“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”—A moving tribute to a king | The Triangle

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”—A moving tribute to a king

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko | Pexels

 “Wakanda Forever.” A phrase which serves as a promise that there is always a way up in the face of tremendous grief and hardship. This concept was a main focus in the sequel to “Black Panther,” which premiered last Friday, Nov. 11. 

Director Ryan Coogler returned to tell the story of a post-T’Challa Wakanda following the death of star Chadwick Boseman suceeding in portraying his vision with elegance. While the film gracefully honors Boseman and his impact on the film industry as a whole, it still works to push the story forward and retain the quality of the original.

The film’s lead is Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, portrayed by Letitia White. The audience is privileged to learn more about her and see her step up into her leadership role in Wakanda, while also discovering her sense of humor. Overall, there were humorous instances in this movie compared to the last one, which allowed for “brain breaks” throughout this lengthy and heavy film.

With the introduction of new problems and unexpectedly powerful antagonists from foreign lands, Wakanda is no longer untouchable and Wakandans are painted as the underdogs, showing the vulnerability of our favorite characters. This plot twist made this movie more relatable than the first and drew viewers in. “Wakanda Forever” skilfully combined emotional real-world themes with blockbuster entertainment. Representation was also at the forefront of cast and crews’ minds as characters of color were presented as strong and resilient. 

Overall, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is worth the attention and praise it is receiving. The film was emotional, yet logical and pushed the story forward in a way which honored the past. Interestingly, viewers will not be lost watching this film if they have not seen the prequel, as the script was designed to be a stand-alone story. 8/10.