Black Panther claws way into box office
¡BY JARED PREBLE "
"
-THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
jN O t k
Like m any com ic buffs and superhero
fa n s , I w as th rille d to see B lack
Panther take the leap from comic
L
film h aS ;
panel to silver screed back in 2016,
with the release of Captain America:
Civil War. According to The New York
Tim es, the Black Panther standalone
already topped $700 m illio n in its second
weekend in theatres, as expected,.The king o f W akanda,
T ’C h alla , (Black Panther) has paved the way for diversity
in the M arvel Cinem atic Universe.
W hen Avengers prem iered back in 2012 it boasted an
all-star roster o f Iron M an, Captain Am erica, Thor, Hulk,
Haw keye and Black W idow. A ll strong and entertaining
en tire civilizatio n a secret, and has fooled th e rest o f
th e w orld in to b e lie v in g W ak a n d a to .b e a n o th e r an
ag ricu ltu ral th ird w orld co u n try. A s th e leader o f his
n atio n , T ’C h a lla stru ggles w ith th e eth ics o f k e e p in g
th eir ad v an cem en ts a secret. M an y o f his subordinates
try to in still th e concep t o f h e lp in g th ose in true third
w orld c o u n tries th a t w ould b e n e fit g re a tly fro m th e
knowledge o f the W akandans. This causes friction w ithin
th eir em p ire, and leads to a challe n ger for th e throne
B lack Panther also boasts a strong and fu lly realized
fe m a le cast, most of w hich contribute greatly to the success
o f T ’C halla throughout the film . They shatter the token
“ dam sel in distress” stereotype, and instead take turns
kicking butt wherever butt needs kicking. Danai Gurira, most
entertaining, it shows its age with its lack o f diversitys cast.
In later film s, Falcon and W ar M achine were added to the
prominently known for her zombie slaying role as Michonne
in The Walking Dead, stands out amongst the rest. A personal
lineup, though they lacked leadership and fell into the roll
o f sidekick. T’Challa is quite the opposite, being the king of
the nation o f W akanda, w hile also holding th e title o f the
bodyguard to the king and general of W akanda 's all-fem ale
army, she makes no apologies for the many bones she breaks
strong am ong those who have been saving the world since
the M C U began back in 2008 with Iron M an.
W a k a n d a is th e m o s t te c h n o lo g ic a lly a d v a n c e d
civilization on Earth thanks to the elem ent Vibranium , a
space age m etal w ith a wide a rra y o f u tility. In previous
M arvel movies it was used to construct Captain Am erica’ s
shield as w ell as th e v illia n U ltr o n ’ s body, and it was
exceed in gly rare to com e across. W e later discover th at
W akand a has b een m in in g a m o u n tain fille d w ith it for
centuries, thus the fly in g ships and high techw eaponry.
T h is te ch n o lo g y has aided W akanda' iri k e ep in g th eir
the technological powerhouse that is W akanda; in order to
defend the planet against Thanos and his legion.
....................
..................................Marvel
w ho w ish es to see ch an ges in W akand a.
heroes without a doubt, but also all white. W hile the film is
fabled Black Panther. He is the epitome o f a leader and stands
can expect to see T’Challa dawn the Black Panther suit once
more for Avengers: Infinity W ar, and it is there that we will
sqe if he decides to help the rest o f the world Catch up to
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w h en dealing w ith strife in the film . Letitia W righ t also
deserves credit, her character being the brains behind many
o f Wakandas advancements including the black panther suit.
I
p
«M Ä
i
8 8 !
The princess of W akanda and the sibling o f T ’Challa, she
shines as a smart and powerful woman that stands strong
throughout the film 's endeavors. It was refreshing to see so
m any fem ale leads succeed throughout the film , and I can
confidently say that the movie would have a different and
less satisfying end without the help o f our heroines.
A s a w hole, Black Panther stands strong as one o f thé
m ost influential film s o f the year and will certainly not be
forgotten anytim e soon, and it holds its own against the
other seventeen M C U film s that have been released. W e
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Clackamas Print
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Febuary 28, 2018