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Roaring applause ruled the theater after “Black Panther” delivered an enthralling atmosphere packed with interesting ideals and culture.

The film marked the start of what could hopefully be a new era in filmmaking, not only for its inclusion within the Marvel cinematic universe, but also for how much it took into account the history of black culture across America and Africa.

Even if you walked in without any prior knowledge of such, you would at least respect the amount of detail that thrived within many elements of the film. It carefully guided viewers into noticing the mesh of costume design that combined traditional African patterns, styles and historical trends with a more modern sense of direction.

The overall aesthetic of the fictional country Wakanda was a mesmerizing sight to behold upon the big screen. There were architectural elements reminiscent of traditional African homes combined with the art of skyscrapers.

CGI was mostly used to help the cast look natural within the fabricated environment, as well as to help create fluidity throughout action sequences. Given its limited usage, it didn’t feel overwhelming, which gave their world a more relatable quality.  

That said, you can’t have a solid film without a solid cast, but not to worry because they brought together an army of talent. The characters felt believable and one couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards many of them. Two roles to point out were between Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger.

Okoye was the closest guardian to Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther, and she conveyed an overwhelming amount of power and seriousness whenever she presented herself. The complexities of her emotions conflicting with her strong sense of duty left an imprint that bolstered the many scenes that she was in.

The real star though was Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger, who was the sole point of interest when it came down to issues regarding black society’s hardships within America. His behavior was calculated and curious, that left the audience guessing what his true motives were, and as it turned out they were founded under principles most people could at least empathize with.

Action sequences had their typical Marvel treatment but in this film they stood out for creating whole new abilities and weaponry evidently inspired by traditional African symbols as well as war techniques. During the final climactic battle, many of these ideas truly shined.

As for plot, it follows the format of Wakanda transitioning through a power shift, and as new problems arise, new ideals become exchanged that get combative through a climactic finish. This film made many empowering messages not only culturally but even politically and it was through the clashing of so many different ideals that this film truly hooked.

This wasn’t just another Marvel film, and especially considering how their formula can at times feel a little dry, this felt fresh. There were hardly any relations to any previous Marvel films so you don’t need to watch the others to see this (not including ending credit scenes).

Regardless, this film was impactful to say the least for it wasn’t just good, but it was symbolic of a new film generation that doesn’t care about following guidelines. It’s proven that any film, regardless of the skin color of its cast can be successful no matter what anyone thinks, and it’s a belief that among our youth will stem new upcoming directors of praise who will look back and say, “‘Black Panther’ started it all.”

In an A through F rating, this film gets an A for its cultural sensitivity and detail while managing to pull off stellar visuals with an entrancing environment and tone.

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