The most important thing when I think about a story is the quality of the story itself, it doesn’t matter what form the story is told in. If the story is not solid, then it will not hold my interest. Now Marvel Studios has been putting out multiple movies every year ever since Iron Man back in 2008 and they have been building up to Avengers Infinity War with the characters they have the rights to use. One of the newer characters added to the stable of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is Black Panther. The role was introduced to the MCU in Captain America Civil War with the death of his father centering around his revenge. In Civil War he deals with the loss of his father, but Marvel Studios had bigger things in mind for Black Panther, so the character was brought out of that supporting role and to the forefront of the MCU with his own movie and presumably sequels.
Black Panther’s prologue begins with a brief yet intriguing tale of Wakanda and an all too short exchange between a younger T’Chaka confronting his younger brother about his betrayal of their homeland. And it really did set the hook for the movie’s central storyline. Once the hook was established, we are promptly brought back to the present (about a week after the T’Chaka’s death) where T’Challa, the presumed new king of Wakanda, is searching for someone during his return home. The movie’s storyline progresses swiftly and unfolds as beautifully as the sun’s setting behind an expansive mountainscape. The characters, including the villains, brought to the screen all have a depth that leaves the audience wishing for their stories. Thanks to all that work we are able to wonder what they are going to do at crucial moments in the film right up until they make their choice and follow through with it.
The climax of the film manages to bring together all of its loose threads that came up in the movie weaving them together to form a tapestry that takes its place alongside the other great installments of the MCU. Once the film was over, I was excited about what might be in store for the next installment of the franchise and more importantly what he can bring to Avengers Infinity War.