Why I'm So Excited for The Black Panther Movie
Warning: All this is based on background information from the comics and other stuff so if you feel like this spoils parts of the movie for you.. not sorry.
I mean.. the obvious reason is that I'm a nerd and a huge Marvel fan. Infinity War is going to be nuts. But this right here.. Black Panther is special. Historic. And it is situated in such an important time. In Civil War, T'Challa demanded the spotlight every moment he was on the screen. Now for him to have his own stand-alone film.. my, my, my. And Kendrick with that soundtrack got me even more hyped! I've been heavily anticipating this for so long and got my tickets as soon as they went on sale. Plus it's a four day weekend so I'll probably watch it three or four times, which I never do. I expect nothing but two and a half hours of glory. So here are my top five reasons why I'm so geeked about Black Panther.
1. Black Excellence
Geez, where do I start.. When it was announced that Ryan Coogler would be the director of this film, that was enough for me. I loved Fruitvale Station and Creed and even though he only has two feature films out, it is clear that he will be one of the greatest in the game for a while. Then, when the all-star cast was revealed (#BlackPantherSoLit).. man, it ain't even fair. To see Blackness represented at this level and in this arena is monumental. For most of my life, I've connected with Black culture, even more than my own, so this is very exciting for me. And as we continue to see great art and great work by and displaying the beauty of Black people, as well as people of color in general, it just paves the way for further progress. This is a crucial part of power being reclaimed and gives me hope for a better future as we get closer to a world I long for. (Side note: I'm still waiting for a dope and well-done Asian superhero tho..) But either way, in the words of Issa Rae, "I'm rooting for everybody black."
2. Wakanda
This place is paradise. A glimpse of Heaven. A self-sufficient nation, uninterrupted by colonialism and unmarred by the Diaspora. In Wakanda, we see the possibilities of a nation allowed to evolve on its own. The most technologically advanced country in the world. One that blends tradition and progress. From the trailers, we can already see the Afro-centric aesthetic in the sets and costumes. I can't wait to see more of Wakanda and its beauty on screen. The trailer clip of Okoye (Danai Gurira) saying "We are home" resonates so strongly - it's where we long to be. Wakanda forever!
3. Black Girl Magic
Power. I am excited to see the women in this movie depicted as queens. They don't need men to come and save them. They walk with their own strength, passion, and pride. Plus, the mutual respect between them and T'Challa will be fun to witness. To have an abundance of women, especially Black women, represented the way they will be in this film is so important. I'm hoping with this Fox deal, we can see Storm come into the picture somewhere down the road.. (Lupita Nyong'o would have been my first choice for her, pero she's already Nakia). But from Shuri as the smartest person in the world to the Queen Mother Ramonda to the Dora Milaje as the badass warriors that they are.. we are in for a ride.
4. T'Challa
Long live the king. He's such a complex character and I'm curious to see how he takes on the mantle of the Black Panther, along with how he handles the responsibilities of being king. Chadwick Boseman sees Damisa-Sarki as an anti-hero, which I love because being a hero and a leader is so complicated. I appreciate when characters, especially those held in high regard, are humanized. Ta-nehisi Coates' run of the comics does an incredible job of illustrating his struggles as king, both internal and with the nation. In the MCU, he is thrown into this role after the death of his father, T'Chaka, and we were already able to see some of his struggles in Civil War. I'm excited to see how this film captures his character on an even deeper level. Plus, I can't wait to see him knock some suckas out.
5. Michael B. Jordan <3
But forreal.. he's probably my favorite actor right now. Him and Coogler together are untouchable. The character he plays, Erik Killmonger, intrigues me. I look forward to seeing him and T'Challa go at it (a la Professor X and Magneto) and how he challenges the throne. While he seems to be the main villain in the movie, I found it interesting how two other prominent villains, Ulysses Klaue and M'Baku (Man-Ape), will also appear in the film. I know Klaue will be important, as shown in the trailers, but I still wonder how they will all be included. However it is done, it looks like my man Michael B. is going to shine once again. "I've waited my whole life for this."
So there it is. I can go on and on, but here's a little taste to get us going. I can't believe it's finally (almost) here. The revolution is here. I'm ready. This is gon' be a moment y'all. It's gon' be so lit. As I've been saying.. this will be the greatest movie of all time.
