All Hail, T’Challa! The Black Panther review embargo has lifted and the initial wave of reviews are pouring in! As you can guess by the initial social media reactions, these reviews are overwhelmingly positive. In fact, you can check out our coverage of the Rotten Tomatoes score reveal here.
Looks like this one’s going to make ALL the money, people…
Now feast your eyes on what critics are saying below:
“A jolt of a movie, “Black Panther” creates wonder with great flair and feeling partly through something Hollywood rarely dreams of anymore: myth. Most big studio fantasies take you out for a joy ride only to hit the same exhausted story and franchise-expanding beats. Not this one. Its axis point is the fantastical nation of Wakanda, an African Eden where verdant-green landscapes meet blue-sky science fiction. There, spaceships with undercarriages resembling tribal masks soar over majestic waterfalls, touching down in a story that has far more going for it than branding.”
“While the themes are deep, Black Panther is at the same time a visual joy to behold, with confident quirkiness (those aforementioned war rhinos), insane action sequences and special effects, and the glorious reveal of Wakanda, whose culture is steeped in African influences but which also offers a jaw-dropping look at what a city of the future could be…Let’s not wait too long for a return trip.”
“Black Panther is an epic that doesn’t walk, talk or kick ass like any other Marvel movie – an exhilarating triumph on every level from writing, directing, acting, production design, costumes, music, special effects to you name it. For children (and adults) of color who have longed forever to see a superhero who looks like them, Marvel’s first black-superhero film is an answered prayer, a landmark adventure and a new film classic.”
“Unlike many of its more hollow predecessors, “Black Panther” has real, honest-to-goodness stakes. As the most earnest and big-budget attempt yet of a black superhero film, “Black Panther” is assured of being an overdue cinematic landmark. But it’s also simply ravishing, grand-scale filmmaking.”
“Black Panther is Marvel’s boldest movie yet, and fortunately, it’s also one of its best. As a studio, Marvel has thrived by redefining the constructs of serialized cinematic storytelling, honoring the comic book characters fans love, and allowing filmmakers to put their singular stamp on the material. Back Panther checks all those marks, but it’s also allowed to be more insular than the average Marvel movie; a decision that proves not just beneficial, but essential when you realize the full weight of the story it wants to tell. Because Black Panther isn’t just a crowd-pleasing superhero movie (though it is that for sure), it’s a vital moment in cinema history and a heartfelt, thoughtful exploration of the scars of colonialism and the hope for healing.”
“Director Ryan Coogler and co-screenwriter Joe Robert Cole tackle the superheroes of colour question with this surreal and uproarious movie version of Marvel’s Black Panther legend, in which the sheer enjoyment of everyone involved pumps the movie with fun. It’s an action-adventure origin myth which plays less like a conventional superhero film and more like a radical Brigadoon or a delirious adventure by Jules Verne or Edgar Rice Burroughs. Those were the colonial-era mythmakers whose exoticism must surely have influenced Stan Lee and Jack Kirby when they devised the comic books in the 1960s, supplying the Afro- in the steely afrofuturism of Black Panther that generations of fans have treasured and reclaimed as an alternative to the pop culture of white America. But it’s the –futurism that gives Black Panther his distinctive power.”
“[Black Panther] serves as an incredibly important cultural message arriving at a crucial time, complete with stunning visuals, unforgettable and epic action-sequences, an inspirational arc for both the protagonist and antagonist, and it introduces a slew of new characters who may be a bit underused this time around but will have us crying out for a sequel.”
“The film does deal head-on with issues of race, subjugation, and oppression in ways both heartbreaking and hilarious. The final coda is as direct an address to the xenophobia at home in our current administration as that which you’ll find in any film this year, let alone a giant Marvel movie. As a nerd and as a black man, I’ve been waiting for this movie for my entire life, whether I knew it or not. The fact that Black Panther gets so much right, but one crucial thing wrong, is both thrilling and maddening.”
“In their print form, comic books have led the way in terms of representation and inclusivity, long empowering non-white, non-male characters in their pages. Although previous big-screen examples certainly exist — among them Wesley Snipes’ “Blade” and Will Smith’s “Hancock” — “Black Panther” celebrates its hero’s heritage while delivering one of Marvel’s most all-around appealing standalone installments to date. Going forward, Black Panther will join the ranks of the Avengers, further diversifying their ranks. In the meantime, it’s awesome to see Black Power celebrated in such a mainstream fashion.”
“Black Panther is one of the best movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe…This isn’t just one of the best movies in the MCU – it caps off the franchise’s best run of movies ever, which started last year with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2…If there’s a downside to Black Panther, it’s that it has to end eventually. Wakanda’s setting and characters made for a world that I never wanted to leave, and wanted to return to as soon as the credits started.”
Black Panther hits theaters on February 16th, 2018. Click here to get your tickets!
