NOPE : Tuesday 16th August 2022.

I saw 'NOPE' earlier this week and this eagerly awaited highly anticipated M Rated American Sci-Fi horror film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jordan Peele whose two previous film making outings were the highly acclaimed 'Get Out' in 2017 and 'Us' in 2019. The film saw its World Premier showcasing in Los Angeles on 18th July, was released Stateside on 22nd July and here in Australia on 11th August having so far grossed US$117M from its production budget of US$68M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. The films title was rumoured to be an acronym for 'Not Of Planet Earth' or 'Not Our Planet Earth' based on the movie poster, but Peele later revealed that the title speaks to the reaction he hoped to garner from audiences.

The film opens up with a short clip of the popular 1998 TV sitcom 'Gordy's Home' being recorded on a  soundstage before the titular chimpanzee animal actor (Terry Notary) attacks several of its human co-stars after being startled when a balloon bursts on set. We later see the full extent of the attack in flashback as the show's youngest actor, Ricky 'Jupe' Park (Jacob King), cowers under a table and watches the bloodbath unfold but is unharmed, though naturally traumatised by the experience. The chimp finds Jupe and extends his bloodied hand for a fist bump, before being shot dead by authorities.

We then fast forward to the the present day, and ranch owner Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David) trains and handles horses for Hollywood film and TV productions, under the name of Haywood's Hollywood Horses Ranch. One bright sunny day he is out riding one of his horses, Ghost, and is killed by a quarter coin that pierces his eye and lodges in his brain that seemed to fall inexplicably from the sky. His adult children Otis Jr. - 'OJ' (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald 'Em' (Keke Palmer) inherit the ranch. OJ tries to keep the business afloat and protect his father's legacy, while Em seeks fame and fortune in Hollywood, and is happy to sell up. 

Some six months later, while filming a TV commercial with well known and highly regarded cinematographer Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott), one of the horses reacts violently when a crew member startles it suddenly, resulting in the Haywoods being fired from the project. The ranch's financial situation begins to worsen and OJ is forced into selling several of his horses to the now adult Jupe (Steven Yuen), who owns and operates the nearby 'Jupiter's Claim', a small Western theme park and neighbour of the Haywood's, where he exploits his story of the 'Gordy's Home' attack for profit. Jupe offers to buy the ranch from the Haywood's, an offer which Em encourages OJ to accept.

Later the Haywood's notice their electricity supply fluctuating, the mobile phones cutting out and their horses vanishing and violently reacting to a seemingly unknown presence. OJ is the first to see in the clouds above the ranch an unidentified flying object shaped like a flying saucer that has been swallowing up their horses and spitting out any inorganic material, which caused their father's death. Motivated by a desire for wealth and fame, the siblings decide to document evidence of the UFO's existence, and engage Fry's Electronics (a big box consumer electronics store) employee Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) to set up surveillance cameras around the property, all pointing up towards the sky. One night while monitoring the night sky, more electrical interference and a praying mantis on one of the cameras prevent them from securing any clear footage. The next day as Angel secretly monitors the footage from his workplace he observes a nearby cloud that never moves. He rushes over to the ranch with his video footage and together they draw the conclusion that this is the place where the UFO is hiding. 

Jupe starts up a new live show, the 'Star Lasso Experience' in Jupiter's Claim and plans to use a horse, Lucky, as bait to entice the UFO, having previously fed it the horses he had bought from the Haywoods. In front of an audience of about forty made up of  his staff and paying guests, he says that for a number of consecutive Friday evenings at 6:13pm the UFO manifests itself from the skies above. The UFO duly arrives about a hour early and quickly devours Jupe and the whole audience. OJ draws the conclusion that the UFO is not a spaceship, but a predatory, territorial creature which eats anything that looks directly at it. Utilising similar methods to those used to break and train horses, OJ believes they can influence the creature's behaviour to capture footage of it without being killed themselves. They call the creature 'Jean Jacket' after the first horse that Em learned to ride, and they then decide to hire Holst for assistance. Holst initially refuses, but eventually reconsiders after hearing about the Jupiter's Claim incident broadcast on national news that has the Police and authorities baffled as to how forty or so people can just disappear en masse. 

