Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

**Wakanda Forever was an earnest film that tackled some tough themes and honored its hero well but got bogged down introducing vast new worlds and complicated characters.** Wakanda Forever left me with mixed emotions. The respect and love paid to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman were heartfelt, meaningful, and sincere. The movie wisely grappled with the aftermath of T’Challa’s passing on his family and nation. This subject matter created excellent opportunities to dive deeper into characters like Shuri, Nakia, and even M’Baku. Instead, Wakanda Forever primarily served as a vehicle to introduce Namor and Talokan. The film rightfully embraced a more somber tone as it dealt with themes of loss and legacy, but the mournful spirit caused the plot to sag and drag along throughout most of the runtime. Winston Duke offers the little levity the movie had. The cast delivered exceptionally, with Angela Bassett’s performance as the true standout. I liked the movie, but the melancholy approach made it more difficult to really enjoy, and the introduction of Namor and his threat to Wakanda chewed up so much of the story that it was difficult to bring closure to characters struggling with loss and heartbreak satisfyingly.

Rewatched for the Once Upon a Franchise podcast. Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Zpsndj9YQPwZkiBbi62Yc?si=axutWO6dQBaN6L\_CCVbIBQ Rating: B+ BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER remains one of the most emotionally sincere films the MCU has ever produced: a beautiful, quietly powerful tribute to Chadwick Boseman that doesn’t merely honor his memory, but builds its entire narrative around the hole T’Challa’s death leaves behind. Ryan Coogler handles grief with remarkable care, respect, and love, anchored by Angela Bassett’s devastating performance and a Letitia Wright more than capable of carrying the film, while Talokan’s stunning, culturally rich world-building and Ludwig Göransson’s score elevate the experience even further. It’s longer than it needed to be, Riri and the American characters feel out of place, Namor’s backstory leans too much on exposition, and the action loses impact as the runtime goes by. Still, its choice to stand apart from the franchise's setup obligations and focus on healing makes it a moving portrait of how grief can truly be love persevering.