Lego: Black Panther

Similar to the Marvel Knights Black Panther's premise - Ulysses Klau (Klaw); The Black Panther's most personal enemy attacks King T'Challa and Wakanda at once from multiple sides and with multiple powerful allies to help in his conquest over the nation of Wakanda.

With the show title "Trouble in Wakanda"; The Lego episode is a surprising 22 minute short, but is packed with exposition and action, with a few site gags along the way. Lego manages to capture the relationship between T'Challa and his sister Shiri, and how the siblings co-exist in running Wakanda as well as handling a crisis; This episode has Klaw teaming up with Killmonger and Thanos; as Thanos begins his take over for Earth. Using the value of Vibranium as a bargaining chip to persuade his allies of Eric Killmonger to join his fight and restore a weaken Thanos to full strength. The short preface the notion of  Black Panther fighting all his foes alone with only his High Guard Okoye by his side.

With established veteran voice actors  and starring television and film actress Yvette Nicole Brown to provide the voice for Shuri . Trouble in Wakanda features the original voice cast from the previous Lego Avengers episodes as an all out assault culminates in the Vibranium mines of Wakanda.  Using the story's personal motivations  and speaking mannerisms from Ryan Cooglier's Black Panther, we have  a plausible elseworlds story of the re-telling of the Black Panther; sometime after civil war and just around infinity war, as Thor's Axe is introduced.  With a detailed and enriched palette for 3D rendered motion lego animation that's both fluid and seamless.  Its a pardon the pun, a marvel to see how block like characters can come alive on the small screen.  There are however some small logical gaps as to "why" is Thanos attacking Earth alone on a hoverboard craft.  Why would would Thanos honour is deal with earthlings when he commands absolute conquest in his endeavour of a planet. While usually having his children of Thanos to take over the judicial task of running a conquered world as he moves on to the next.  There is also the sharing of the Vibranium mine between Killmonger and Klau, they have opposing economic interests over the long term resources of Wakanda. Those view points would ultimately strain as they strip the mines of its resources and fight for their entitlement.

The theme of teamwork is explored as each avenger fails on their own to subdue Thanos, and King T'Challa is out numbered at every turn to control the invasion into Wakanda and simultaneously save his sister Shuri .   The invasion onto Wakanda is similar to Ultimates 2:  Avengers movie; that animated film has a War of the Worlds super structure, but gave the technology of Wakanda an unsophisticated limited scope; this Lego animation gave an idea of rigged traps to a mine - a-la high tech Indiana Jones, but never explored the technological potential look of a city.  Okay, I may be asking for a high concept, but its repeatedly known to be advanced beyond all other nations on the planet. Though Lego animation has the most appeasing aesthetic, it does fall very short on showcasing a Na'vi type of world like the detailed Pandora that would now be retrofitted with afro-centric symbolisms and cultures.

Tony Stark and the Avengers offer light touches of humour in dialogue, but the episode plays the invasion as dramatic high stakes, and in doing so, puts fourth all the acrobatic skills and powers of the Black Panther in the forefront.  The show is about Black Panther and it never veers off its focus, we get his decision making process and his leadership skills, as the King. Each of T'Challa decisions puts out a small fire, but more fires pick up all over as he puts out one two more pop up else where, and it is in that shared feeling of drowning from his choices and being overwhelmed. That the urgency becomes what propels us the viewer to sympathize with his never-ending obstacles.

Black Panther (2018)

Directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station),  finds himself working along with Michael B. Jordan for the third time. His immediate last two projects before landing the job of directing the 18th MCU movie  was tied with Michael B Jordan.   Creed (2015) and Fruitvale Station (2013). In his own words Black Panther is to him a postcard tribute to Oakland.

