BLACK PANTHER : WAKANDA FOREVER - Monday 14th November 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'BLACK PANTHER : WAKANDA FOREVER' this week, and this American Superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics character of Black Panther, as portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in the 2018 film 'Black Panther', and who tragically died from colon cancer in 2020. This is the sequel to that 2018 film and is the thirtieth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is once again Directed and Co-Written by Ryan Coogler. The film saw its World Premier screening in Hollywood on 26th October, was released worldwide last week having cost US$250M to produce and having so far grossed worldwide US$401M, has generated largely positive critical acclaim and is the final film in Phase Four of the MCU.

The film opens up with Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) frantically trying to synthetically recreate in her lab the heart-shaped herb that could potentially save the life of her dying brother King T'Challa of Wakanda. The Queen Mother of Wakanda Ramonda (Angela Bassett) enters the lab with tears in her eyes proclaiming that her son, Shuri's brother and the King of Wakanda, T'Challa, has passed away and now joins their ancestors. 

We then fast forward a year and a joint expedition force by the CIA and US Navy Seals is somewhere in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Deep down on the seabed is a vibranium detecting machine that has located a source of the world's strongest metal thought previously to exist only in Wakanda. The expedition is attacked and wiped-out by a group of blue-skinned water breathing ocean dwelling superhumans led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta) the King of the underwater city of Talokan. The CIA later lay claim that Wakanda was responsible for the attack on the mid-Atlantic expedition. Later, Queen Ramonda is invited to attend something resembling the United Nations where she is pressed by other countries to share their vibranium, but she flatly refuses believing that they would use it against Wakanda and to bring about widespread destruction. 

On the first anniversary of T'Challa's death, Ramonda takes Shuri out into the bush so they they can grieve together and burn their funeral ceremonial robes on the camp fire as is the custom. Namor appears out of the river confronting them both, having easily evaded Wakanda's advanced security systems. Blaming Wakanda for the vibranium race, he gives them an ultimatum - deliver to him the scientist responsible for the vibranium-detecting machine, or he will attack Wakanda without mercy.

Okoye (Danai Gurira) convinces Ramonda to allow her to take Shuri with her to locate the scientist - after all what could possibly go wrong? They learn from CIA agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) that the scientist in question is Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), a nineteen year old student at MIT, and arrive at the university to confront her, and convince her to come to Wakanda with them. The group is tracked down and pursued first by the FBI and then Namor's warriors, who defeat Okoye before taking Shuri and Williams to the underwater city of Talokan to meet with Namor. Back in Wakanda and Queen Ramonda is angered to say the least that Okoye failed to safeguard Shuri, and so strips her of her title as General of the Dora Milaje. Ramonda then travels of Haiti to locate Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) who has been living there since the blip and who did not return to Wakanda even for T'Challa's funeral. Ramonda enlists Nakia's help to locate and return Shuri and Riri to Wakanda. 

Namor meets with Shuri and shows her his underwater kingdom of Talokan, which he has protected since the 16th century and is rich with vibranium. Bitter at the surface world that once rejected him, Namor meets with Ramonda and offers an alliance with Wakanda against the other nations of the world but promises to destroy Wakanda first if they don't cooperate. Nakia helps Shuri and Riri escape, and Namor retaliates with an attack against Wakanda's capital city, during which Ramonda drowns while saving Riri. Namor vows to return in a week with his full force, as the citizens of Wakanda are relocated to the mountains for their own safety.

Meanwhile, Ross is arrested by his ex-wife and new CIA Director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), for covertly exchanging classified intelligence with the Wakandans. Using a remnant of the herb that gave the Talokan's their superhuman abilities from a bracelet given to Shuri by Namor, she reconstructs the heart-shaped herb and ingests it in liquified form, giving her superhuman abilities. She then meets with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) in the Ancestral Plane, who urges her to seek revenge. 

With her new super powers Shuri puts on a new upgraded Black Panther suit and is quickly accepted by the other Wakandan tribes as the Black Panther. Despite M'Baku's (Winston Duke) strong desire for peace, Shuri is determined to exact vengeance on Namor for Ramonda's death and orders an immediate attack on Talokan. Preparing for battle, with Ayo (Florence Kasumba) assuming the mantle of General of the Dora Milaje, Shuri bestows the new Midnight Angel body armour upon Okoye, who in turn recruits Dora member Aneka (Michaela Coel) to join her. Riri creates an Iron Man type powered exoskeleton suit to help the Wakandans in battle. 

The Wakandans lure Namor and his warriors to the surface as a battle ensues, with the relentless Talokan's seemingly gaining the upper hand. Shuri traps Namor in a fighter aircraft, intending to dehydrate and therefore weaken him. The aircraft crashes on a desert beach and a fight ensues. Shuri gains the upper hand and releases an explosion which burns into Namor's back causing him to fall onto the sand just out of reach of his life giving ocean. Shuri holds a spear to Namor's throat, but realises the similarities between their life journey's and implores him to yield, offering a peaceful alliance between their nations. Namor accepts, and their fight ends.