To avoid Jean Jacket's adverse effects on electronics, Holst brings a hand-cranked IMAX film camera to capture footage. With Angel, the group of four hatch a plan to bait Jean Jacket and watch a field of inflatable scattered tube men props for electrical malfunctions to deduce its location in the sky above the ranch. However, a TMZ reporter trespasses onto the ranch and despite being asked to turn around and go back from whence he came by Em he continues onward with his own hand held camera. He is thrown from his electric motorbike when it suddenly powers down within close proximity to Jean Jacket. He in turn is devoured by Jean Jacket while laying injured on the ground but not before begging OJ to film the event. OJ rides off from the scene on Lucky. Though Holst captures footage of Jean Jacket, he lets himself be eaten along with his smaller hand held hand cranked camera, forcing the remaining three to flee. Angel survives an attack from Jean Jacket by wrapping himself in a tarp and binding it with barbed wire, causing the creature to unfurl from its saucer shape and into something more resembling a jellyfish.

OJ lures Jean Jacket away from Em, while she rushes to Jupiter's Claim on the downed motorbike immobilised by the TMZ reporter, and untethers its giant balloon cowboy mascot. She uses an attraction's analog camera located in a wishing well to photograph Jean Jacket as it flies directly overhead and attempts to consume the balloon, which then explodes seemingly killing it. With the picture as proof of the creature's existence and reporters pulling up, Em sees an unharmed OJ ride to Jupiter's Claim on Lucky. 

'Nope' is Jordan Peele's third feature film making outing and here once again he doesn't disappoint, providing the viewer with a mash up of Sci-Fi, horror and Western genres that when combined offer a film that is bigger than the sum of its parts. It is action spectacle writ large with stunning cinematography, just the right amount of humour, a cast on its A-game, and a thrill and chill ride that will maintain the attention throughout its 135 minute run time that never leaves you wanting. The film is entertaining, fun and offers up a few well placed jump scares, despite the ending feeling rushed toward and leaving a number of questions unanswered. For me, 'Nope' gets a resounding Yep!

'Nope' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

QUEEN & SLIM : Tuesday 17th March 2020.

'QUEEN & SLIM' which I saw this week is a MA15+ Rated American romantic crime drama offering and is Directed by first time film maker Melina Matsoukas who is an already established American music video, television and commercial Director. Amongst her numerous music video's which she has made since 2006 she has worked with Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Robin Thicke and Christina Aguilera. Her TV commercials credits take in such companies as Diesel, Adidas, Lexus, Nike and Stella McCartney. This film saw its World Premiere at the American Film Institute Fest in mid-November 2019 and was released in the US in late-November. It has so far received generally positive reviews from critics, has grossed US$47M off the back of a circa US$18M production budget, and has garnered ten award wins and a further 27 nominations from around the awards circuit.

Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim's (Daniel Kaluuya) first Tinder date at a down-beat Ohio diner takes an unexpected turn when a Policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation while Slim is driving Queen home. The Police Officer makes Slim get out of the car, frisks him, and asks him to open the car boot asking if he has any stashed guns, alcohol or drugs therein. Slim retorts with only several boxes of shoes, which the Officer opens up and over turns. Slim asks the Officer if he could hurry up as it's cold. The agitated Officer draws his gun on Slim, and when Queen gets out of the car and tries to record the incident on her mobile phone, the situation quickly escalates, and Queen's leg is grazed by a bullet fired by the Policeman, sending her to the ground. Slim tackles the Officer and a scuffle ensues, resulting in Slim grabbing the officer's gun and shooting him with it in self defence. Slim is a god-fearing family loving kinda guy with no criminal history and straight away wants to call it in, but Queen has other plans for fear of spending the rest of their natural lives behind bars.

