Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

SnarkAI Score: 65/100 tldr:

While the movie is entertaining, it falls short of being a truly great film. The review points out several flaws, such as the green screening and the inconsistencies in characterizations. The criticisms of the plot also suggest that it doesn't hold up well to closer scrutiny. However, the review also highlights some positive aspects, such as the introduction of new characters and the inclusion of Mayan culture. Overall, it seems that the movie has some enjoyable moments, but it may not be as impressive as its predecessor.

Our Scores are generated by SnarkAI's analysis of our reviewer's writing. The tldr sumary is drafted by SnarkAI based on that review. All Images are AI generated based on the reviewers descriptions of scenes.

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It's entertaining, but not nearly the sensation the first one was.

I'm going to start with how hilarious it is that Shuri spent half the movie in a lab trying to synthesize a herb with magical healing properties, given that the actress is an anti-vaxxer. It's still odd for Wakanda to be a fight-club-based monarchy, particularly as they're no longer ruled by a superhuman. The Queen's decisions around Okoye reinforce the problems of unfettered power.

The green screening when they are in Wakanda isn't great; the light in the foreground and background just don't match.

Namor is a travesty of his character. He would never yield, no matter the impact; he's too proud by far. The fact that he can't even pronounce his own name is a little embarrassing... It's SO strange that they've changed everything about this character but kept his silly ankle wings. The one thing you know wouldn't work in live action is what they kept. But it's nice to start seeing mutants in the MCU. I just can't see his and Sue's relationship working as it should. But his hatred of scientists and progress bodes well for the conflict with Mr Fantastic. The Atlanteans being racist, murdery assholes is about right though. The statement of 'breathe the air our ancestors breathed' is a weird way to describe your mum, Namor, given that you literally just finished saying she took a herb and transformed into a water breather.

Having just got back from visiting Mayan ruins, it is cool seeing some of them in BP2, and seeing the underwater Pok Ta' Pok being played. With a sub-aquatic Mayan culture, we now have two ultra-powered nations who just watched colonization when they could have stopped it and chose not to. Maybe this should be called "Black Panther 2: Killmonger's Still Right."

M'Baku is great. Both his plans and his pointed mockery of the Council. Wakanda would probably have been better off just putting him in charge rather than T'Challa back in Movie 1.

Shuri wandering around in a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air style tracksuit is hilarious. Okoye just threw a jacket over her uniform and called it a day. I'm glad someone did something about Ross's ongoing treason. Kinda annoying he got broken out, as normally countries just abandon their spies if they get caught.

Riri's intro is better than it has any right to be given the mediocre source material. The suit's not as good as the comics, but Ironheart's suit is a bit too much like Ironman's in the comics, so it's better it's more different. But it drags like nobody's business between her intro and her getting to do anything at all.

It's difficult to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus as anything other than VEEP when she's in this film, so it's hard to see her as capable.

There must be a very rich builder in Wakanda, given how often people ram their spearpoints into the floors.

Michaela Coel was criminally underused, but still awesome to see her. Between Chewing Gum, Black Earth Rising, I May Destroy You, and now the MCU, she's really showcasing range.

Dumbest moment: Shuri and her mother talk about AI, and Shuri disregards the risk of rogue AI, saying, "it's not like the movies, mother," when she lives in a world where a rogue AI literally almost ended the world a couple of years before.

Second dumbest: a water mask for Atlanteans that inexplicably also works as an oxygen mask for regular people. Why would that be a feature designed in? "Join me in my war or I will wash you from the face of the earth" is a really stupid way to try and get a trustworthy ally, especially after murdering the Queen. Like, at this point, assume they are your enemy. (Also, the Queen gets her face on the coffin, but T'Challa just gets the Black Panther mask? Odd choice).

It's also entirely unclear why Wakanda doesn't bring in allies of their own. Even without national treaties, they're owed some favours from some people who could quite rapidly solve the Namor issue. But that's a critique of every Marvel film that doesn't feature the Avengers. Fun, pretty film, but the plot doesn't really hold up to any thought.

The bit with the secret kid who will be Black Panther is stupid and borderline misogynistic to Shuri now she's taken the mantel. It's a bit of Marvel saying (again) we don't think our female leads can carry a franchise.