Review of Black Panther- by Kathia Woods

Black Panther is the movie all of us comic book nerds and sci-fans have been debating at comic book stores and chat rooms all over the world. It's the modern-day version of Generation X ‘s Star Wars. The movie version of Black Panther moves a bit away from the comic book, but one constant throughout the movie is Girl Power or in this case Woman Power. Black Panther may be the name of the film, but the Women are the secret weapon. Ryan Coogler managed to do something that many other genres have failed to do, that is to place Black Women of different melanin front and center. The powerful Dora Milaje with its dynamic leader Okoye played brilliantly by Dani Gurira and the effervescent Lupita Nyong'o who plays Nakia a spy is not smoke and mirror but essential centerpieces. T'challa aka Black Panther is the guy that gets to wear the crisp suit, but the women are the pulse and conscious of this movie. Michael B. Jordan takes a right turn on the dark side as Erik Killmonger. T'challa aka Black Panther is elegant Killmonger street smarts which add to his mystique.

The hidden gem in this movie is Sterling K. Brown. Although he doesn't have much screen time, his role is pertinent to the storyline. Like many, I was wondering how he would fit into the overall storyline once announced that he was part of the cast. His character of N'Jobu set off a series of events that come back to haunt the citizens of Wakanda. Shuri, the tech genius and M'Baku leader of the Jabari Tribe, played brilliantly by Letitia Wright and Winston Duke, both provide humor in an otherwise serious movie. Overall all the characters are fully developed and vital to this movie guaranteeing that Black Panther will be a massive part of the Marvel movie family for years to come.