I mean.. the obvious reason is that I'm a nerd and a huge Marvel fan. Infinity War is going to be nuts. But this right here.. Black Panther is special. Historic. And it is situated in such an important time. In Civil War, T'Challa demanded the spotlight every moment he was on the screen. Now for him to have his own stand-alone film.. my, my, my. And Kendrick with that soundtrack got me even more hyped! I've been heavily anticipating this for so long and got my tickets as soon as they went on sale. Plus it's a four day weekend so I'll probably watch it three or four times, which I never do. I expect nothing but two and a half hours of glory. So here are my top five reasons why I'm so geeked about Black Panther.
1. Black Excellence
Geez, where do I start.. When it was announced that Ryan Coogler would be the director of this film, that was enough for me. I loved Fruitvale Station and Creed and even though he only has two feature films out, it is clear that he will be one of the greatest in the game for a while. Then, when the all-star cast was revealed (#BlackPantherSoLit).. man, it ain't even fair. To see Blackness represented at this level and in this arena is monumental. For most of my life, I've connected with Black culture, even more than my own, so this is very exciting for me. And as we continue to see great art and great work by and displaying the beauty of Black people, as well as people of color in general, it just paves the way for further progress. This is a crucial part of power being reclaimed and gives me hope for a better future as we get closer to a world I long for. (Side note: I'm still waiting for a dope and well-done Asian superhero tho..) But either way, in the words of Issa Rae, "I'm rooting for everybody black."
2. Wakanda
This place is paradise. A glimpse of Heaven. A self-sufficient nation, uninterrupted by colonialism and unmarred by the Diaspora. In Wakanda, we see the possibilities of a nation allowed to evolve on its own. The most technologically advanced country in the world. One that blends tradition and progress. From the trailers, we can already see the Afro-centric aesthetic in the sets and costumes. I can't wait to see more of Wakanda and its beauty on screen. The trailer clip of Okoye (Danai Gurira) saying "We are home" resonates so strongly - it's where we long to be. Wakanda forever!
3. Black Girl Magic
Power. I am excited to see the women in this movie depicted as queens. They don't need men to come and save them. They walk with their own strength, passion, and pride. Plus, the mutual respect between them and T'Challa will be fun to witness. To have an abundance of women, especially Black women, represented the way they will be in this film is so important. I'm hoping with this Fox deal, we can see Storm come into the picture somewhere down the road.. (Lupita Nyong'o would have been my first choice for her, pero she's already Nakia). But from Shuri as the smartest person in the world to the Queen Mother Ramonda to the Dora Milaje as the badass warriors that they are.. we are in for a ride.
4. T'Challa
Long live the king. He's such a complex character and I'm curious to see how he takes on the mantle of the Black Panther, along with how he handles the responsibilities of being king. Chadwick Boseman sees Damisa-Sarki as an anti-hero, which I love because being a hero and a leader is so complicated. I appreciate when characters, especially those held in high regard, are humanized. Ta-nehisi Coates' run of the comics does an incredible job of illustrating his struggles as king, both internal and with the nation. In the MCU, he is thrown into this role after the death of his father, T'Chaka, and we were already able to see some of his struggles in Civil War. I'm excited to see how this film captures his character on an even deeper level. Plus, I can't wait to see him knock some suckas out.
5. Michael B. Jordan <3
But forreal.. he's probably my favorite actor right now. Him and Coogler together are untouchable. The character he plays, Erik Killmonger, intrigues me. I look forward to seeing him and T'Challa go at it (a la Professor X and Magneto) and how he challenges the throne. While he seems to be the main villain in the movie, I found it interesting how two other prominent villains, Ulysses Klaue and M'Baku (Man-Ape), will also appear in the film. I know Klaue will be important, as shown in the trailers, but I still wonder how they will all be included. However it is done, it looks like my man Michael B. is going to shine once again. "I've waited my whole life for this."
So there it is. I can go on and on, but here's a little taste to get us going. I can't believe it's finally (almost) here. The revolution is here. I'm ready. This is gon' be a moment y'all. It's gon' be so lit. As I've been saying.. this will be the greatest movie of all time.
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