Coogler was born in Oakland, the film begins in Oakland with a confrontation between the King T'Chakka and his brother.  Coogler was able to shoot in his home town, and like many cities and townships in which an adult has grown up from, we are faced with modernizing and the changing of landscape  that slowly removes our once beloved history.  From childhood Coogler had fond memories of where he came from,   memories of a grand place, was the brainchild of what he wanted to revisit. Wakanda is the visual ideal of a perfect place of a happier time something that was lost in the passing years.   Coogler pitched the idea to Kevin Feige and executives from Marvel Studios; and he was hired. With a clear vision mixed with deep enriched research into varied African cultures, Coogler  and his heads of his departments came up with never before seen world of Wakanda.  The result was that his endeavors did not go unnoticed, as Black Panther went home with 3 Academy awards.  Best Costumes, Best Production Design, and Best Score.

Michael B Jordan & Ryan Coogler

Giving the highest compliment from his piers that the look and feel of the movie was outstanding.  It was also the first Marvel movie nominated for the prestigious  position of being selected for best picture.  Many of the previous marvel films like iron man (s) and guardians films got an oscar nod for visual effects and even less being recognized for sound. Black Panther broke the mold, and became the 5th film of 8 to enter the Billion Dollar box office club.

In the history of motion pictures there are only 48 movies to reach a Billion Dollars at the Box Office. Disney has the remarkable accomplishment to garnering  25 of those 48 titles. 17 are non Marvel, while the remaining 8 are Marvel intellectual properties. Disney also has the unprecedented claim to have 5 films in one year to reach Billion dollars; largely due to most of those properties being Marvel. 

Working in the industry for many years  from the critically beloved series  'The Wire' to Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan began to work behind the scenes forming a production company  'Outlier Society' to work on potential scripts. That same release year of Black Panther, He produced and did a cameo appearance in the film Kin, a science fiction movie taking place in our present from a continuing war in the future. Jordan has been paying it forward, giving an opportunity to commercial directors Josh & Jonathan Baker.  Expanding on a short film they directed called Bag Man and mining its possibilities as a feature film.

Ryan Coogler looked at bringing opportunities of jobs, helping the local economy and boldly stating in story that they are in the city of Oakland, the film concludes by a revisit to Oakland from a now wiser King T'Challa as he gives back to the people and shares Wakanda's knowledge and technology to make urban troubled areas of Oakland to achieve prosperity.

Marvel Knight's Black Panther

 

A six episode animated mini-series, showcasing the rise of Prince T'Challa to the throne,  A gallery of villains spearheaded by Klaw, Black Panther's well noted villain from comic book history, and the geo-political interests that the nation of Wakanda presents to a contemporary world.

In many respects there are similarities to the Ryan Cooglier movie, but this mini-series approaches its main character as a decisive protagonist right out of the gate.  To begin with the animation predates the MCU movie by eight years, released on DVD in January 2010.  This Black Panther is assertive and definitive in his decisions; in the MCU movie the entire supporting cast drives the movie forward as its star the late Chadwick Boseman sits back and lets each of his co-stars shine by bouncing of his performance. Marvel Knight's Black Panther offers an equally impressive cast of actors providing their voices Kerry Washington, Djimon Hounsou, Stan Lee, Jill Scott, Alfre Woodard, and Carl Lumbly to name a few.  Prince T'Challa in disguise, is similarly to Wonder Woman's Diana Prince disguise to win a tournament and enter a mission into the world of Man, T'Challa enters a tournament to become the new king of Wakanda. Whereupon immediately assuming command his decisions are steadfast and revolves around the safety of his people.

In the comics, T'Challa and X-men's Ororo  (Storm) have a budding relationship, their history is touched upon here and opens a door to a cast of villain's including X-men nemesis Juggernaut, the Radioactive man, Batroc the Leaper, Black Knight and Klaw.  The coming of these enemies is a well constructed all out assault from many fronts; the feeling is Black Panther and the Wakandans are out matched and outsmarted, which brings high stakes and tensions to a really invested  viewer. It's within these positioned conflicts where we meet the royal family of Shuri, the younger sister, his mother and his uncle as the deadly onslaught escalates. .