And so the pair go on the run, in Slim's white Honda with the registration plate 'TrustGod'. They run out of petrol on a remote highway and are able to flag down a passing pick-up truck for help in getting them to a fuel stop. The kindly driver, Edgar (Benito Martinez) turns out to be local Kentucky Sheriff. Arriving at the petrol station, Sheriff Edgar hears a call out on his radio about the murder of an Officer in Ohio, and a description of Queen and Slim. Holding the Sheriff at gun point, they return to their car, make him get in the boot of the Honda, and drive off in his pick-up truck.

The pair travel onwards to New Orleans to the house of Queen's estranged Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine), a pimp who shacks up with Goddess (Indya Moore) and Naomi (Melanie Halfkenny), for help. Although Earl is reluctant to lend his assistance, Queen convinces him to aid them since she had previously helped him avoid jail time for the accidental killing of her mother. Queen we have subsequently learned is a defence lawyer, and her first case upon qualifying was that of her Uncle Earl. 

Slim proposes that they escape to Cuba, and Earl tells them that when he was serving in Iraq, he saved the life of a Mr. Shepherd who would be able to help them get there from Miami. Queen and Slim plan on staying two nights in New Orleans but their stay is interrupted when a Police Officer calls upon the house late at night, poking around and asking questions. He sees the pick-up truck and asks to look around but Earl fends him off saying he'll need to return with a Warrant. Early the next morning the pair take one of Earl's cars, an envelope with a few thousand dollars in it and head towards Florida, but not before torching the pick-up truck on waste ground on the outskirts of the city. 

As they continue on their drive the couple's car breaks down with steam pouring out from under the bonnet. They take it to a workshop they passed not far back, owned by a black mechanic who says it will cost them $2,500 to repair and will take three days. The pair say they need it done today and the mechanic reluctantly agrees when Slim hands over all the remaining cash they have. Watching over the mechanic, who quickly become agitated and looses his patience, suggests his son, Junior (Jahi Di'Allo Winston), take them for a walk to kill a couple of hours and let him get on with the repair job in peace. Junior states his admiration for them both, and lets them know they have become widely recognisable and a symbol against black oppression.

Queen and Slim arrive at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd (Flea and Chloe Sevigny respectively) in Savannah, but a neighbour recognises them. The Shepherds, over dinner tell them about the bounty of $250K each on their heads. Mrs. Shepherd says they could pay off their mortgage with that kind of money, as she is obviously disapproving of her husbands support towards the pair of outlaws. Mr. Shepherd gives them directions to the next person who will be able to assist them. During dinner, a SWAT team shows up outside and Mr Shepherd hurriedly tells Queen and Slim to hide in a crawlspace under the bed in their room until the coast is clear. Soon after the SWAT team burst through the door and search the house, but find no sign of the couple. 

The next morning, they emerge from the crawlspace, and exit the house to the backyard via the window which is two storeys up. Queens jumps first but dislocates her shoulder when landing awkwardly, followed by Slim who lands and rolls. The couple gain easy entry to a rear garage, and Slim relocates Queen's shoulder, resulting in a muffled cry of pain. This attracts the notice of a young black Officer still stationed outside the front of the house, who goes to investigate. As the couple attempt to flee from the Shepherds' garage in a jump started Mercedes station wagon, the black Officer stumbles upon them, but lets them drive off without alerting his fellow Officers standing guard. The pair drive on to the place where they are to meet their next connection, but being the middle of the night and no one there, they sleep in the car until morning. 

In the morning, they are suddenly woken up by a man (Bertrand E. Boyd II) pointing a shotgun at them through the window. He tells them to follow him to his trailer where he can lead them to a friend with a plane that can get them away to Cuba. After making some calls, and after Slim has stressed the urgency of their departure, he drives them to the airstrip and drops them off hastily where a plane is waiting to take off. 

