Black Panther
Blu-ray
Review by Kam Williams
Chadwick
Boseman Rises to the Occasion as African King/Marvel Superhero
Chad
Boseman has already made quite a career out of portraying a variety
of prominent African-Americans, from football star Floyd Little (The
Express), to baseball great Jackie Robinson (42), to Godfather of
Soul James Brown (Get on Up) to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood
Marshall (Marshall). The versatile actor's efforts have been
appreciated by the NAACP which has seen fit to nominate him for five
Image Awards.
Although
Black Panther is a fictional character, the role is ostensibly of no
less significance than the historical figures Chadwick has played in
the past. That's because black kids have rarely had a superhero that
looks like them to root for, even in Africa, where the Lord of the
Jungle, Tarzan, was white, too.
Consequently,
sales for this Afrocentric origins tale have been through the roof,
and it's still in theaters! For, the film not only features a
dignified protagonist and a socially-relevant plotline, but it's also
a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.
The
picture was directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed) who made the most of his
$200 million budget, between visually-captivating special effects and
an A-list cast which includes Academy Award-winners Forest Whitaker
(for The Last King of Scotland) and Lupita Nyong'o (for 12 Years a
Slave), Oscar-nominee Angela Bassett (for What's Love Got to Do with
It), as well as Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya and Sterling K.
Brown.
At
the point of departure, we learn that in ancient times the five
tribes of Africa went to war over vibranium, a meteorite which imbues
its holder with superhuman powers. Fast-forward to the present and we
find T'Challa (Boseman) being summoned home to the fictional nation
of Wakanda to assume the reins of power in the wake of the passing of
his father, King T'Chaka (John Kani).
Complicating
matters is the fact that a number of other warriors covet the throne
and that a South African arms smuggler (Andy Serkis) is trying to get
his hands on some vibranium. Not to worry. T'Challa has a capable CIA
agent (Martin Freeman) and a trio of loyal females on his side in his
16 year-old sister (Letitia Wright), his ex-girlfriend (Nyong'o) and
a two-fisted bodyguard (Danai Gurira).
What
ensues is an edge of the seat roller coaster ride every bit as
entertaining as any Spider-Man, Wonder Woman or other superhero
adventure. Simply 'Marvel'-ous!
Rated PG-13 for pervasive violent action sequences and a rude gesture
Running time: 134 minutes
Production Studios: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Pictures
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Blu-ray Extras: Director's Intro; Director's Commentary; From Page to Screen: A Roundtable Discussion – Delve into the film’s making; Crowning of a New King – Explore the world of Black Panther in all its color and complexity; The Warriors Within – Get to know Wakanda’s women and the actors who portray them; The Hidden Kingdom Revealed – Wakanda’s diverse people; Wakanda Revealed: Exploring the Technology; 4 Deleted Scenes: N. Meet and Greet, Okoye And W’Kabi Discuss the Future of Wakanda, T’Challa Remembers His Father and Voices from the Past; Gag Reel; Exclusive Sneak Peek at Ant-Man and The Wasp; and Marvel Studios the First Ten Years: Connecting the Universe.
To see a trailer for Black Panther, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxWvtMOGAhw
To order
a copy of Black
Panther on
Blu-ray,
visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment