On November 11th, the highly awaited sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” released, receiving high praise from critics and fans alike for its ability to work around the void left by the unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman, the lead actor for 2018’s Black Panther film.

Before it was released, fans were skeptical of how good Black Panther Wakanda Forever was going to be after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, but all those doubts were silenced when the movie hit theaters for the first time. Director Ryan Coogler does a fantastic job with the circumstances, creating a film that covers the spread in criteria for a great movie, and more.  Its cinematography, script, emotional spark, soundtrack, and acting, were phenomenal. 

Like the movie before it, Wakanda Forever excels in its cinematography, giving the audience the full experience of the African country of Wakanda. The depth in which the film goes to immerse the viewer in its world is immense, sucking you into the film like a vacuum. The underwater nation of Atlantis is also represented beautifully, which helps connect us to the antagonist, Namor, and his struggles in attempting to keep his nation safe even more so. It does a great job of keeping the movie engaging and fresh.

In the beginning of the film, we see the funeral of Wakanda’s king and Black Panther, T’Challa. The funeral also represented Boseman’s death, given that he played the role of T’Challa. While this movie is entirely fictional, the drawn parallels between Boseman’s and T’Challa’s passing, real and fiction, create a somber tone that is felt throughout the movie. The acting by the cast such as Agenla Bassett – who plays Queen Ramondam- doesn’t feel like acting. It feels like real, raw emotion, making for a touching scene that left many hearts heavy.

The way the film is able to pull off an effective transition to a new main character in one movie is outstanding, and it finds a way to not rush things too quickly as it easily could have. The plot is packed with action, yet rich with powerful emotion and deep looks into characters that were usually pushed to the side. Wakanda Forever manages to push forward with a new story, one that excites fans for the future of the franchise.