- both in The Avengers and Age of Ultron, also Buffy S7 and the Buffy comics.) .
It also takes a fairly over-done concept and manages to spin it in a new way. The Daddy Issue/Hamlet tale. In which the son loses his father, and somewhere along the line finds himself questioning what his father stood for and what that legacy was all about. Who are the real villains here and is it really as black and white as he originally thought? In the process, race relations are heavily examined, but again in a new way, a way not usually done within the context of a superhero movie.
It's not that there isn't a great deal of commentary about race out there right now -- in literature, movies, etc -- but this is the first time that a blockbuster action film has addressed it head on. Not only addressed it, but did it in such a way -- that the audience can't quite ignore it, but also can't quite justify their prior mindset.
You really don't need to know the history of the Black Panther in the comic books to appreciate any of this. I certainly didn't. My recollection of the character is a vague one -- in the X-men comics, where he was once upon a time, the husband of Storm. That is until -- the X-men vs. the Avengers storyline that lead to the Submariner demolishing Wakanda and killing millions. I'm hoping the movies ignore that storythread. (I'm guessing they will since it was not a popular one in the comic community. Gee, wonder why?) Anyhow, what I knew of Ta-Nehesi Coats take on the character was through a friend's brief synopsis prior to the movie. And yes, the movie for the most part follows Ta-Nehesi Coats take -- at least according to her synopsis.
But it does help to have an appreciation for the superhero genre and action film genre. If you don't -- I'd skip it. My parents friends went to it and didn't like it. But they don't like superhero and action films. If you don't -- you won't like this one either. Because at the end of the day, it's still a superhero and action film. With endless chase scenes, multiple action sequences, lots of explosions, gun-fights (although less than most movies oddly enough), and lots of people trying to kill each other in various ways. I happen to enjoy action movies. Always have. And have a weakness for the superhero genre -- it's a favorite. So from my perspective -- this was a great flick -- a step or two above your standard superhero or action film.
It's very different than most superhero films. And in some respects has more in common with Thor, as explained in detail in
yourlibrarian's review, except I think, unlike Thor, it has something to say and is a bit more innovative. ( major plot spoilers below the cut for the Black Panther, Thor, Captain America - Winter Solider, Dark Knight, Wonder Woman, Man of Steel, and various others. )I need black panther icons. If you have them -- share, please!
Also, I think it's fitting to combine the gun bit with the Black Panther -- because the latter has a very strong message against using weapons and guns to solve problems.