Black Panther movie review: The Chadwick Boseman starrer is a satisfying watch

The film starts to a slow burn as T’Challa (Boseman) returns to Wakanda to take over as king following his father’s death. Wakanda is the country hidden from the world that has grown to be a technologically advanced powerhouse without losing any of its natural beauty or resources. An idyll scenario, perhaps too good to be true. Here, in an extended ceremony involving tribes in elaborate headgear and facial makeup, T’Challa beats a contender and drinks a potion lending him extra powers to become the Black Panther.

Almost immediately it is revealed that the tension within this haven is about Wakanda keeping its knowledge and resources to itself, and hiding it from the world. One of the persons raising the first voice of dissent is Nakia (Nyong’o), who believes it is her mission to help the needy, having seen what they suffer.

The villain peeping over the horizon is Klaue (Serkis, having devilish fun), who wants the material, Viranium, that gives Wakanda its powers. But as it turns out, there is a bigger plan in the works devised by a guy working for him. Stevens (Jordan) isn’t merely a gunner, and as his intentions are revealed, is a more convincing villain than many we have seen in the Marvel universe. He isn’t just powerful, he has seen the world and he is political. Jordan is charismatic, cruel, and convincing.

Apart from giving us this believable alter-ego to T’Challa, Black Panther also has powerful and smart women driving the story. The general of the king’s army is the best warrior in Wakanda (Gurira), while the king’s sister (played by the vivacious Wright, in mostly casual shorts) is the tech wizard. T’Challa himself? Well, he is a bit of a staid sort, dependent on all the rest, and the suit given by sister, to make his powers work.

However, as the film draws to a satisfactory end, through some mighty entertaining car chases, aerial fights, hand-to-hand combats, and even rampaging rhinos, Black Panther stands against the sunset a clear king of the jungle.