Posted on 02/16/2018 2:03:06 AM PST by SMGFan
Bloated with every trope in the genre, too long running time, lack of investment in the villains and Jon Snow dies not once, but twice. With the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and the lack of diversity in mainstream movies and TV being recognized and addressed, its risky to criticize BLACK PANTHER. I have seen the sea-change. Black actors and actresses are being hired. They are being represented on TV series and in films.
The New York Times headline was “Why ‘Black Panther’ is a Defining Moment for Black America” might well be a true statement, but is it a good movie?
A big-budgeted studio film about a black action superhero with a nearly all-black cast is a huge step forward. However, I owe it to my readers to give my honest opinion about BLACK PANTHER. I am not intimidated by fear of being called a racist because I did not like BLACK PANTHER.
(Excerpt) Read more at filmsinreview.com ...
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/black_panther_2018/
Review by Louise Keller:
The trouble with the highly anticipated Black Panther is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be: super hero extravaganza, activist action flick, James Bond wannabe or Coming to America. Yes, writer director Ryan Coogler has much to answer for. But will the fans care? Probably not. First and foremost it is championed as the first black superhero movie. In that it succeeds.
Dialogue heavy with a confused sense of place, this mega-budget Marvel marvel might be a misfire for anyone beyond the fan-base, but it does have colourful moments. Rhinos in armory, athletic warriors with stunning profiles and nippled breastplates, traditional African lip plates, spectacular waterfalls, intense battle scenes and two passionate contenders for the throne of Wakanda, who represent good and evil. Hell hath no fury as a crazed African...
The first challenge is the screenplay. Patience is required to sit through the stilted dialogue as the exposition tries to find its rhythms. The 134 minute running time drags. When the rhythms of Africa kick in, things start to look up. Looking down the cast list there is no shortage of talent, including Forest Whitaker as the Black Panther’s mentor, Lupita Nyong’o as a free-spirited beauty, Andy Serkis as a nasty arms dealer, Martin Freeman as a CIA agent, Angela Bassett and Letitia Wright as the mother and sister. The locations (Atlanta and South Korea) look impressive, although Coogler flits from one location to the next; we are not sure where are supposed to be. In the battle scenes I was confused as to who was fighting whom. As for Ludwig Goransson’s music score, it is dirge-like, weighing down the action instead of giving it the desired lift.
http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=22139&s=Reviews
Review: Black Panther’s natural instincts have been dulled
REVIEW: In an effort to be all things to all people, Marvel’s Black Panther has lost its roar in a dull and longwinded story that packs few surprises.
The review that dropped the films from 100% fresh
I’m sure it’ll be a smash...cough cough cough. They’re hyping this thing so much, that the first wave of people will go see it out of curiosity. When they leave, they’ll be telling their buddies not to waste the money and wait til a, torrent site, gets it or it comes out on Netflix/Hulu/Amazon. It will die a slow death and the entire country will be declared racist, again, because no one wants to watch a crappy movie and spend $95 so two people can go to a movie and get some popcorn and a soda.
I skipped Doctor Strange because not interested in him.
I always liked the Avengers comic but not The Defenders comics.
I probably will not see it in the theaters because of the politics.
T’Challa says “the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers” in an obvious political commentary on Trump’s efforts to build a wall and enforce immigration laws.
On the positive side for those who prefer family films, there is no nudity or overt sexuality from what I’ve read. There is some profanity, but it is toned down. Nothing like the crass Deadpool content.
Of course there is lots of violence, but that is par for the course for superhero action films. A couple of other troubling things for Christians who are picky about what films they patronize is the advocacy for ancestor worship styled religion and a couple of misuses of God’s name.
But overall, this film is fairly clean by Hollywood standards. If it weren’t for the politics I’d be more likely to support it.
The thing I’m the most curious about is whether it encourages blacks to treat whites with equality and to recognize that ALL lives matter, or does it play into the Commie misappropriation of civil rights issues.
At least in part because it's not PC to go against the prevailing Hollywood PR meme and in this case, you'll be called raciss if you give it a negative review.
Hollywood is rapidly proving that they can screw up movies based on comics that people love just as badly as they screw up anything else. The PC crowd can spew trash about "re-imagining" all they like but they can't match things that are true to the original author's vision the way the makers of "Lord of The Rings" was.
Hollywood is a mentally incestuous, sexually perverted, morally bankrupt little world all its own and the small group of people who don't fit that mold as a rule don't make decisions and don't have a say. Consequently, as the older people who had some small connection to reality die off Hollywood will increasingly produce products that reflect their own closed thinking, perversion, and moral bankruptcy.
I watch old movies and old tv shows and there is not a lack of black representation in them...
I am sure Black Panther will be better than most films. But if they are saying it is better than most MCU films of past 10 years. No.
BTW, I have yet to see Iron Man 3 , recent Wolverine films too.
Until now, whether they hail from the DC or Marvel cinematic universes, big-screen superheroes have traditionally been white dudes put on this earth (e.g. Superman and Thor, who each came from other planets) or fashioned by the U.S. military (à la Captain America and War Machine) to defend America from its enemies. Co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” is a radically different kind of comic-book movie, one with a proud Afrocentric twist, featuring a nearly all-black cast, that largely ignores the United States and focuses instead on the fictional nation of Wakanda — and guess what: Virtually everything that distinguishes “Black Panther” from past Marvel pics works to this standalone entry’s advantage.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/reviews/film-review-‘black-panther’/ar-BBIMrgy?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp
The market does not lie. It will have a big opening weekend due to hype. If it continues past that, it will be because enough people think it it good entertainment.
Personally, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Given Marvel’s pretty good track record, it is more likely than not an entertaining movie.
Ghostbusters for Girlz II
Even my kids knew better than to go see a movie this weekend. This much hype around a racially charged event? They know to avoid it completely. And they are morenos of Latino heritage.
This movie reminds me of the old Tarzan movies that had the native tribe villains that were the Jaguars, similar dress and looks...
Says T'Challa, who keeps the entire kingdom of Wakanda a secret. You think he has a wall around his country?
Do you suppose Wakanda has an open immigration policy with the rest of Africa?
The whole point of Wakanda is that it is a nation set apart that prospers. But they can't resist taking pot-shots at Donald Trump over enforcing existing immigration law.
If it turns out to be a good movie in the eyes of comic fans, great, I'll be just as happy with it doing well as I will be with it doing poorly. Macht nichts.
Any way it goes it doesn't reflect any change in the sewer it comes out of.
People are acting like this is the first movie in history with a Black leading character.
I’ve been turned off completely by the non-stop media tongue bath.
Titanic was a disappointment, too.
What if it just sucks?
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