As the two walk toward the plane thinking they are home free, a convoy of Police patrol cars arrives behind them, and a helicopter circles overhead. Recognising that they are not going anywhere, an Officer on a loud hailer keeps ordering the pair to get on the ground, which they ignore. A female Officer impulsively shoots Queen in the chest, killing her instantly. Devastated, Slim picks up her lifeless body and carries her toward the armed mass of Police Officers. Repeatedly ordering him to halt and get down, Slim ignores their directive leading them to gun him down as well in a hail of bullets. News of the tragic end to the manhunt is widely publicised, with the authorities putting their own spin on the events. The couple's real names - Angela Johnson and Earnest Hines are made public, as hundreds of civilians attend their funeral and commemorative services viewing them as both heroes and martyrs.

'Queen & Slim' is in essence a road movie, but not as you might know it. Sure it's about a couple on the run who hijack a pick-up truck and exchange it for various other vehicles before reaching their final destination, but at the same time it's an evolving love story, a tale of prejudice, anger, resentment, hope, pride, trust, faith and power. The film has a pumping soundtrack obviously coloured by Director Matsoukas's numerous music video works, and a visual aesthetic that shows the southern US in all its downtrodden derelict and at times stunning scenery as the pair travel from Ohio, through Kentucky, onto Louisiana into Florida and all the states in between. The performances by Kaluuya and Turner-Smith are first rate as the one time Tinder dates who weren't even going to go on a second date are thrown together on the lam forging a closeness that ultimately is their undoing, and the supporting cast are equally adept in the limited screen time they are afforded. The moral of the story here is to pick your Tinder dates very wisely as the world of two good people turns bad very quickly and from which there is no return, save for martyrdom and the world knowing your true identities once you're dead . . . and what good is that to ya?

'Queen & Slim' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

WIDOWS : Wednesday 28th November 2018.

'WIDOWS' which I saw earlier in the week at my local multiplex, is an American heist drama film based on the 1983 and 1985 British television series of the same name that was written by Lynda La Plante, and which ran for two series each of six episodes. Now in 2018 that earlier inspiration has been given a makeover some thirty years later and this time is written for the screen by Gillian Flynn, the author of the acclaimed novel and later film 'Gone Girl'. Directed by Steve McQueen whose previous Directorial credits include 'Hunger', 'Shame' and '12 Years a Slave', here he has amassed an ensemble cast for a Production Budget of US$42M and what has so far received widespread Critical praise. The film saw its Premier screening at TIFF back in September, was released in the UK early in November, the US and Australia mid-November, has so far grossed US$42M and has been Critically praised.

The story here surrounds a Police shootout that leaves four career thieves and partners in crime dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago that goes horribly wrong for the gang of four. Those men were Harry Rawlins (Liam Neeson), Carlos Perelli (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Florek Gunner (Jon Bernthal) and Jimmy Nunn (Coburn Goss). We see the four men in the lead up to their fateful robbery living the domestic life with their wives, children, pets, jobs and each man leaving their domestic situation on the morning of the daring heist . . .  never to return. We then cut to the funerals of each one in turn - mostly small & private, expect for Harry's which was a much grander affair attended by many guests and a few dignitaries. The widows left behind are Veronica Rawlins (Viola Davis), Linda Perelli (Michelle Rodriguez), Alice Gunner (Elizabeth Debicki) and Amanda Nunn (Carrie Coon). At Harry's funeral, after his body is lowered into the ground, Veronica is approached by Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) who is running for election for the position of Alderman in the South Side Ward of Chicago, offering his deepest sympathies and his support, if ever she needs anything.

Meanwhile Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) is also running for election as Alderman of the South Side Ward against Mulligan, and there is a fierce rivalry between the two. Mulligan believing that as his father and grandfather before him occupied that seat, that he has a divine right to it having been born into the role, and Manning believes that he is a man of the people and is their voice at a grassroots level. However, Manning is also a crime boss, and has his younger brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) to do his dirty work for him, including dispensing with ruthless efficiency with those that would cross the pair or stand in the way of them getting what they want. We quickly learn that Harry and his gang robbed Jamal of US$2M which went up in smoke, and now the Manning's are wanting their money back, as this money was to fund Manning's electoral campaign against Mulligan. The pair look on menacingly from a distance at Harry's funeral.

