Film Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a fine superhero romp - if a little long

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 
• ★★★★☆

The King is dead, long live the Queen. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (12A) opens a year after the death of T’challa, aka Black Panther, whose untimely demise has left the hi-tech African nation of Wakanda at the mercy of those who covet Wakanda’s precious store of vibranium. At least, that’s the theory, but Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) has other plans. 

With her brilliant daughter Shuri (Letitia Wright) and trusted general Okoye (Danai Gurira) at her side, Queen Ramonda sets about establishing Wakanda as one of the world’s superpowers, only to find her realm invaded by an Oceanic demi-god, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), whose previously undetected civilisation was also founded on vibranium. With the scene set for a clash of technology and tradition on the one hand, and superhuman abilities on the other, director Ryan Coogler, who helmed the original Black Panther (2018), unveils a vivid spectacle, and one that is particularly impressive when the story takes us beneath the waves and into Namor’s subaquatic kingdom. 

The story feels a little recycled – Namor is every bit as ruthless in preserving his kingdom as was T’challa in defending the tiny nation of Wakanda in the first film – but some stand-out performances, most notably from Angela Bassett, paper over the narrative cracks. At two hours and forty minutes it’s far too long (and includes at least two unnecessary sub-plots), and the various conflicts, as is invariably the case in the superhero genre, are eventually resolved via a good old-fashioned (if hi-tech) brawl. 

That said, for the most part Wakanda Forever doubles down on the original film’s reimagining of the superhero film, delivering a powerful, feminist take on the traditional action flick. (cinema release)