I honestly expected it to be a pretty sexist film because other Marvel Studios pictures typically have been, but this one really stood out as not one at all. I mean frankly, overall I would say that I liked the female representation in this movie better than that in Wonder Woman! That's mostly because there was more of it (it's pervasive throughout the film), but also because the women are presented consistently as credible, believable warriors who can stand on their own. There are no aesthetic concessions to the male gaze. By the way, did you know that the film's Dora Milaje is based on a real all-woman African army? Yep, it's true! (I've noticed that the promotion of exclusively female communities, organizations, and spaces seems to get under the skin of both MRAs and TRAs more than anything else does, so I especially appreciate this movie's decision to be brave that way. )
It's also got a lot of black people! I mean really that's what's obviously the most refreshing about it, particularly for a major Hollywood production in this genre. If feels very different from any other superhero movie we've seen so far. It revolves around a kind of Afro-futurism that's absolutely fascinating! It envisions a fictional African nation that's very high-tech and absolutely independent; free of colonization. And it's not subtle about its messaging on the subjects of race or imperialism. I mean it's not heavy-handed (as in rife with allusions to these things per se), but they're there and there are no compromises made toward the feelings of white people. I really liked it actually! I was actually quite glad about that. I didn't want this to be a movie that faked it for the sake of my ego, and it doesn't. You won't be surprised then to learn that this picture was created almost entirely by black people. I can't help but figure those two things to be related.
Something else I've casually noticed about it: It's not a focus of the film at all, but there's room to question whether and to what extent this futuristic society is a capitalist one at all because while there a giant buildings etc. etc., there's a interesting absence of corporate logos here to be noticed; a fact that contrasts starkly with how Marvel presents the worlds of their other superheroes. And I've noticed that it appears that everyone in the society appears to have the magic beads that provide all the necessities as well. I mean you have to pay attention, I think, to notice those details, but I've seen the movie a few times and that's standing out to me right now; that this appears to be a society that's free of need. It has vendors, so obviously there's some form of exchange going on, but I'm thinking that, in the context of everyone's needs already appearing to be met, maybe that's like the role of commerce in Star Trek, you know? Where money isn't actually needed at all, but seems to be used sometimes nostalgically by the crew anyway for aesthetic, legacy purposes, kind of like how the UK still technically retains a monarchy, but for purely aesthetic purposes, as it is completely powerless at this point. I'm thinking maybe it's supposed to be something like that. But anyway, I also really like how organically the technology seems to be integrated into, and used as part of, the natural environment too. Cliched as this expression has unfortunately become, it's unlike anything I've seen presented before in film! The way in which the technology of this society is presented as working with nature rather than against it, I mean. It's really beautiful.
Minor spoiler: The villain also isn't who you expect it to be either, so be open-minded! The REAL villain is actually quite a sympathetic character in his own right whom I think you'll find interesting.
Another thing that I found compelling that they addressed really well here, metaphorically, was the sort of contention that exists between people who are from modern-day Africa and African Americans. I thought that was a highly interesting dynamic that they brought into the picture.
Obviously, if you're a Trump fan, you're going to hate this movie on every level. To add one more layer concerning why, one of the major themes in Black Panther is the question of national isolationism and I think you can probably guess which side of that question the movie winds up taking in the end. I was refreshed though to find that it doesn't do so in a way that sees Wakanda (the fictional African nation in question) capitulate to American imperialism or anything like that, as one feared might have been the direction it would go at first. But anyway yeah, Trump fans already seem to hate it. The main and most common reason I've seen them articulate so far is that Black Panther is supposedly a "racist" movie for featuring a nearly all-black cast of characters. (Hmm, I wonder what that makes just about every other film in this genre to date for featuring nearly all-white casts? ) But yeah, they object to everything, of course. It's rather hypocritical of them too. You know, these are the people who always complain about various franchises supposedly being "appropriated" from white males to girls and women and/people of color, like Star Wars, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Thor, Mad Max, etc. "Get your own franchise!", they routinely suggest to all other demographics. And yet when live-action movies based on franchises like Wonder Woman and Black Panther come out, do they calm down and be supportive? No, instead their opposition actually intensifies! You see? It really IS all about just excluding everyone else, period. That's what their $#@! actually is, not this "appropriation" nonsense. I'm just saying!
Anyway, Black Panther is awesome. My favorite superhero film to date.