“Black Panther” Review
“Black Panther” was released on February 16 and has shattered records, being hailed as “groundbreaking” and “revolutionary.” “Black Panther” has grossed over 1 billion dollars worldwide and has received more fan support than any other movie in recent years.
The movie takes place in the fictional nation of Wakanda which is said to be somewhere in central Africa. Thousands of years ago, Wakanda was hit by a meteor of vibranium, 
an incredibly strong and conductive metal that also happens to be what Captain America’s shield is made of. The meteor allowed Wakandans to become technologically advanced over all Western nations. The traditional Wakandans thought that they should hide vibranium from the outside world in order to protect their own citizens and culture. As a result, they put up an invisibility shield that allowed them to live in peace for thousands of years. The decision to take down the invisibility shield and provide foreign aid is central to the plot.
The story explores the wonders of Wakanda, in which colonialism and white supremacy never affected society. The director Ryan Coogler said in “Notes on the Scene” that one of the main story arcs that he tackled was dealing with traditionalists versus innovators in Wakanda. While Wakanda is new in technology, it is grounded in tradition. The story deals with how its leader, T’challa, navigates the road between tradition and innovation while also dealing with a former Wakandan exiled to America.
The movie is a light-hearted and culturally nuanced take on a classic political tale. T’challa, the king of Wakanda and legendary “Black Panther,” is the main character of the movie and is played by Chadwick Boseman. T’Challa’s little sister, Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, is Wakanda’s equivalent of James Bond’s Q. Shuri also acts as comedic relief throughout the film, often interjecting with jokes. Lupita Nyong’o plays a Wakanadan spy who is also the love interest of T’challa. Danai Gurira plays the head of the Dura Milas, an all-female security unit chosen to protect the king or queen of Wakanda. Michael B. Jordan plays Erik Killmonger, the villain of the story that grew up in America.
“Black Panther” is a great movie that embraces the culture of Africa in a way that resonates with every viewer. Hopefully the success of “Black Panther” will endure in the minds of Hollywood executives and we will see more great movies like “Black Panther” that embrace and celebrate a diverse range of cultures.
Now it is time to give “Black Panther” a Grace Potatoes score. This is the the first movie that has received a Grace Potatoes rating, so here is how it works. We poll the Grace students who saw the film and ask them how much they like it on a scale from 1 to 10. Then we average their ratings and convert that number to a percentage. Accompanied by this rating system are the following qualifications:
- Great – (top chef)= 85-100% A truly great movie, one of the best you’ll see all year.
- Good (tozt) = 60-85% – it has good points but nothing especially great overall and definitely not great on repeat viewings.
- Bad (airplane food)= 20-60% – if you’re desperate enough you’ll watch it.
- Horrendous (spit it out)= 0-20% – no amount hunger for content can make this movie worth your time
Black Panther scored a Top Chef rating by the Grace students of 92% – Grace Potatoes
Great review!