Harry's trusted long time driver Bash (Garret Dillahunt) while driving Veronica around, hands her a small package containing a key and a handwritten note with the location of a safety deposit box. Recovering the box she opens it up to reveal a note book, in which are contained copious detailed notes of Harry's former robberies, and those planned. In it are contained notes of a future robbery worth US$5M in cash. Meanwhile, Jamal has visited Veronica in her home, demanding repayment of the US$2M that her husband stole from him, and gives her one month to pay up in full or suffer the consequences. Veronica claims to have known nothing about her husbands criminal activities and doesn't have that sort of money, despite the facade of living in a plush apartment with all the trappings of success. Despite what she may or may not claim to know about her husbands 'business', she has one month.

Veronica, realising the seriousness with which Jamal speaks and the threats made against her, decides to carry out the plan as laid out in Harry's note book in order to repay her debt to Jamal. She sets up a secret meeting with the three other widows whom she has never met before, and whose details she coerced out of Bash. Veronica is successful in recruiting both Alice and Linda to assist execute her plan, but this is completely new territory to the widows and they are each pretty clueless about what's involved - they just know they've gotta complete the task now in hand, and live with the consequences whatever they might be. The fourth widow however, Amanda, does not show to their initial meeting. Veronica outlines the plan in brief and says that if the girls are 'in' to meet tomorrow night at 11:30pm at a secret location which turns out to be Harry's former warehouse and and centre of operations, which remains just as the gang left it before their last job.

At that meeting, after some soul searching and weighing up their options, Alice and Linda are both in. Veronica charges Alice to buy the getaway van and three Glock pistols, while Linda is tasked with deciphering a blueprint in Harry's plan that is the location of the planned heist. Alice purchases a van from a used vehicle auction house, and the three pistols from a gun fair. Linda however, struggles to locate the whereabouts of the building depicted on the photocopied blueprint. Meanwhile, Alice has become an 'escort' at her mother Agnieska (Jacki Weaver) suggestion, to raise some much needed cash and all the trappings that go with it. On her first 'date' she falls into a transactional relationship with David (Lukas Haas) a real estate developer. She uses David's knowledge to trace the origin of the blueprint and the location of the building depicted thereon. He comes back some days later stating that it is a safe room within Jack Mulligan's home. As for Amanda, Veronica visits her and learns that she has a four month old newborn baby, and so decides not to mention their upcoming heist or to seek her involvement. 

Bash is visited unannounced in his home by Jatemme and his henchmen seeking the whereabouts of the notebook, realising the value contained in its detailed handwritten pages. When Bash claims no knowledge of its whereabouts he is promptly beaten to a pulp and murdered while Jatemme looks on. Still with no driver to provide their getaway, Linda recruits Belle (Cynthia Erivo), her children’s babysitter, and a hairdresser in a Salon underpinned by funding from Mulligan. Veronica is reluctant, but with six days only remaining on the month long deadline to pay up, she agrees to take Belle on, and it seems like she is made of sterner stuff, and can drive. Veronica visits the Mulligan home to ask Jack for protection from Manning, to which he politely declines, and to scout out the building in advance of the heist, while Belle scans the external security systems. Veronica also successfully acquires the code to the Mulligan safe by blackmailing the CEO of the Mulligans' security company, Ken (Matt Walsh) using explicit photographs of him of a sexual nature left in Harry's notebook.

The group commences the heist at night by creating a distraction down the street to divert police attention. The house is believed to be empty save for a lone Security Guard whom they taser and incapacitate. Jack Mulligan is away at an election debate between him and Jamal Manning. Having gained access to the safe and loaded up with US$5M in cash, in making their exit they are interrupted by Tom Mulligan (Robert Duvall), father of Jack and the current sitting Alderman, who shoots and wounds Alice. Linda returns fire and kills him. They escape with the money, but are caught by Jamal's brother Jatemme who is holding Belle at gunpoint and who in turn steals it from them, leaving the four girls standing on the side of the road penniless. 

