It's a fair criticism of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and of comic book movies in general that there is a severe lack of diversity. Black Panther goes a long way in fixing this. Director Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) has crafted a film that is both a celebration of African culture and heritage and an exploration of Afrofuturism, which is undoubtedly what makes Black Panther so great.
The story picks up very shortly after the the death of King T'chaka in Captain America: Civil War. T'chala (Chadwick Boseman) returns to his home to succeed his late father as the king of Wakanda. Yet troubles from his past are unearthed, and as challenges to his claim emerge, Black Panther must prove himself worthy as king. Other than the death of T'chaka, the narrative of this film feels very self contained from the rest of the MCU. There are throwaway lines and references of course, but on the whole Black Panther feels like it's own story, which is definitely to it's benefit.
In fact, this film is a vast departure from anything we've seen in a Marvel movie to date. Just when you thought you'd seen everything that this world had to offer, they spring this futuristic technological utopia masquerading as a poverty stricken third-world nation. Wakanda itself is mesmerising. It strikes a good balance between other worldly tech, including some very innovative uses for vibranium, whilst still feeling like a real place. We see the bustling city streets and people going about their lives which goes along way to establishing this world. My only want is to spend more time there. The whole aesthetic of the movie is breathtaking. Everything from the costume designs to locations are incredible and offers as realistic an interpretation of African culture that a fictional nation can portray. As perhaps the least qualified person to comment on it (a privileged white male), the links and explorations of African beliefs and traditions in regarding the after life and spirituality are really fascinating. The movie also handles some quite sensitive issues, such as race relations and foreign aid in a sophisticated way that's uncommon for a huge blockbuster.
Just as vibrant and exciting as the nation it's self are the people within it. A primarily black cast in a production of this scale is almost unheard of, but it allows for this film's portrayal of Africa to feel authentic and truly engaging. And there's not a bad performance to be seen. Chadwick Boseman is really terrific. It's clear how a previous role in Message from the King has shaped the basis of his African dialect as it's absolutely spot on, so much so that it still catches me off guard to hear his South Carolina accent in interviews. Beyond that, he balances regality with naivety in his early days as king really well. Letitia Wright's Shuri offers a really funny and charming performance as T'chala's kid sister whilst also serving as this film's 'Q'. (In fact, a lot of this movie feels very reminiscent of classic Bond movies.) It's awesome to see some kick-ass female characters in Dora Milaje, led by the fierce Okoye (Danai Gurira). Lupita Nyong'o and Daniel Kaluuya are also really solid. Winston Duke's M'baku is a surprise standout to me, offering some genuinely hilarious moments in what is on the whole a more seriously toned Marvel film.
Black Panther also features two really strong and entertaining villains, arguably some of the best the MCU has offered. Michael B Jordan's Killmonger is excellent. He's menacing and terrifying but at times you can understand where he's coming from and even agree with some of his reasonings, which is the hallmark of a great villain. The return of Andy Serkis' Klaue is also great. It's always nice to see Serkis when he's not covered in ping-pong balls and his performance here is cold and unhinged whilst also hilariously entertaining.
My only real complaints are very slight. The exposition at the very start, detailing the origins of Wakanda itself is quite clunky, despite being visually pleasing. Whilst the action is all good, there's no real memorable set pieces and the black SUV chase sequence feels very overdone at this point. Similarly, the storyline is nowhere near as unfamiliar as other elements of the film. At times it feels like the narratives of The Lion King and Rocky III have been spliced together which doesn't always mesh, leading to a severe drop off in pace towards the end of the second act. However, an entertaining final battle probably redeems this.
Whilst the narrative of Black Panther is nothing you haven't seen before, the assembly of such a unique cast and the tributes to the heritage of this character make it a truly groundbreaking film. It's fantastic to think that this movie offers a huge number of people the chance to feel represented in cinema, in the same way that Wonder Woman did for young girls. It's quite unlike anything you've ever seen in a superhero movie before now and it's that originality that makes it so special.
4/5 Stars
Thursday 22 February 2018
Tuesday 20 February 2018
'Logan Lucky' review
Did anyone believe for even a second that Steven Soderbergh had 'retired' for good? I certainly didn't. After a five year hiatus following Magic Mike (2012), one of the pioneers of modern heist movies makes a welcomed return to cinemas. Logan Lucky maybe feature a very familiar story that offers nothing groundbreaking to the genre, but some slick direction and class acting make it an immensely enjoyable movie.
