SO I WATCHED BLACK PANTHER... WHAT CAN I SAY?

Black Panther... the names sends ripples through everyone's imagination! Except you have been living under a rock, there is no way you have not heard about Marvel comics super hero movie 'Black Panther'. I'm not really a fan of Super Hero movies, preferring the realism of gritty dramas, thrillers and Rom Coms.   

Then I am usually not one to be moved by hype made over any film ever since I went to watch Twilight (due to the hype) and it ended up being a love triangle between a girl, a vampire and a werewolf! *long hiss. Then combined with the fact that I am not a science fiction fan... but something about this film is irresistible.

 For one, it's a film about people that look like me, then I love the Afrocentric theme going on... I'm definitely in. So, I got the opportunity to see the film, I went and I will say... I was not disappointed. (Not that I expected to be). As an African, a Nigerian living in the continent I was interested in seeing how they pulled off creating Wakanda the fictional African country and was kind of expecting the typical Hollywood fare about 'Africa', complete with wack accents and run-down huts etc but I was pleasantly surprised. (Yea, there were some run down huts but it was a smoke screen) They really did take their time to do their research in this movie. You could tell that the person behind it cared.The costumes and props were quite authentic ... and out-of-this world-beautiful.. Costume Designer, Ruth Carter should get nominated for an Oscar for this. It was a kind-of-Game-of-Thrones-Meets-Afrocentrism kind of movie. Very cool. I know its 'just a super hero movie' but the movie was deep many levels.

First of all without giving too much away, apart from the fact that there was a majority of Black people (People of African descent) in the movie, I noticed that a subtle message was being sent to Africans on the continent by those in the New World, as was exemplified with the Wakandans of the 'Old order' and those of the new (Killmonger etal). A message if I detect clearly, was that we were once one but circumstances tore us apart, (African-Americans from Africa) and we, Africans see them as 'lost' and have rejected them (as symbolized by some of the issues between T'Challa & Eric KillMonger). That part was a quite emotional to me. I don't know if anybody else picked up on it but I did, I felt and heard it loud and clear. 

Then the actor that stole the show for me was the character of M'baku brilliantly played by the actor Winston Duke. He was by far my favourite character, apart from Chadwick Boseman and others ofcourse. He reminded me of a typical Igbo man; brash, unapologetic and sarcastically hilarious. Ryan really did his homework. As the rest of the world gets to see the movie worldwide tomorrow, I hope it does very well at the box office. Kudos to the director Ryan Coogler and the whole team. 

Wakanda Forever!