Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s red carpet premiere was held last night in Los Angeles and that means the initial social media embargo for those who saw the film has been lifted. Suffice it to say, everyone is loving the Black Panther sequel.
Although Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won’t release globally until November 11, the insiders that got exclusive access all complimented Ryan Coogler’s work to not only follow up his $1.3 billion act for Marvel, but to achieve that while honoring the memory of Chadwick Boseman. How the movie tackled the late star’s passing was always going a difficult subject, yet based on most accounts, Wakanda Forever passes the test admirably well.
In that sense, Collider’s Steven Weintraub warned viewers to “Expect your eyes to leak”, calling it a fantastic sequel and movie overall, showing much praise for its emotional impact and respect for Boseman’s legacy. On the other hand, The Hollywood Reporter’s Brian Davids simply calls it “Marvel's most poignant and powerful film to date”, saying the sequel levels up in practically every aspect from the already impressive Black Panther; whereas Cinema Blend’s Sean O’Connell was happy to find Namor to be “better than I had hoped,” with most comments crediting strong performances throughout the entire cast.
Critic Tessa Smith summed up her opinion by saying “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever feels like a war movie,” with themes of grief, loss and vengeance put at the forefront of the MCU blockbuster making up its plot. Also, for anyone intrigued by what Marvel could have in store for the post-credits, she was among those claiming viewers will be shocked by the film's sole mid-credits scene, similarly to CineXpressPR’s Fico Cangiano saying “the mid-credits scene is really moving."
One point made clear by most early reviewers is that Wakanda Forever stands heads and shoulders above any recent Marvel film as The Direct’s Jack McBryan says it’s “Easily the best MCU project of Phase 4. I can not understate how masterful the score is from start to finish”, counting himself among those marveled by the film. Expect Wakanda Forever to turn on the waterworks for many as the movie’s emotional impact and ability to grip the audience didn’t go unnoticed, combined with stellar action and great performances, with Angela Bassett being the MVP for Brazilian critic Gabriel Carvalho who he ponders “is assured of an Oscar nomination, if not winning.”
Naturally, any type of opinion on a certain movie is to be taken with a grain of salt, especially considering how divisive Black Adam and other recent superhero productions have been. Nevertheless, given that the original Black Panther was already such a widely acclaimed film, the fact that this iteration rises to, at least, be a fine sequel should have many Marvel fans and cinephiles excited for Wakanda Forever.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will premiere in theaters on November 11, 2022.
Source: @colliderfrosty; @PickYourBrian; @Sean_OConnell; @MamasGeeky; @FicoCangiano; @McBDirect; @gabirucarvalho; @BigGoldBelt; @ByClaytonDavis