Soderbergh again teams up with Channing Tatum, who is, as usual, on lovable beefcake duty. Jimmy Logan is a West Virginian miner with a heart of gold and a surprisingly spot on accent. After being knocked down for the umpteenth time, he seeks the assistance of his brother Clyde (Adam Driver) to rob his local NASCAR track on it's most profitable day of the year. Driver's turn as a one-armed, slow talking but quick witted barman is great. He and Tatum share some cracking chemistry and his performance would steal the show, if it wasn't for the presence of Daniel Craig. Bleach blonde hair and those piercing blue eyes mean that he's almost unrecognisable but it's very clear how much fun he's having whilst freed from the shackles of 007. It's a refreshing reminder of just how good a character actor Craig can be and he completely owns every scene he's in. In fact, the characters and their interactions are arguably the strongest element of this film. Without the burden of having to share screen time between an abundance of stars that plagues the Ocean's franchise, Soderbergh allows more than enough time for this movie to slow down and develop it's key players in meaningful and interesting ways.
The true core of a heist movie. though, has to be the planning and execution of the job. Both are handled well in this case. The writers are very careful to only offer snippets of information at a time, allowing for plenty of twists and turns throughout the robbery, all of which are tied up in simplistic yet satisfying fashion. The plan itself is simple enough that you can follow the process but also intriguing enough to maintain your attention.
Unfortunately, as with many of Soderbergh's movies, Lucky Logan lacks that final bit of pizzaz that would elevate it to greatness. Whilst the core trio all get ample time to shine, there are certain characters and plot threads that feel slightly underused, almost to the extent that you question their inclusion. Seth MacFarlane and Sebastian Stan's NASCAR team, whom you might expect to feature prominently, given that heist takes place within a race track, yet the two are reduced to glorified cameos. Similarly, Hilary Swank's late entering FBI agent feels tacked-on and offers very little to the story. After the big pay off of the heist and the plot reaching what feels like a heartfelt and satisfactory conclusion, the movie meanders on and actually robs the movie of the impactful ending that the build up deserved.
Even though it lacks that special something to make it excellent, there's still a lot to enjoy about Lucky Logan. Soderbergh yet again attracts a stellar cast that play off each other brilliantly and the overall balance of a character driven crime-flick is struck really well.
3/5 Stars
Soderbergh again teams up with Channing Tatum, who is, as usual, on lovable beefcake duty. Jimmy Logan is a West Virginian miner with a heart of gold and a surprisingly spot on accent. After being knocked down for the umpteenth time, he seeks the assistance of his brother Clyde (Adam Driver) to rob his local NASCAR track on it's most profitable day of the year. Driver's turn as a one-armed, slow talking but quick witted barman is great. He and Tatum share some cracking chemistry and his performance would steal the show, if it wasn't for the presence of Daniel Craig. Bleach blonde hair and those piercing blue eyes mean that he's almost unrecognisable but it's very clear how much fun he's having whilst freed from the shackles of 007. It's a refreshing reminder of just how good a character actor Craig can be and he completely owns every scene he's in. In fact, the characters and their interactions are arguably the strongest element of this film. Without the burden of having to share screen time between an abundance of stars that plagues the Ocean's franchise, Soderbergh allows more than enough time for this movie to slow down and develop it's key players in meaningful and interesting ways.
The true core of a heist movie. though, has to be the planning and execution of the job. Both are handled well in this case. The writers are very careful to only offer snippets of information at a time, allowing for plenty of twists and turns throughout the robbery, all of which are tied up in simplistic yet satisfying fashion. The plan itself is simple enough that you can follow the process but also intriguing enough to maintain your attention.
Unfortunately, as with many of Soderbergh's movies, Lucky Logan lacks that final bit of pizzaz that would elevate it to greatness. Whilst the core trio all get ample time to shine, there are certain characters and plot threads that feel slightly underused, almost to the extent that you question their inclusion. Seth MacFarlane and Sebastian Stan's NASCAR team, whom you might expect to feature prominently, given that heist takes place within a race track, yet the two are reduced to glorified cameos. Similarly, Hilary Swank's late entering FBI agent feels tacked-on and offers very little to the story. After the big pay off of the heist and the plot reaching what feels like a heartfelt and satisfactory conclusion, the movie meanders on and actually robs the movie of the impactful ending that the build up deserved.
Even though it lacks that special something to make it excellent, there's still a lot to enjoy about Lucky Logan. Soderbergh yet again attracts a stellar cast that play off each other brilliantly and the overall balance of a character driven crime-flick is struck really well.
3/5 Stars
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