“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” directed by Ryan Coogler, is an action film by Marvel that was released on November 11, 2022. The movie stars numerous Hollywood icons such as Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, and more. The movie itself is estimated to stay in theaters until the end of January and possibly the beginning of February. 

The movie follows three main characters: Queen Ramonda, played by Angela Bassett; her daughter Shuri, played by Letitia Wright; and King Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta. Reeling from the death of their King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman, who died two years ago), Queen Ramonda and Shuri must find a way to fend off foreign diplomats as they creep closer and closer to Wakanda. After a harrowing discovery, Shuri must decide whether she wants to become allies with Namor, the king of an underwater species, or risk starting a war. 

I am a big fan of action and adventure movies, particularly Marvel and DC, so when I heard no one had chosen to write about the movie for the paper yet, I practically jumped out of my seat. 

The first day of Thanksgiving break, my cousin had come into town, and I knew that was the perfect time to buy tickets. We purchased the tickets for 7:00 p.m. that night and chose seats right in the middle. Online it looked as though the theater was not fully sold out, which was quite shocking, but more room for us. 

As soon as we arrived, my cousin, sister, and I ran inside to get popcorn and drinks as fast as we could. Then we proceeded to run, not walk, to our seats and sat down with plenty of time. The Cinergy in Granbury we went to is by far my favorite. The seats are all recliners and very spacious, so sometimes I forget there could be someone next to me. 

Once the movie began, I never took my eyes off the screen. Although the movie is three hours long, we were never bored. There were a lot of gasps, laughs, and even some tears, but the best part was at the very end after the credits. We stayed to watch what Marvel had left for us, and you should, too. When it comes to the best foreshadowing and cliff hanging scenes, this takes the cake.

Overall, the movie was very different from what I had imagined, strictly speaking about the antagonist. I wasn’t thinking about a specific conflict per se, but Marvel did not disappoint with what they created. As far as movie tributes go, I think Chadwick Boseman would have been proud. 

Chadwick Boseman, the previous King T’Challa and Black Panther, died August 28, 2020 of colon cancer. He kept his illness a secret from the public and acted until he died. Boseman received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, among other accolades, and he was also nominated for an Academy Award during his two-decade career. 

I would give the movie an 9/10 because of the plot, acting, and costumes. The actors did such an incredible job of not just playing a part but becoming their character entirely, so this made the movie not only enjoyable but real. The costumes were truly the best part because of how specific and detailed they were; these ranged from streetwear to battle suits. The only reason it lost points for me is because it is a really long movie and at some moments the scenes drag on a little bit. Ignoring the length, I highly recommend that people watch it.