REVIEW: Wakanda Forever Thrills With Epic and Powerful Female-Led Story

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever starring Angela Bassett (Mission: Impossible-Fallout) as Queen Ramonda, Emmy nominee Letitia Wright (Silent Twins, Black Mirror) as Shuri, Winston Duke (Nine Days, Us) as M’Baku, Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) as Aneka, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o (The 355, 12 Years a Slave) as War Dog Nakia, brings an action-packed and emotional female-led story in the sequel to the original Black Panther blockbuster. 

Director Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale Station) brings us to present-day Wakanda. We see them fighting for their safety against global threats that are still after their powerful vibranium, the MCU’s strongest and most versatile metal, all while dealing with the devasting loss of King T’Challa, portrayed previously by the late Chadwick Bosman.

The film opens with Shuri, top scientist and Princess of Wakanda, still grieving her late brother T’Challa. Ramonda insists that she accompany her on a retreat as it’s the one-year anniversary of his passing. Ramonda wants to take her away from all of her gadgets and technology, which still haunts Shuri; even with her intelligence and tools, she could not save her brother. On this retreat, they are unexpectedly met by Namor, King of Talokan, played by Marvel newcomer Tenoch Huerta (The Forever Purge), whose character first appeared as the Sub-Mariner in Marvel Comics #1 in 1939, making him one of the oldest characters to date.

Huerta is phenomenal in this film as Namor, who plays the fence as a villain and ally and keeps you guessing as a viewer; you just don’t know what to expect from his thrilling portrayal of his character. You will find yourself loving him and hating him at the same time. Tenoch brings out the big guns in his action and underwater scenes, as well as a raw emotion reflecting on why he and the Taloken originally left their earthly home. Fun fact, Huerta mentioned at the recent Black Panther: Wakanda Forever press conference that he had to learn how to swim for this role, which is mind-boggling when you see him in these gorgeous deep sea water scenes flowing like a fish and easily becoming everyone’s newly crowned ‘water bae.’

Tenoch exudes sex appeal and grit and will absolutely be wooing audiences with his extraordinary acting skills. His character is so powerful it’s giving Thor and Hulk vibes. His presence when he was in a rage of terror reminded me of my younger self when I first saw Superman II and got a whiff of General Zod (Terrence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas), and Non (Jack O’Halloran). While not a complete villain, Tenoch gave that much weight to his character, making him one for the books. 

Taloken is a powerful underwater city whose inhabitants were forced to physically mutate and hide from the land world’s evils. The Wakandans were not even aware the Taloken existed, and Ramonda and Shuri were shocked at the unearthly physical strength and power Namor presented. The Taloken need the Wakandans, and Namor insists they will need them as well, as he gives them an offer he thinks they cannot refuse as it will mean their demise if they do not heed his words. 

The power of women is a major theme in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with a star-studded cast filling the gap that permeates the world over with the real-life loss of Chadwick Bosman. The film’s title sequence is dedicated to Bosman, and you could hear a pin drop in the theater. One can only imagine the number of tears held back as it was a surreal viewing experience. We are remembering Bosman, the actor who lost his battle with cancer and partaking in a film that so appropriately honored his character T’Challa.

The film’s end credits have another surprising twist in remembrance of the late King. As a viewer, you were hoping they got it right, and they do. Bosman was so loved by his cast mates you could literally see the emotion pouring through the film while still keeping a strong storyline with strong character development. The dedication to Bosman was more than appropriate; it was seamless art.

Angela Bassett as Ramonda will leave you in awe. Bassett doesn’t hold back and leaps into a much more physically active role this time. Shuri, Riri, Okoye, Nakia, and others must also come together to protect themselves and Wakanda from the unknown threats and attempted allyship of the Taloken and the global scene. So many of the female leads are memorable, including Dominique Thorne with her youthful, snarky, and genius role as the hyper-intelligent MIT student turned vibranium tracker Riri Williams.  

In their battles, you will see some major action that will simply blow you away. It was refreshing to see such amazing action sequences and fight scenes with so many Black female actresses proving they can hold their own in the film. Yes, please, we want more. Even as a Black woman, you aren’t used to seeing characters on this level, and it’s refreshing. 

The costuming (Ruth Carter), cars, gadgets and technology, and landscapes were all equally satisfying as you move from land to deep sea and air with the most eye-catching cinematography. The story, based on Nigerian and Mesoamerican cultures, is strong and weaves in culture, oppression, grief, loss, and survival themes. 

Oscar-Winning composer and producer Ludwig Göransson returns to collaborate with Coogler to compose and produce both the score and original songs for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Both are super modern and fresh and definitely award-worthy. Ludwig also collaborates with Rihanna on “Lift Me Up,” the lead single from the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever original soundtrack, which was released on October 28.

The film also stars the returning Martin Freeman, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livinalli. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore and lands in theaters on November 11.