Page 4 The Skanner Seattle February 21, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
Kam’s Kapsules: Movies Opening Friday, Feb. 23
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Annihilation (R for vi-
olence, profanity, sexu-
ality and bloody images)
Sci-fi thriller based on
Jeff VanderMeer’s best
seller of the same name
about a biologist (Na-
talie Portman) who vol-
unteers to lead a secret
mission into the same
environmental disaster
area where her husband
(Oscar Issac) has dis-
appeared. With Tessa
Thompson, Gina Rodri-
guez and Jennifer Jason
Leigh.
Every Day (PG-13 for
profanity,
underage
drinking,
suggestive
material and mature
themes) Adaptation of
David Levithan’s NY
Times best seller about a
16-year-old girl (Angou-
rie Rice) who falls in love
with a ghost that inhab-
its a different body ev-
ery day. Supporting cast
includes Debby Ryan,
Maria Bello and Justice
Smith.
Game Night (R for pro-
fanity, sexuality and vio-
lence) Crime comedy re-
volving around a couple
(Jason Bateman and Ra-
chel McAdams) that in-
vites some friends to play
a murder mystery, only
to have the party turn
into a real-life whodun-
Kam
Williams
Kam’s
Kapsules
Movie
Reviews
it when the husband’s
brother (Kyle Chandler)
gets kidnapped by what
were supposed to be fake
thugs. With Sharon Hor-
gan, Billy Magnussen,
Lamorne Harris, Camille
Chen and Kylie Bunbury.
INDEPENDENT &
FOREIGN FILMS
Curvature (Unrated)
Sci-fi thriller about a sci-
entist (Lyndsy Fonseca)
who travels back in time
after a mysterious phone
call in order to stop her-
self from committing
a murder. With Linda
Hamilton, Glenn Mor-
shower and Noah Bean.
Did You Wonder Who
Fired the Gun? (Unrat-
ed) Justice delayed doc-
umentary investigating
the events surrounding
the 1946 killing of a Black
man in an Alabama con-
venience store by the
owner, the director’s
great-grandfather, a Ku
Klux Klansman.
Half Magic (R for fron-
tal nudity, profanity,
graphic sexuality and
drug use) Heather Gra-
ham wrote, directed and
stars in this battle-of-the-
sexes comedy revolving
around three BFFs’ (Gra-
ham, Angela Kinsey and
Stephanie Beatriz) dat-
ing and work woes. With
Molly Shannon, Johnny
Knoxville and Thomas
Lennon.
Hannah
(Unrated)
Charlotte
Rampling
plays the title character
in this intimate portrait
of a housekeeper drifting
between denial and reali-
ty in the wake of her hus-
band’s (Andre Wilms)
being sent up the river.
Featuring Stephanie Van
Vyve, Simon Bisschop
and Jessica Fanhan. (In
French and English with
subtitles)
Hichki
(Unrated)
Bollywood
coming-
of-age drama about a
young woman (Rani
Mukerji) with Tourette
syndrome who turns
her weakness into a
strength en route to
landing a teaching po-
sition at an elite prep
school. With Supriya
Pilgaonkar and Ivan
Rodrigues. (In Hindi
with subtitles)
‘Game Night’
icling a mute bartender’s
(Alexander Skarsgard)
desperate search for
his missing girlfriend
with the help of a couple
of U.S. Army surgeons
(Paul Ruddd and Justin
Theroux) on a mission of
their own. Support cast
includes Seyneb Saleh,
Robert Sheehan and Noel
Clarke.
Survivors’ Guide to
Prison (Unrated) Incar-
ceration documentary
with practical tips for fel-
ons preparing for a stint
behind bars. Featuring
commentary by Danny
Trejo, RZA, Ice-T, Susan
Sarandon, Russell Sim-
mons, Busta Rhymes and
Q-Tip.
FILM REVIEW:
Chadwick Boseman Rises to the
Occasion as ‘Black Panther’
Mute (Unrated) Fu-
turistic sci-fi, set in Ber-
lin in the 2050s, chron-
‘Black Panther’
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
C
hadwick Boseman has already
made quite a career out of por-
traying a variety of prominent
African Americans, from football
star Floyd Little (“The Express”), to
baseball great Jackie Robinson (“’42”),
to Godfather of Soul James Brown (“Get
on Up”) to U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall (“Marshall”). The
versatile actor’s efforts have been ap-
preciated by the NAACP which has
seen fit to nominate him for five Image
Awards.
Although Black Panther is a fictional
character, the role is ostensibly of no
less significance than the historical fig-
ures Chadwick has played in the past.
That’s because black kids have rarely
had a superhero that looks like them to
root for, even in Africa, where the Lord
of the Jungle, Tarzan, was white, too.
Consequently, advance ticket sales
for this Afrocentric origins tale have
been through the roof, and I’m happy to
report that audiences will not be disap-
pointed. For, the film not only features
a dignified protagonist and a social-
ly-relevant plotline, but it’s also a wor-
thy addition to the Marvel Cinematic
Universe franchise.
The picture was directed by Ryan
Coogler (“Creed”) who made the most
of his $200 million budget, between vi-
sually-captivating special effects and
an A-list cast which includes Acade-
my Award-winners Forest Whitaker
(for The Last King of Scotland) and
Lupita Nyong’o (for 12 Years a Slave),
Oscar-nominee Angela Bassett (for
What’s Love Got to Do with It), as well
as Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya
and Sterling K. Brown.
At the point of departure, we learn
that in ancient times the five tribes of
Africa went to war over vibranium, a
meteorite which imbues its holder with
superhuman powers. Fast-forward
to the present and we find T’Challa
(Boseman) being summoned home to
the fictional nation of Wakanda to as-
sume the reins of power in the wake of
the passing of his father, King T’Chaka
(John Kani).
Complicating matters is the fact that
a number of other warriors covet the
throne and that a South African arms
smuggler (Andy Serkis) is trying to get
his hands on some vibranium. Not to
worry. T’Challa has a capable CIA agent
(Martin Freeman) and a trio of loyal fe-
males on his side in his 16 year-old sis-
ter (Letitia Wright), his ex-girlfriend
(Nyong’o) and a two-fisted bodyguard
(Danai Gurira).
What ensues is an edge of the seat
roller coaster ride every bit as enter-
taining as any “Spider-Man,” “Wonder
Woman” or other superhero adven-
ture. Simply ‘Marvel’-ous!
Excellent HHHH
Rated PG-13 for pervasive violent ac-
tion sequences and a rude gesture