What I would change in Black Panther.

I think this is a series I might do. Take a look at films, give my take on them and what I would have done or liked to have seen done. You could call it a review or a critique but it’s just my thoughts.

You’ve seen Black Panther, right? Unless you literally live underground there is no way you couldn’t get swept up in the storm that was Black Panther which hit screens in February this year (2018). Not only was it a box office smash making $1.3b worldwide it was also critically acclaimed with an 88% score on Metacritic and a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. I loved it, mostly. Ryan Coogler, one of my favourite working directors, did a superb job and together with cinematography from Rachel Morrison they brought the story of Black Panther to life.

There is no denying the cultural impact Black Panther had on people of African origin worldwide, it will have influenced and affected people all over the globe. I can only hope for such western films to exist for South-Asians but feel we are a long way off. There will inevitably be a huge push for the film come awards season and I do believe it will warrant nominations in a number of categories. However I do not agree with the push for a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards and although I do believe ‘Blockbuster’ films deserve more recognition, it will be more of a statement from the Academy to nominate Black Panther than a deserved spot. In my opinion.

Ryan Coogler is a much better filmmaker than I could even imagine myself becoming, I can’t recommend watching his films enough, and this piece is no slight on him as a story-teller or anybody else involved. Throughout what is to follow, I will point out what I loved in the film and what I would have changed.

SPOILER WARNING! 

I’ll start with what I enjoyed in the film:

Killmonger, portrayed by Michael B Jordan, is probably my favourite MCU villain although I do think they did a great job with Thanos in Infinity War. The story behind his origin and his resentment towards Wakanda is told well throughout. The film does a great job to show you his viewpoint, something which many modern-day films fail to do with their villains. T’Challa, coming off a strong showing in Captain America: Civil War, the clamour to see more of him in the MCU was strong. Although he isn’t in the film for as long as you might like and actually takes a ‘back seat’, Chadwick Boseman excels again in the role. Having been rushed into the position as King, they do a good job showing his regal nature and bravery (his battles with M’Baku and Killmonger). These interactions also show his immaturity as a leader therefore allowing for character development. His relationships with the people around him make you warm not only to him but them too. The Dora Milaje led by Okeye, Danai Gurira, have a strong presence throughout the film and must have been a powerful thing to see for many young girls and women watching. Shuri, portrayed by Letitia Wright, is by far the standout and breakout star in the film, her relationship with T’Challa works throughout and adds great levity to the dark nature of Killmonger. Her love for her craft is evident and I think people can take a lot away from Shuri as a character. The scenes between T’Chaka and T’Challa in the ‘Astral Dimension’ are by far my favourite parts of the film. The use of colour is stunning and I can feel the calm atmosphere within the dimension whenever I watch. The scene between the two characters in regards to Killmonger and emotion shown by T’Challa is powerful. The ending is equally as powerful and thought provoking. After an emotional battle between cousins, Killmonger utters the sentence “Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships ‘cuz they knew death was better than bondage”, I cannot begin to imagine how important and emotional that line is to those whose families and people were enslaved by the western powers but I feel it is a line that will be labelled as iconic and go down in film history. There are other story points which I enjoyed but feel could be altered.

What I would change:

I feel the film lets itself down by not showing off Wakanda more. A big pull for the film was to show off Wakanda, an advanced country powered by vibranium sheilded from the outside world. Although you don’t get to see T’Challa be a King due to the fast paced nature of the film, a few scenes or a sequence going through central Wakanda would help show off the technological advancements; not only would this make Killmonger’s grievance of Wakanda hiding from the world rather than helping, it could also provide you with a feeling of awe and a definite talking point afterwards. Instead, like Wakanda from the world, it is hidden from us but maybe that is for a sequal to develop more. There is obviously going to be a sequal, no matter what happens in Avengers 4.

Personally I did not care for Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) and feel like Serkis has been wasted in this role by the MCU. The casino scene is near perfect but ruined by the car chase. Although the need for T’Challa to get Klaue is great for the character and story, it seems out of place. This is probably a larger issue of mine with big budget films which include unneccesary action pieces that don’t really affect the plot. I understand the business aspect of it but feel there are better ways to execute such situations. I could be wrong. A smaller ‘shoot-out’ in the casino or a more subtle and agile chase, which would show off the ‘Panther’ aspect of Black Panther would fit better for me.

I’ll end with an overview of what I would have done with the story. I don’t agree with Killmonger’s overall goal to use the vibranium in Wakanda to weaponise Wakandan operatives across the globe and although I agree within the MCU you need to look on a larger scale, I also believe a more personal story would work. Killmonger, after defeating T’Challa in their first battle would continue to punish those in Wakanda as what he would believe to be revenge for his fathers exile and death. You would still have T’Challa come back however I would definitely have a more intimate battle between the two as they resume their fight for the throne in a smaller setting. Killmonger would have his Gold Panther suit on against a bare T’Challa. Killmonger would be winning and those who came to see T’Challa defeat Killmonger begin to disperse as they are resigned to his defeat. As T’Challa looks defeated Shuri throws him the necklace piece for his new suit, it activates forming around him; Killmonger fighting in a fury keeps attacking T’Challa however his suit now begins to charge, like in the film, and in a final attempt to survive T’Challa lets out an attack which flings Killmonger over the waterfall much like T’Challa fell in the previous battle. You can still have the final ending be as rememberable but without the CGI fest, big final battle which many superhero films fall in the trap of doing (see Wonder Woman). A film like Black Panther should have, in my opinon, had a smaller more personal final battle. Instead of having Zuri be the ‘referee’ in the fight like before you could have W’Kabi, Daniel Kaluuya’s character, be there and show his struggle as his former friend T’Challa is being defeated but his allegiance is now to Killmonger. In this version you might not get to see the ability of the Dora Milaje but to be honest I would prefer to see their conflict with Killmonger throughout the 2nd and 3rd acts and how they deal with a small rebellion against Killmonger (due to the loyalty they have to the throne) within Wakanda, this could show their personal and political prowess.

If you made it down to here I hope you enjoyed what I had to say and thank you for taking the time to read. I will once again recommend watching what Ryan Coogler has directed and written in recent years, Fruitvale Station and Creed are brilliant films and look out for him in the years to come; he is a serious talent.

Would you have enjoyed my take on the film? Would you have done anything different? Do you have any reccomendations on what film you would like to see me provide an alternative take on?