Thinking he is clear Jatemme relaxes with a big smile on his dial behind the wheel of the girls getaway van, only to be heavily shunted from behind by a station wagon with the four widows giving chase and Belle at the wheel. Jatemme looses control of the vehicle and smashes into a crash barrier head-on killing him instantly. The girls retrieve the money and make their getaway. Linda takes Alice to the nearest hospital for medical attention to her gun shot wound and remains with her. Veronica drops Belle off at home before returning to the hideout with the stash of cash. Upon leaving the hideout having taken care of some final business, Veronica torches their getaway car, before loading up the final bag of swag into her own car. 

A few days later it is announced on the radio that Jack Mulligan won the election on a wave of public sympathy following his father's murder. Linda reacquires the store she lost upon her husband's death due to his gambling debts, Alice sets up her own business, and Belle moves out of town with her own children. Out of danger of Manning, Veronica donates much of her share to endow a library building in her and Harry's deceased son's memory and name at the school he attended.

I enjoyed 'Widows' but not as much as I thought I would, and I felt let down by the glowing Critical acclaim that seemingly has been bestowed upon McQueen's heist actioner. The performances are top rate - especially Viola Davis and Elizabeth Debicki, the film looks good enough, but for a heist movie set in Chicago of all places, the actual and only heist takes place in the final ten minutes of a two hour+ long movie, and there are plot holes aplenty too. Four dead career criminal husbands, four grieving and at a complete loss desperate wives, political power play, father and son machinations, gangsters making demands, violence, death and emotional turmoil are all at play here, together with a seemingly completely incompetent Chicago PD. The film moves along at a goodly pace, but some of the scenes felt rushed, especially towards the end leaving questions unanswered and plot holes uncovered, and some of the characters were left hanging without any real sense of closure. Critics seems to be raving about 'Widows' but audiences less so, and I'm in the camp with the audience I must say. Despite this the film has plenty of redeeming features too and is worth a look - it's good, but it's not great!

'Widows' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a potential five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BLACK PANTHER : Sunday 18th February 2018.

I saw 'BLACK PANTHER' last weekend, and herein Marvel Studios unleash another Superhero into our movie going world in this stand alone origin offering of 'Black Panther' (aka King T'Challa of the fictional African nation of Wakanda). The character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby first appeared in the comic book 'Fantastic Four #52' in 1966 and depicts T'Challa as the King and protector of Wakanda. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan ritual, T'Challa also relies on his genius intellect, rigorous physical training, martial arts skills, access to cutting edge technologies and accumulated wealth to ward off his enemies. Back in 1992 Wesley Snipes first muted his desire to work on a Black Panther film, and over the following ten years the project was further developed but eventually came to nothing. Then in 2005 Marvel announced that Black Panther was one of ten characters from its portfolio that would be developed as part of its Cinematic Universe. In 2011 a Scriptwriter was hired, and in 2014 the project was greenlit. Chadwick Boseman was cast in the role of T'Challa and made his first appearance in 2016's 'Captain America : Civil War' in which his character sides with Iron Man/Tony Stark. And so here we have this eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Directed and Co-Written by Ryan Coogler for US$200M. The film Premiered in the US at the end of January and went on general release around the world last week. The film has received widespread critical acclaim, noting especially the Direction, casting, action sequences, costume design and, in a first for Marvel starring a predominantly black cast. Box Office receipts so far stand at US$492M.

The film opens with a montage of scenes depicting the history of Wakanda, and how centuries ago five African tribes went to war over a meteorite containing vibranium (Wakandan vibranium absorbs sound waves and other vibrations, including kinetic energy. Absorbing sound waves, vibrations, and kinetic energy makes this metal stronger. Captain America's shield is made from vibranium). A warrior consumed a 'heart-shaped purple coloured herb' that was affected by the metal and gained superhuman capabilities. He became the first 'Black Panther', and united all tribes (except the Jabari Tribe who declined) to form the nation of Wakanda. Over time, the Wakandans used the vibranium to develop advanced technologies and wealth but isolated themselves from the world by posing as a poor Third World country, for fear that they would be exploited and overthrown if their mineral wealth was ever discovered.

