November 9, 2022
Wakanda was still mourning a major unexpected death when Ramonda returned to the throne as the Queen. As the other countries of the world learned about the powers of Vibranium, they are scouring the planet for any ores found outside Wakanda. One day, the Queen received a visit from Namor, the godlike leader of the Talokan, who can absorb oxygen via his skin underwater and fly with his winged feet.
Learning that it was a US-based scientist who had invented a metal detector for Vibranium, Ramonda sent Dora Milaje general Okoye and scientific genius Princess Shuri to go rescue 19-year old tech whiz named Riri Williams from imminent harm. This adventure led to a cascade of events that included a violent abduction, a daring rescue, a destructive invasion, a successful resurrection with a twist, and a spectacular battle in the mid-Atlantic.
Immediately prominent in this sequel are the strong stories given to its cast of talented black actresses. Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia all give powerful performances as their roles were expanded from the original movie. Two new actresses joined their ranks -- Michaela Coel as Aneka, and Dominique Thorne as Riri, both stepping up in their hero game.
The new anti-hero Namor is played by charismatic Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta. The film gave him the full backstory dating back to the 16th century, telling the origin of his incredible abilities, and even how he got his name. Even if Namor was the main antagonist of the film, Huerta played him as a passionate protector of his undersea city of Talokan and the Vibranium that sustained it. His comics name Submariner has yet to come up.
Director Ryan Coogler's production design, costume design and hair and makeup teams outdid themselves in this sequel as they did not only designed Wakanda, but also Talokan. In the comics, Namor's underwater kingdom was called Atlantis, inspired by Greek mythology. However in this new film, Atlantis was given a decidedly Mesoamerican civilzation, from its architecture, costumes, language and culture.
Even though lead actor and original Black Panther Chadwick Boseman had already passed away two years, Marvel made this sequel a beautiful tribute to his memory. From the specially altered opening credits all the way up to the emotionally-rich mid-credits scene, and all the scenes in between with lines that looked back on the life and extolled the nobility of T'Challa, Boseman's spirit was still very much part of this new film. 9/10.
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