Getting It Right (2)

 

So… how good was Black Panther (2018 Disney Marvel, directed by Ryan Coogler)? It lived up to its hype, which is saying a lot. The cast was typically  impressive for the MCU and included Chadwick Boseman in the title role, Letitia Wright as his delightfully uppity and precocious little sister, Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger,   Lupita Nyongo as the love interest, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker as a Wakandan priest/shaman, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, Winston Duke as the king of a different Wakandan clan, and Sterling K. Brown as Killmonger’s father. The length of the previous sentence hints at the tedium of reviewing each fine performance, so I will limit myself to the performances which stood out most for me.

 

Obviously, Chadwick Boseman was excellent. I had previously been impressed by his turn in Captain America: The Civil War. I have already mentioned Letitia Wright. Let me explain that I’m a city transplant to a smaller, more rural community. The people sitting nearest me in the theater were white – okay, we were all white – and one said, “She’s my favorite character,” during one of Letitia Wright’s turns on screen. The same goes for me. Lupita Nyongo played a strong counterpart to the Black Panther and complemented his qualities well.  Angela Bassett performed well as a convincingly wise matriarch, and in fact, all of the women were strong. I grew up in a family of strong men and strong women, so it was refreshing for me to see this on the big screen. Neither gender was reduced to being a foil for the other.

 

By the way, the costumes (especially for the women) were beautiful, and I heard a spot on NPR where the designer mentioned her use of African fabrics, patterns, and re-imagined traditional styles.

 

Not that it isn’t obvious, but I want to call attention to Michael B. Jordan’s portrayal of Killmonger. Marvel has a history of writing nuanced villains with mitigating back stories, and this was a well-written character. The acting made him very affecting, especially during one scene which I will mention in a later post.

 

Although he wasn’t on for very long, Sterling K. Brown really impressed me with his acting chops and his screen presence, as did Winston Duke. I first became aware of these fine actors while watching Person of Interest on television. Since then, I have seen each of them in varied roles, and these men can flat out act. Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman were also their consistently good selves.

This movie had other redeeming virtues. My wife mentioned the sense of dignity and honor which pervaded the story and the characters (something which we found lacking for much of Thor: Ragnarok, which came across at times as a pangalactic fart joke despite the fact that I liked the overall film). There were also themes of forgiveness, compassion for one’s adversaries, community, and global responsibility.

I don’t want this post to go on for too long, so I’ll save some more for next week.

Mythology In Space (Part 9)

Based on the cultural monster this franchise has become, I will be up front by saying that I’m enjoying the Star Wars revival. I’m not a purist. I don’t derive deep meaning from these movies, and I’m certainly not looking for anything innovative or groundbreaking. You can normally buy me off with better special effects, but I do find substance in the story lines up to this point. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the familiar, dare I say  spiritual, themes are still there, and the old formula still works. Stuff happens, stuff gets blown up, and you meet (and say goodbye to) some interesting characters along the way.

Let’s get this straight. The Disney business model is focused on not just making a lot of money but on making more than a lot of money. That’s why this next round of trilogies and spinoffs exists, so those seeking cultural enlightenment, the meaning of life, and inner peace might want to look elsewhere. The reason I like these movies is that they’re entertaining and fun, and it’s hard to top their visual impact live and on the big screen. This practically founded the genre that my wife and I jokingly refer to as “explosions in space,” not that either of us is pretending to have invented the term.

 

Disney inherited/bought some very iconic imagery, and the main allure for me from the beginning was to see it updated with better special effects. In this, I was not disappointed.

I also did something I had never done before. I went on opening night rather than waiting until the crowds thinned out, so I enjoyed the communal experience of sitting with enthusiastic fans in a theater after standing with them in line.

A good nucleus of new characters has formed and continues to form. In addition to Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and Poe (Oscar Isaac), there was the pleasantly surprising addition of Rose Tico, a genuinely interesting character played admirably by Kelly Marie Tran.

Throw in the old standbys of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) with some good performances by Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern and Domhnall Gleeson, and you have a packed cast. With so many characters, I can understand why they couldn’t all be developed in a limited run time which is still longer than two hours.

I enjoyed the visual and conversational nuance of Snoke (voiced by Andy Serkis) …

… and a blast from the past by Frank Oz still doing the voice of Yoda (or rather his spirit). To see and hear him again good it is.

The jaded portrayal of Luke Skywalker was intriguing, and seeing his spiritual reawakening was compelling if not fully explained. Mark Hamill also got to display some acting chops.

The backstories of Rey and Kylo Ren, as well as their continuing development are and evidently will continue to be a central theme.

I was almost expecting Kylo to break into a chorus of “Oops, I Did It Again,” but better twists were afoot.

There were some unexpected plot developments, and this keeps the overall story arc from getting stale. That’s all I can say for fear of spoiling anything for those who have not yet seen the movie. As for minor criticisms, there were logical inconsistencies concerning the operation of The Force and who is more powerful at any given moment. In other words, it was like every other movie I have seen in the Star Wars franchise. I am aware that many people have unanswered questions, and I have one of my own: Who cares? I had fun at this one, and I’ll go to the next. Disney will make more than a lot of money, so it’s a win-win all around.