We then jump to 1992, to Oakland, California where we see a bunch of young boys shooting hoops in their apartment block backyard. King T'Chaka (John Kani) pays an unexpected visit to his undercover brother N'Jobu (Sterling K. Brown). Black market arms trader, smuggler and all round gangster Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) gained access to Wakanda secretly and stole a small quantity of vibranium. T'Chaka accuses his brother of collaborating with Klaue, a fact that is verified by N'Jobu's friend and fellow Wakandan undercover citizen Zuri (Denzel Whitaker). T'Chaka orders N'Jobu to return to Wakanda and stand trial for his crimes, but when he refuses and turns on Zuri, T'Chaka kills him, albeit reluctantly. A young lad in the back yard drops his basketball, and looks up to the sky to see two rotating circles of blue light hover above the apartment building and then disappear at great speed into the night sky.

We now are in the present day, and after King T'Chaka is killed, his son T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is the rightful heir to the throne. After extracting his love interest Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), an undercover Wakandan spy and War Dog, from a rebel convoy deep in the Nigerian jungle, T'Challa and Okoye (Danai Gurira) the head of the Dora Milaje, the all-female highly trained and very capable special forces of Wakanda, who serve as T'Challa's trusted and fiercely loyal bodyguards, return to Wakanda to be with his mother Ramona (Angela Bassett) and younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) for the coronation ceremony.

At the ceremony, presided over by an older Zuri now (Forest Whitaker), the Jabari Tribe's leader M'Baku (Winston Duke) challenges T'Challa for the crown, which is his right to do so. The leaders of the other tribes are all given the opportunity to challenge also but respectfully decline. The Jabari have however, a long standing axe to grind with 'T'Challa and his kind. T'Challa overpowers M'Baku forcing him to yield rather than be killed, and so the opponent is permitted to leave, and the victor is crowned King.

While this is going on, over in England, Klaue and Erik 'Killmonger' Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) are planning to rob an ancient vibranium artifact from a museum in London. They successfully do so, and make their escape. T'Challa learns of the vibranium artifact heist and that Klaue was involved, and that further, he now plans to sell it in Busan, South Korea. W'Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya), T'Challa's close friend and love interest of Okoye, and who lost both his parents at the hands of Klaue, urges his King to hunt down the arch villain and either return him to Wakanda, or kill him. T'Challa, Nakia and Okoye travel to Busan to a secret underground casino location that is the designated exchange point for the sale of the vibranium artifact. There T'Challa comes across CIA Agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) who is the undercover buyer of the artifact, there on his own mission. When Klaue arrives on the scene it's not long before a firefight breaks out, with the action quickly moving to  a car chase outside on the streets of downtown Busan. Klaue is apprehended by T'Challa, aided by Nakia, Okoye and Shuri remotely.

Ross interrogates Klaue with T'Challa and Okoye looking on behind a mirrored window. Klaue reveals to Ross that Wakanda is in reality no third world country as they would have everyone believe, but a super developed technologically advanced and very wealthy country - Ross struggles to believe him. Just then Erik blows a hole in the wall, and extracts Klaue. In the ensuing exchange of gun fire, Ross takes a bullet intended for Nakia and is badly wounded. In the fleeting moments as Klaue and Erik make their getaway, T'Challa notices a ring hanging from around Erik's neck that is identical to the one worn by him too. T'Challa commits to have Ross taken back to Wakanda, where their technological wizardry can save his life, rather than pursue Klaue at this time.

With Shuri attending to Ross, T'Challa confronts Zuri about the ring seen hanging from around Erik's neck. Zuri is naturally reluctant to tell him the story, but does so. He explains that N'Jobu had intended to share Wakanda's technological advancements and their weaponry with the descendants of African peoples around the world, in order that they could rise up and beat their white oppressors. When King T'Chaka killed N'Jobu they left behind his young son, Erik, so as not to add complication to their story. Erik would become a US Black Op's soldier, who by reputation for the number of enemy kills notched up during his career earned the name 'Killmonger'. Erik kills Klaue, and takes his body to Wakanda where he is marched in front of T'Challa and the other tribal elders, where he reveals his heritage and his true claim to the throne.

