Wakanda Forever: Not Good But Not Bad

Wakanda Forever starring Letitia Wright and Tenoch Huerta, has been a highly awaited film this year.

Intro

Wakanda Forever starring Letitia Wright and Tenoch Huerta, has been one of the year's most anticipated films. After the tragic passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, most fans were under the assumption that the Black Panther franchise would somewhat come to an end. However, with Marvel announcing a second movie in early 2021, everybody has been eager to see what the sequel could be about. The film, while not worth the hype it has built around it, is decent compared to recent Marvel movies.

Predictable Storyline & Captivating Cinematography

The story follows the aftermath of T’Challa’s passing and how his family and the kingdom of Wakanda are coping with it. Meanwhile, new problems and enemies arise, and Wakanda is forced to defend for survival in its already weakened state. As expected, Shuri is the main protagonist now, and the movie focuses heavily on her dealing with her brother’s passing. The film is relatively emotional for an MCU movie, and at times, the emotional scenes get somewhat repetitive and forced. The plot is fairly straightforward and predictable, yet it’s still enjoyable due to how the director captures the scenes visually.

The best part of the film is the captivating cinematography. The visuals, the scenery, everything is spectacularly vibrant. Several underwater scenes were captured so phenomenally that it is reminiscent of James Cameron’s Avatar and the next-level visuals it displays. The music score is also fantastic, as there were instrumental tunes and short songs with lyrics. These songs for specific epic/emotional scenes give the film a fresh feeling, as most MCU movies don’t have pieces with lyrics as opposed to pure epic instrumentals.

Admirable Acting

The entire cast gave solid performances, particularly Angela Bassett, who plays Queen Ramonda, T'Challa's mother. The range and intensity of emotion she displays are powerful and carry the majority of the film's first act. Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Tenoch Huerta also give impressive performances, especially Tenoch, who we haven't even seen in the MCU before. The importance of solid acting is that it minimizes the number of cringe scenes in the film. Most movies being released in recent times, particularly superhero films, are incredibly cringe and hard to sit through. However, Wakanda Forever takes itself more seriously than "Thor: Love and Thunder," for example, and that leads to a story that flows and focuses primarily on the plot as opposed to cringe, meaningless dialogues/scenes.

Few Cons

The acting is solid, and the cinematography captivates, but it's another superhero sequel at the end of the day. There isn't anything special or unique about the film. The storyline is sometimes predictable and boring, while some scenes are rushed and lack development. The humor is spot on; however, it would have been even better if there had been more. The ending was somewhat anticlimactic as well, which was a bummer as it had the potential to be something more significant. The antagonists were also relatively random and disconnected, but Marvel doesn't have much choice. With their new stages beginning, they are slowly laying down the foundations of the upcoming universes they are creating. And so, the beginning movies will always seem weird and random at first, but there is a chance future films will impress.

Closing Critiques

Wakanda Forever is somewhat enjoyable but not worth the hype built around it. It’s a movie you can watch with your friends if you’re free, but by no means a must-watch. The film is more of a connection between the first Black Panther and future movies. Only time will tell if Marvel can capitalize on opportunities and add to the foundations they have built for their fourth phase.

Raving Rating: 6.8