A surprise guest reveal is Deathlok, or the origins of the Deathlok program, and how the US government uses their technology and military expertise to try and win over Wakanda.  With a prevailing sense  and clearer understanding of their position to the rest of the world, like the United Nations, Wakanda refrains from joining and sharing their knowledge and resources to the world and has been unconquerable for centuries; as noted throughout recorded history.  The world runs on a capitalist's model, so there are those who do benefit but many are misfortunate as they suffer, either by poverty, famine, sickness, war, or the experience of an injustice  prejudice. Wakanda is not a democracy, but remains in a dictatorship, however they have an annual tribal election to see who will be the successor as its new king, and for decades the title has remain in T'Challa's family lineage. The secrets and knowledge that the El Dorado known as Wakanda is said to potentially reshaping to the modern world.. The internal dialogue to in fact share does weigh in storied comics, and largely in the establishing MCU movie.

Spiderman HomeComing (2017)

 True to form, a friendly neighborhood Spiderman;  fresh off his travels from Germany to stop team Captain America in Civil war;  Finds our hero brought back home to Queens, New York to stop local and petty crimes.  A conundrum of youth wanting to take part in grown up roles  when sampling the highlights and benefits, Ultimately what is learned is that they sometimes miss out on the offerings and  short lived experiences of  what youth has to offer.  The expression to stop and smell the roses comes to mind in this case.

Thankfully this film decides to look past his origin story and his departed uncle Ben; We are given Year-two of Spiderman as he now meets up with untapped villains from his usual rogue gallery.  Making their first appearance on the big screen are Vulture, a member of the would be sinister six, and Shocker another colorful villain in Spiderman's past.  Here they are everyday blue collar workers picking up the scraps to get by. The time frame provided is 8 years after the battle of New York  (2012), making it 2020 or late 2019; which is technically already in the period of the blip since five years after infinity war the heroes come back to fight again in 2023.  The exact time in relation to the MCU is not entirely accurate; nor should every detail and continuity completely hold up as the intellectual film distribution rights is owned by Sony Pictures not Disney. However, from the audience perspective we should give thanks in  part to the Sony hack scandal, the removal of Andrew Garfield, and the negative publicity of  revealing emails that put Sony Pictures and Amy Pascal a very high ranking and  influential executive producer to be more receptive to co-work with Marvel Studios and Disney on this historical joint venture and have the beloved character work among the sandbox of other major marvel characters.

The introduction in civil war which acted as teaser and promotional appetizer,  enticed viewers to see Tom Holland and his role as Spiderman  to really take off,  Being 19 years of age when he shot the movie; making him to be the first ever real teenager or age accurate performer to play the coveted role.  Tom Holland embraces the perfect balance of youthful innocence. likeability and demeanor that a character of Peter Parker would portray.  Being a trained dancer and gymnast allowed Tom the skill set to pull off the necessary requirements to become Spiderman.  This is a hero of expected awkwardness and most importantly a youth on a journey of being a grown up, his destiny is to overcome the odds,  yet not to be on top to bask in success nor always get the girl, as what Stan Lee had devised.  Future films will see Peter Parker struggle and rise above it all only to stumble a bit, and not always have the perfect balance in his life.  It has been the successful recipe and trade mark of Spiderman that fans have come accustom to expect , wanting to root for this hero as he is destined to be larger than life, but always struggling behind the 8 ball of personal failures as his sacrifices as a  hero has left him wanting.

 The relationship Peter has with his Aunt May, his friendship with Ned Leeds and his potential love interest with MJ. Is a more modernized tale from when Stan Lee wrote the hero back in the August 1962 for Amazing Fantasy.  This Peter Parker is taken similar to that of the Avengers' storyline, which is of the Ultimates comic-book line;  This is a Peter Parker/Spiderman of the 21st century. The high school bully is no longer a football jock, and the girl does not need to be saved, she can mine her own path.  The love interest in this movie is a mcguffin, but it services the point of the plot and ultimately the balanced accord between the Vulture and Spiderman when watching the post credit scene. It;  like moving past an origin retelling is a welcome swerve for the audience, giving us something new, and potentially setting up something exciting for the future.