A MARVELOUS SHAKEUP // A FILM REVIEW OF "BLACK PANTHER"

BY MATEO MORENO

The Marvel Cinematic Universe have created a cinematic empire. Each film becomes a bigger event than the next and have all challenged each other to get bigger and more fantastical. But one thing that haven't always challenged each other on is depth. Now that's not to say that I haven't been a fan of the Marvel films; I most certainly have. But along with all of its success, Marvel has had a bit of "sameness" to their films. The forgettable villian challenges the team and they win in the end. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR started to shake things up and now we have the real shakeup with BLACK PANTHER, the most grounded, powerful and surprising Marvel film to date.

Chadwick Boseman plays T’Challa, the son of King T'Chaka who recently passed during the events in Civil War. Now T'Challa ascends to the throne, as King of Wakanda, the fictional African nation that on the surface seems like a third world country but is actually a booming futuristic society that is completely powered by Vibranium, a rare meteoric ore with energy-manipulating capabilities. T'Challa is also The Black Panther, the warrior from Wakanda who's suit is also powered by Vibranium. He accepts the throne and his place in the world, but two thieves have other plans. Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) is an underground arms dealer with a fancy suped up arm and Erik Killmonger (Michael B Jordan) is a man with a killer of a past and a lot of scars on his body to prove it. They both seemingly have the same plan to invade Wakanda, but when Killmonger's true plan is revealed it deepens the story and sets it off in a thrilling way.

Killmonger is brutal; he kills without remorse and believes the end justifies the means. But he also has a strong and very important message; that the balance of justice for the black community must be addressed. He has felt nothing but pain his entire life and seen the pain that racism has played and he wants no more of it. He's waited for this moment and he will take it no matter the cost. And that's where the story gets tricky. Wakanda is a vibrant African nation who has taken care of their people and thrived with the use of Vibranium. But they have also left the rest of the world in the dark, essentially ignoring the cries of the fallen. So that's the spin; the bad guy is fighting for a just idea and the good guys aren't completely good. It's a moral quandary that makes for a wondrous twist into the Marvel Universe. This is a film that challenges not only how our favorite Superhero franchise is built but also how we look at heroes and villains in film. 

The cast is extraordinary. Chadwick Boseman gives a powered and stoic performance as our newly minted King and questioning hero. It's a tough role to play; to be both regal, grounded, and still charming and fun. He's the opposite of some of the motor mouthed Marvel heroes and he excels at every turn. Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger is hands down the best villain the Marvel Universe has brought on the screen (Sorry Loki). The character is layered, troubled, and full of confliction. And Jordan's performance is pure fire. He makes you question who is in the right and who isn't. His performance is electrifying.

Also of note is the fact that the female characters are all very well drawn: Lupita Nyong'o is no simple love interest. She's a badass warrior spy on her own who's calling is to help those who need help the most. She's not about to sit in a kitchen and wait for her man to come home. Danai Gurira (giving another powerhouse performance that's very different from The Walking Dead) is a thrilling presence as well. Powerful and funny, her Wakanda warrior is smart and aware of everything around her. She will question anything that seems out of line and Gurira gives her a sparkling soul. And as T'Challa's younger scientist sister Letitia Wright is hilarious, full of charm, and ready to jump into battle as well as tech up her older brother’s suit. No one simply stands around here. Also having a hellava good time is motion capture artist Andy Serkis, who's much less serious but a blast to watch.

Ryan Coogler's world of Wakanda is brilliant storytelling and one that will actually change the universe in a moral and ethical way. This is a film that speaks on so many levels, levels beyond just this franchise. It's the first big action blockbuster that truly feels important. And if feels that way because it is.

MATEO'S GRADE:  A

SCREENPLAY BY Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole BASED ON THE CHARACTERS CREATED BY Stan Lee and Jack Kirby DIRECTED BY Ryan Coogler STARRING Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis.

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE WORLD'S END

BY MATEO MORENO

Legend has it there was a boy named Gary King and he had a group of friends who followed him everywhere.  On one magic night, Gary and his friends embarked on a quest that no other human could accomplish: to hit 12 pubs and have a Pint at each, ending with the famed THE WORLD'S END.  Though they gave it a good fight, Gary and his mates never finished that pub crawl, instead ended up on a hilltop overlooking the town that was theirs.  The oracles have predicted for years that Gary would return to the mythic town of Newton Haven, with his mates in tow, to finish the propisized pub crawl and thus will bring peace to all the lands until the end of time.  Um... or something like that.

Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, and Nick Frost reteam for the third chapter of the "Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (the first two being Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) tackling yet another genre.  Pegg plays Gary King, a washed up alcoholic who hasn't ever stopped trying to recreate the glory days of his high school experience.  When he was a lad, he and his friends tried a 12 pub epic crawl and never made it to the final bar, "The World's End."  Now, 20 years later, Pegg tracks down his mates Andy, Steven, Peter, & Oliver and drags them back to their old stomping grounds to attempt the crawl once again.  But once they arrive, things are far from the same.  Something is rotten in the state of Newton Haven, and everyone there is just a bit... off.  So sets the stage for a rollicking and hilarious trip down memory lane, which included the reappearance of an object of both Gary and Steven's affections Sam (Rosamund Pike), who also happens to be Oliver's sister.  Having tackled Horror and Action, the trio set their sights on Sci-Fi and nail it.  The first half of the movie plays just like a buddy comedy and is thoroughly hilarious and heartfelt.  Then suddenly, the movie goes apeshit and the Sci-Fi element comes in.  And mannnnn does it deliver.  It's strange, wacky, and relentless.  Just another day in the mind of three comedic masters.

Pegg relishes in making Gary look like a jackass, and he really is, but he's also one you can get behind and sympathize with.  You want him to win at the end of the day, if for nothing else than to see him not loose yet again.  He's fast and furious, as is his buddy Andy (Frost).  Frost is all buttoned up and reserved, feeling sorry for Gary's decline over the years.  But once he gets a few Pints in him, Frost lets loose and has you in his comedic pocket from then on.  The entire ensemble of friends are great, from Martin Freeman's (The Hobbit, Sherlock) deadpan Oliver to to Paddy Considine's regreatful Steven, Eddie Marsan's needing to let loose Peter, and the charming Rosamund Pike desperately trying to figure out what the hell is going on.  Showing up for some very funny moments is David Bradley (the Harry Potter films) as the creepy old man who may have all the answers.  The finale may lag a bit, but the final moments make up for it, and it certainly entertains you tenfolds.  Take a trip to The World's End but don't try a pub run before.  Leave that for after.

MATEO'S GRADE: B+

Directed by Edgar Wright Written by Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike  Rated R for Adult Language, Violence  NOW PLAYING

BOTTOM LINE: A strange, odd, hilarious good time.  With this crew, what else would you expect?