Erik challenges T'Challa to a ritual combat for the right to the throne, which T'Challa accepts. First Erik kills Zuri for the crime of covering up his fathers death all those years ago. He then battles it out with T'Challa overpowering him, and ultimately tossing him over a waterfall from a high cliff. With T'Challa now out of the way and presumed dead, Erik, now known as N'Jadaka ascends to the throne of Wakanda, with W'Kabi and his tribal army standing by his side. Ramonda, Shuri, Naki and a now fully recovered Ross decide that it's time to get the Hell outta Dodge and flee. Okoye decides to stay for she is loyal to the throne - no matter who sits on it. N'Jadaka orders that preparations be made at all haste to distribute Wakanda's advanced weapons to ready in waiting field operations located around the world, in order that they can now rise up in force against their age old oppressors.

Meanwhile, having trekked over mountain terrain, Ramonda, Shuri, Naki and Ross arrive at the Jabari Tribe seeking aid from their Chief M'Baku. He declines, but leads them to the unconscious body of T'Challa fished out of the waterfall before he drowned, and rescued in payment for him sparing M'Baku's life during the earlier challenge for the throne. He is however, in a comatose state. Naki feeds T'Challa the herb she extracted before she left, enabling his body to self heal. T'Challa asks M'Baku for help but again he declines, saying that his debt is now repaid - a life for a life!

T'Challa returns to do battle with N'Jadaka and to overthrow the new pretender, who has now ordered and mobilised W'Kabi and his army to attack T'Challa, and for a fleet of aircraft to head out each carrying a stash of vibranium weapons for distribution to awaiting brothers at various points around the globe. While the battle for the upper hand is ongoing, Shuri commands a reluctant Ross to remotely pilot an attack aircraft to down those others en route to the worldwide destinations before they are able to leave Wakanda's airspace. Ross, a former Air Force pilot (conveniently) abides and is successful in his mission (naturally!)

The Dora Milaje, led by Okoye flanked by Shuri and Naki arrive to battle it out with N'Jadaka who has his own Black Panther suit, making him almost invincible. M'Baku and his Tribe of Jabari eventually arrive to provide much needed support against W'Kabi and his army, who eventually yield when confronted by Okoye.

All of this commotion, leave N'Jadaka to fight it out hand to hand with T'Challa, which they do in the depths of Wakanda's vibranium mine. Using some sort of electro magnetic force, T'Challa is able to disable N'Jadaka's protective suit, for just long enough to administer a fatal wound with a vibranium dagger. T'Challa offers to heal N'Jadaka, but the wounded man declines being healed and imprisoned, for dying a free man. And so be it! In the closing scene T'Challa and Naki are back in Oakland where it all began. He has purchased the apartment block where N'Jobu died all those years ago, and the one next to it, and the one next to that too. He intends to establish an outreach centre where Wakanda's technology and scientific learning's will be introduced to the world in a controlled and coordinated way for future generations to benefit from. Watch out too for the obligatory mid-credits and end-credits sequences, and Stan Lee's cameo.

'Black Panther' shines on just about every level. It sits up there easily with the best that Marvel has so far dished up in its seventeen previous outings from its Cinematic Universe. It has action set pieces, its has moments of humour, it has heart and emotion, it has colour and depth, it has a storyline that is rooted in African culture and tradition infused with every ultra modern scientific technological gadget you can possibly dream up, and it has believable relatable characters delivered to us fully realised by an almost entirely coloured ensemble cast. All these ingredients when combined with top notch production values, excellent cinematography, a great soundtrack, and safe assured Direction by Marvel's youngest Director to date in Ryan Coogler, all add up to a rich, satisfying origin Superhero offering that has something to say in today's world that is relevant and important. Recommended viewing, you won't be disappointed.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-