Black Panther: My Wakanda Romance

I am overly excited to be writing on this topic, so I will get straight to it. If you haven’t watched the movie, beware – SPOILER ALERT!!! If you have, chill and take a ride with me – leggo.

CREDIT: Google

This movie begins in the early 1990’s and shows us some really mystic scene. There are strange projections afterwards and some little kids left amazed wondering what is going on. Fast forward to the present day, we are rewarded with the Black Panther himself being told by the head of the Dora Milaje to come home and assume his throne since the king – his father- is dead. The interjections between his going back to Wakanda – his hometown and helping Nakia finish off her mission in Sambisa Forest – Nigeria, is truly spectacular [no one should start off on telling me how maybe Sambisa was poorly portrayed, I haven’t been there].

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Quietly but emphatically, the movie Black panther shows and portrays Africa as the cradle of human endeavour from architecture and design, to fashion and tool-making. The amazing show of traditional power and the African myth on the power of herbs, the lands of the forefathers & gods and the power of our very surroundings – water, air, sunlight and plants. The role of Forest Whitaker as the traditionalist throne-crowner and his costume blew me away. Wow!

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The entire film was a romance journey for me – a trip down Africa lane. It showed me just how rich the African culture is. It showed me how much strength we possess. It showed me the power of love for our motherland, our people and how far that can take us. This was portrayed by the character of Okoye [Dania Gurira]; the head of the Dora Milaje, Nakia [Lupita Ny’ongo], the Black Panther’s love interest, Ramonda [Angela Basette] the mother of the Black Panther and Shuri [Leila Wright], the Black Panther’s sister and amazing tech designer.

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Wakanda showed how beautiful the different tribes in Africa look when they embrace each other in love and become one reckoning force. Wakanda became that true love for Africa that we never truly have, that has never really been united until we Africans embrace our differences and harness it as one. This guy below though, made me wonder how he ate, talked or even brushed!

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In as much as the Wakanda romance – love map amongst the various African tribes – was truly abounding in Black Panther, it also showed me just how much and how far we Africans can go when anger fuels our drive. This was portrayed by the amazing character cast of Erik Killmonger [Michael B. Jordan] who felt betrayed by the Wakanda people because the last king had murdered his father and decided that he was going to overthrow the Blank Panther’s throne. See how much he studied, the military school he attended, the tricks he pulled and the manipulative acts he perpetuated to gain the hearts of the Wakanda people into letting him in to Wakanda. Also by the character of W’kabi [Daniel Kaluuya], Okoye’s love who felt the Black Panther was not the kind of king that needed to sit on the throne.

 

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The movie also showed the power of alliances and International relationships. This was portrayed by the character of M’baku [Winston Duke] and Everett [Martin Freeman]. It showed just how great the Africa man is in hospitality, forgiveness and empathy. The movie portrayed that the Africa man is able to form international friendships to help in time of need and crisis and just how far we can go in synergy with one another if we all accept our individual strengths.

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M’baku was clearly one of my favorite character in the movie and I particularly enjoyed the scene where he told Everett that his people eat human beings [Lol]. Plus the part where he kept barking in disgust after Everett said something. Lol, I couldn’t stop laughing. This guy is just the best surprise I got from my Wakanda romance – I’m in love.

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From this movie alone, I fell in love with the mind of the African man all over again. The desire to be innovative against all odds and show to the world just how great we too can be. The desire to defend our own and stand up tall no matter what.

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The power to recreate at will what our minds can conjure and damn the odds. The power to love and yet not allow it crush what we know we ought to do right. The power of diplomacy.

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See how Okoye defended T’challa even when Erik Killmonger and W’kabi were fighting against him. She stood by the throne and defended her king without fear or favor.

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Did I forget to tell you how amazing my Wakanda romance went when it showed and portrayed to me the power of the black woman? How the saying wherever a successful man, there beside him is a woman was truly showcased? Oh, the Dora Milaje’s were a sight to see, a force to reckon with. I mean, I literally could not take my eyes off the cinema screen for want of not missing a single scene or hear a single word.

