Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Coogler keeps Black Panther: Wakanda Forever absorbing and coherent, with a thoroughly thought-out set of antagonists and a chest-swelling tribute to Chadwick Boseman, giving the characters and the audience the space to grieve him.

This soulful sequel teams an emotional tribute to late star Chadwick Boseman with some spectacular visual action. A maturity milestone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring Angela Bassett and Winston Duke.

Kind of a mixed bag, but worth seeing if you liked the first one.

The MCU’s mechanics are too oppressive to allow for true mournful meditation.

The first Black Panther... set a bar Wakanda Forever didn't come close to matching. But taken on its own terms, as a superhero sequel tasked with serving an unusually wide range of needs, it stands as a different kind of accomplishment.

Wow! You’ll say that over and over again as this mind-blowing, superhero epic unfolds. Wow!

Rather than position Namor as a man who suffered an unfortunate, but centuries-old, part of nation-building, Wakanda Forever reminds us that imperial powers remain at work today.

From his [Ryan Coogler] dynamic vision of recreating Namor’s origin to his exploration of themes of Indigenous Latin cultures, Wakanda Forever is an innovative and refreshing take on superhero lore.

The entire film aches with a melancholy at the passing of Boseman but it feels like a film that wants to embrace him and move on in his memory rather than wallow in the sadness of the loss.

The pacing, demons, and storytelling monsters take down the film.