I was really surprised how much I liked this movie. There was so much going on; immigration concerns; the fight between saving the world and protecting your own country(sound familiar); the fear of an African country’s resources being pillaged; how best to handle the problems black people face worldwide; and many great authentic feeling cultural nods. All this while not being heavy or preachy. You can definitely eat popcorn to this. The villain; Killmonger, is great. Not great in that he is scary, though he is, but because he is more complex than some shadowy figure you should just trust is a bad guy because of visual effects or dramatic music.
This movie isn’t just explosions and one-liners in an exotic location. This is a great movie in general. It’s always interesting. There are great relationships between all the characters. Finally; Wakanda is really a place. It feels alive and lived in; not just impressive buildings used as a backdrop. They did a wonderful job of worldbuilding; from the rituals, to the clothing, fancy tech, and scenery. This movie is definitely worth a watch.
☆☆☆☆-1/2
I also have to add that; you get to actually see Andy Serkis! When I saw his name I thought we was going to be some kind of CGI monster. I’m just happy to see him get actual screen time.