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Anyways. Let’s talk about the use of cinematography. The entire scenery was fantastic, from the beginning till the end. The choice of music was very good. I particularly loved the waterfall scenes, especially the initiation day. I felt really present and it felt real to me, I was literally been romanced by the setting [lol].

The way the entire cast was arranged on that scene was something spectacular. During the fight with M’baku, I thought Prince T’challa would be thrown over but to my utter dismay, he won. I guess the scriptwriter and the producer had something else in store for their audience and boy, was it amazing?

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Now let’s chat about the cast Black Panther gave us. This incredible, marvelous, fantastic, amazing cast.  Unlike most giant comic book blockbusters, the cast of Black Panther is a true ensemble – the producers did a great casting job. Each cast is a true heavyweight of acting, but each allows the other cast to breathe; no-one dominates at any time unless it is part of the story-line.

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Prince T’challa – the Black Panther was amazing in his role. From the beginning till the end – each time he appeared on screen, I didn’t want him to leave. My favorite line of his was when he said to his father in the ancestry land – I am not ready to leave my people to join you here, I will go back to Wakanda and right your wrongs [I may not have gotten the lines right…].

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Anyway, this post has gone on way too long. See Black Panther. See Black Panther in the cinemas. This is one film that needs the audience experience.

Oh by the way, here are some of my amazing lines from the movie – SPOILER ALERT!!!

Shuri to T’challa: Hit it again. One more time.

T’challa to Shuri: What are you doing?

Shuri: I am recording. For research purposes. [She smiles to herself knowing what next and then T’challa gets kicked off by the panther suit and falls to the floor].

T’challa to Shuri: Delete that footage you recorded

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M’baku to Everett: Oh we eat humans…if you say one more word, I’ll feed you to my children [and then he fell into a feat of laughter seeing how shocked Everett was]. Oh, I’m just kidding – we are vegetarians!

Okoye to T’challa: Don’t freeze when you see her.

T’challa’s response: I never freeze!

King T’chaka [T’challa’s father] to T’challa: You are a good man, with a good heart and it is hard for a good man to be king.

Everett to T’challa: You are telling me that the king of a third world country runs around in a bulletproof catsuit?

Erik to T’challa: Our forefathers knew death was better than bondage. It is better to die than to be in bondage.

Shuri to T’challa: This corset is really uncomfortable, so can we all wrap this up and go home?

T’challa to Nakia: You would make a great queen if you are not so stubborn.

Nakia to T’challa: I would make a great queen because I am stubborn, if that is what I wanted.

Okoye to T’challa: I want to get this ridiculous thing off my head [Lol, she was referring to her wig during a fight].

Shuri to T’challa & Nakia when they brought in Everett: Great, another broken white boy for us to fix!

Shuri to Everett when he finally wakes up from his coma: Don’t scare me like that, Colonizer!

Everett to T’challa: I have seen gods fly. I have seen men build weapons that I couldn’t even imagine. I have seen aliens drop from the sky. But I have never seen anything like this.

Shuri to T’challa: When you said you will take me to California, I thought you meant Coachella.

*****

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Movie Title: Black Panther

Director: Ryan Coogler

Nigeria Release Date: 15th February 2018.

Major Cast: Chadwick Boseman – Prince T’Challa [The Black Panther]

Dania Gurira – Okoye [Black Panther’s loyal guard – head of the Dora Milaje]

Lupita Nyong’o – Nakai [Black Panther’s love interest]

Letitia Wright – Shuri [Black Panther’s Tech sister]

Michael Jordan – Erik Killmonger [Black Panther’s outcast cousin]

Plot: After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king — and as Black Panther — gets tested when he’s drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.

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PS: Have you seen Black Panther? Did you enjoy it?

What are your thoughts about the movie? Was it amazing or just there?

I will love to read your comments below.

Wakanda Forever.