Namor's cousin, Namora (Mabel Cadena), is angered at Namor's surrender, but he reassures her that their new alliance will allow them to conquer the surface world at some point in the future. Riri returns to MIT with the blessing of Shuri who extends the warm hand of friendship leaving behind her exoskeleton suit, while Okoye rescues Ross as he is being transported to captivity. In Shuri's absence, M'Baku steps forward to challenge her for the throne. Shuri visits Nakia who has returned to Haiti where she burns her funeral ceremonial robe allowing herself to finally grieve over T'Challa. In a mid-credits sequence, Shuri learns that Nakia and T'Challa had a son who is now eight years old, and that his name is Toussaint (Divine Love Konadu-Sun), who Nakia has been raising in secret away from the trials and tribulations of Wakanda and the throne. Toussaint reveals his Wakandan name is T'Challa, Prince T'Challa the son of King T'Challa.

'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' pays a fitting tribute to the passing of King T'Challa, aka Black Panther, and indeed Chadwick Boseman that is heartfelt and emotional without being forced or contrived. The roles of Bassett, Huerta, Wright and Nyong'o especially are right on the money with each of them delivering compelling and relatable performances that keep the story grounded with a sense of realism. The CGI effects and the continued world building of Wakanda is impressive enough too, as are the action sequences which are delivered at an effectively staged pace so as to allow for characterisation development to come through in between and which is likely to bode well for the story arc when 'Black Panther III' eventually hits our screens at some future date. That said, the second act stagnates a little and I found my mind wandering and asking myself when was the pace going to pick up, and at 161 minutes runtime, this is over extended by twenty minutes I suggest. 'Wakanda Forever' was unlikely to hit the dizzying heights of the first 'Black Panther' instalment but when it boils down to the continuation of the story and establishing a foundation upon which to further build the next film in the 'Black Panther' franchise, then this film delivers on that premise. As of earlier this month, Director and Co-Writer Ryan Coogler and Kevin Feige, the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment were revealed to have discussed a potential third Black Panther film.

'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

US : Tuesday 2nd April 2019.

And so Jordan Peele here brings us his highly anticipated and already critically acclaimed American psychological horror thriller film 'US' which I saw earlier this week. Peele also Co-Produced with Jason Blum, and wrote the Screenplay. Following hot on the heels of his previous also acclaimed debut feature 'Get Out' in 2017, the film saw its World Premier screening at SXSW in early March and went on wide release in the US on 22nd March and a week later here in Australia. Made for US$20M the film has so far grossed US$181M and in its opening weekend debuted at US$71.1M, the second best opening for a live-action original film after 2009's 'Avatar' and the third-best total for a horror film after 2017's 'It' and 2018's 'Halloween'. The film has also generated widespread Critical and audience acclaim.

It is the Summer of 1986, on Santa Cruz Beach, and the young Adelaide Thomas (Madison Curry) is out for the evening at the beachside amusement park with her parents. While her parents are distracted, Adelaide wanders off down to the waters edge, and upon returning is enticed into a funhouse. At first all seems relatively normal, until the lights go out, and the place is plunged into darkness and silence. Adelaide begins to whistle to calm her nerves, only to have an unknown presence whistle the same tune right back at her. Then in a hall of mirrors she comes across a doppelgänger of herself, but this is no reflection looking back at her. A short time later Adelaide is reunited with her parents, but is unable to speak.

We then fast forward to the present day and Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke are married couple Adelaide Wilson (the now grown up Adelaide Thomas) and Gabriel 'Gabe' Wilson, who together with their son Jason (Evan Alex) and daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) are en route to their family beachside home in Santa Cruz where they plan on spending some quality family time. Gabe is keen on visiting Santa Cruz Beach later that afternoon and has already made plans to meet up with good friends Kitty and Josh Tyler (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker respectively) and their twin kids Gwen and Maggie (Cali and Noelle Sheldon). Adelaide however, is fearful and anxious about returning to Santa Cruz Beach given her experiences there as a young child, and attempts (albeit unsuccessfully) to dissuade Gabe from the trip. Reluctantly Adelaide agrees and the family drives off catching up with the Tylers at the beach. All is good, until young Jason wanders off to use the toilet. Upon returning Jason is distracted by a man wearing a red jump suit, standing motionless on the sand and bleeding from the hands. Adelaide is distraught about her missing son, and when he returns moments later she chides him, before hugging him. He does not mention the man he saw.

Later that same night, a strange family of four appears in the driveway of the Wilson's home. Initially, they stand there motionless in the moonlight, all wearing the same red jumpsuit, and all holding hands. Their menacing presence lasts for about five minutes, with Gabe becoming increasingly agitated by their presence, to the point where he retrieves a baseball bat from inside the house and threatens them if they do not leave his property immediately.

Within a few minutes the red suited family begin attacking the Wilson family home and forcibly gaining entry. The Wilsons quickly realise that the four intruders are in fact doppelgängers of themselves, led by Adelaide's double, Red (Lupita Nyong'o). Each of them is wearing the same red jumpsuit as the man Jason saw on the beach, and Jason's doppelgänger Pluto (Evan Alex) is wearing a white skintight mask over his head and covering his face. 

