MOVIE REVIEW: The Magic of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Finally watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Great acting by the cast, especially Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o.

However, there is a huge hole in the film without the late Chadwick Boseman, "The Black Panther", who sadly died two years ago at the age of 46.

And how I wish Michael B. Jordan had more than a special appearance! Michael is a heart-catcher every day. I also expected to see more of Daniel Kaluuya after his unforgettable role in the first Black Panther movie.

The costume and special effects are also superb. The kingdom of Talokan, located under the Atlantic Ocean, is out of this world.

However, while some people may think the lip ring on Isaach de Bankolé is a welcome expression of a Masai cultural artifact, I didn't find it funny or wholesome. This does not even allow him to speak quickly. They should have put this awful thing on the mouth of a Kenyan actor rather than on that of an Ivorian! Well, someone said Wakanda was another name for Kenya.

Also, if I had the chance, I would delete several scenes and shots, including those in the sleepy market. The sound effects are award-winning; the one that got me hooked was the drumbeat as the spear was driven into the ground.

Furthermore, my forgiving spirit wasn't comfortable letting Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) walk away unscathed after killing our lovely Queen Ramonda (played so beautifully by the delightful Angela Bassett).< /p>

Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) should have just thrust that burning spear into his heart as he lay helpless on the sandy beach. Reason: the cataclysm he caused in our dear Wakanda when he came to avenge the death of his daughter was far too heavy to bear.

The alliance he is forced to consummate with Wakanda is fake as he tells his cousin it is a ploy to buy the time he needs to conquer the earthly world, our world. This means that it is not there to form an invincible bulwark against the machinations of these haughty superpowers.

The ending is great. I predict there will be part 3 of this film, with the revelation that the late King T'Challa fathered a child with Nakia before she escaped to Haiti, where the boy, Toussaint, and his mother live now. By the way, his ancestral name is also T'Challa.

Another reason to wait for Part 3 is that the fight with Western powers over access to vibranium, Wakanda's prized possession, has not been resolved, so it will continue. Viewers would love to see where the deadly competition will go under Queen Shuri, as the false alliance with the Talokan Kingdom is already doomed.

Overall, Wakanda Forever is worth my N6,000 entry fee (I even paid for two more viewers). I'm not surprised it has achieved an impressive approval rating on the most trusted movie scalers - 84% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.4/10 on IMDb.

As expected, African moviegoers have proven their love for him. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever made history across the continent by smashing previous box office records.

In Nigeria, it became "the industry's biggest ever opening weekend with a total of ₦240 million at the box office", the Abuja-based newspaper said. This figure must have tripled as the rooms continue to fill up.

Given Nigeria's position not only as an African elder sister but also as an important player in the global movie industry, I expected Marvel Studios to cast Nigerians in prominent roles in this second service, especially following complaints that our actors weren't seen in the first movie in 2018 even though there was an episode of Chibok girls. (Someone told me there are Nigerians in the current movie. Who are they? Kamaru Usman, you mean? I asked. No!).

This question should have been asked of director Ryan Coogler when he came to Lagos on November 6 with part of the crew and cast, including Wright, Nyong'o, Gurira, Mejía and Winston Duke, for the "black carpet". premiere of the film - the first official African premiere of Marvel Studios in Niger...