🙅‍♂️ reviewing

"This may be the night that my dreams might let me know
All the stars are closer, all the stars are closer, all the stars are closer"
- All the Stars, Kendrick Lamar + SZA

I watched Black Panther today and it was excellent. I have a lot of thoughts but I'm not sure where to put them so I'll just put them all here! (spoilers ahead)

1. Music - my gosh, I was impressed by the soundtrack of this movie! I loved how seamlessly the traditional and modern orchestrations fit together. I also appreciated the contrast between the theme of T'Challa's music and the theme of Killmonger's music. subtle things to appreciate for music nuts like me. :)
2. Villain - one problem that pretty consistent throughout Marvel movies is that the main antagonists are developed quite thinly. even though his character wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked, Killmonger's motivations and master schemes were actually quite understandable. his personality and ideologies make him a great foil to T'Challa. one of the things I thought was really sad was how he became the very monster he had fought so hard against. he was one of the better villains of the MCU, it was kind of a shame to see him go.
3. Lore - another prominent feature of the MCU is that magic is usually dropped in favor of science. Thor isn't a Norse god, he's an alien from another dimension. the Scarlet Witch isn't actually a witch, she just has telekinetic powers. heck, it wasn't until Dr. Strange rolled around that magic (like magic magic) started playing a bigger part in Marvel movies. but in Black Panther, they're totally chill with having a panther goddess, herbs that give people super-powers, and the ability to talk to dead people by going into temporary stasis. plus, Wakanda is the perfect example of how science and magic can go hand in hand and create a super-awesome society. now if only the other Marvel movies could follow suit...

10/10 would recommend. definitely up there with Thor: Ragnarok, Civil War, and The Avengers on my list. hats off to everyone involved in the making of this masterpiece. Wakanda forever!