Red, is the only doppelgänger who speaks while the others grunt, and she tells the Wilsons the story of a girl who lives a happy life while her shadow suffers. The family is then separated by their opposite selves : Red makes Adelaide shackle herself to a table, Zora is pursued by Umbrae (Shahadi Wright Joseph), Gabe is dragged onto the motor boat he had rented for the duration of their break by Abraham (Winston Duke), and Jason is charged to go off and 'play' with Pluto in a cupboard. 

While chasing Zora on foot, Umbrae is interrupted by a neighbour who has come outside to see why Umbrae is standing on the roof of his car. She jumps down and stabs the neighbour with a pair of gold scissors so allowing Zora to escape. Gabe is able to kill Abraham with his boat's problematical and temperamental motor, while Jason quickly learns that Pluto mirrors his actions almost exactly. Jason removes a mask he has been wearing on and off since their arrival, and in so doing Pluto does likewise revealing that half his face is disfigured by a severe burn when he was younger. He is able to distract Pluto with a magic trick and escape, leaving Pluto locked in the cupboard. Red is drawn to Pluto's cries for release, allowing Adelaide the time to break free. The family regroups and is able to escape on Gabe's boat as Red, Umbrae and Pluto come down to the waters edge to see them motor off into the moonlight.

Meanwhile, at the Tyler household not far away, their house is broken into and the family of four are murdered by their identical selves. The Wilsons arrive expecting to find safe harbourage but are forced to kill the Tyler doubles in what turns out to be a bloodbath using the good old trusted baseball bat, a golf club and a heavy stone crystal ornament. With the Tylers and their doubles dead and blood spattered walls and furniture all round them, in a surreal moment they sit around the dining table eating snacks and turn on the news to see that millions of doppelgängers, calling themselves 'the Tethered', have risen up in their red jumpsuits and committed murders against their real counterparts across the US. The doppelgängers subsequently join hands together to form a massive human chain, which the news channels speculate is some form of protest.

Upon seeing the news, Adelaide takes charge of their situation and suggests that they should get as far away as possible, and drive down to Mexico. The Wilsons drive away in the Tylers' car with Zora behind the wheel. They are attacked by Umbrae, who is launched while clinging onto the bonnet into a tree, by a sudden braking manoeuvre. Adelaide gets out of the car to investigate where Umbrae might be and finish her off once and for all. She discovers the broken body of Umbrae hanging from the branches of a tree and she dies shortly afterwards. As day breaks, the Wilsons arrive at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, where they find their own abandoned car set ablaze. 

Pluto is waiting in front of the burning car and has set a trap to kill the Wilsons by laying a trail of petrol to the Tyler's car, but Jason, remembering that Pluto mirrors his every move, walks backward so that Pluto also steps backwards into the burning car and is consequently burned to death. In all the commotion, Red reappears and takes Jason. 

With Adelaide now giving chase to Red in an attempt to find her son, Zora and Gabe find refuge in an abandoned ambulance located behind the now abandoned Santa Cruz Beach amusement park, through which now runs a long line down to the ocean of red jump suit wearing body doubles all holding hands. Adelaide returns to the boardwalk funhouse and walks through a secret tunnel in the hall of mirrors. This leads to an underground facility overrun by rabbits, where Adelaide finds Red.

Red, with her back towards Adelaide and snipping away at paper stood facing a blackboard states that the Tethered were created by the U.S. government decades ago in an attempt to control the public, but the experiment failed and the Tethered were abandoned in an extensive network of underground tunnels and facilities. For generations, they were trapped beneath the surface hidden from view and without any knowledge of their above ground doubles. All they could do was mimic the actions of their counterparts on the surface until Red devised a cunning and meticulous plan for them to escape, which took a very look time to coordinate and execute. The two fight, with Red gaining the upper hand until Adelaide manages to kill Red with the fire poker she has held onto since the prior night. She locates Jason hiding in a locker and rescues him, returning to the surface to meet up with Gabe and Zora. They drive out of the amusement park avoiding the long line of red suited Tethered individuals all holding hands.

'Us' is a worthy follow up to 'Get Out' and here Jordan Peele delivers a genre bending film that has its roots firmly bedded in home invasion horror at the hands of menacing doppelgängers, thriller, drama and with just a sprinkling of Sci-Fi offering blood and death, just the right amount of humour and edge of your seat action to propel the film to all the acclaim it deserves. As for the meaning behind all of this, well that remains open for discussion long after the credits have rolled and the curtain has dropped. Suffice to say the twin performances of Lupita Nyong'o especially is exemplary as she inhabits two very different characters struggling with who and what they are and what motivates them both to survive their living nightmares. Like 'Get Out' Peele has created another original story that further cements his career as an unconventional Director and a storyteller of repute, and a film that is sure to become a classic. 

'Us' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a potential five. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-