UPDATE: Social media reactions for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” are in and they are mostly positive. People seem to have reservations about the length of the film. I’ve tried to mostly just showcase “critics” and “pundits” who have weighed in, not fanboys.
The Playlist’s resident Oscar pundit Gregory Ellwood is semi-mixed on the film’s Oscar chances in his piece titled “Is ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ A Best Picture Player?”:
“For other reasons we’re not at liberty to discuss (and, no, they are not tied to Chadwick Boseman‘s passing) it’s not necessarily as big a slam dunk as say, another studio blockbuster, “Top Gun: Maverick.” But it certainly has a better chance than others trying to stay in the race. Pay attention to the actors. If this cast can wrangle another SAG Awards ensemble nomination, along with some PGA love, it might just have enough to repeat.”
David Ehrlich (IndieWire): “Wakanda Forever is messy in ways Black Panther never had to be & the action is almost as weak, but it’s hard not to be impressed by how forcefully - often movingly - it meshes real personal loss & political context together w/ the usual superhero mishegoss. ankle wings dumb tho.”
Eric Kohn (IndieWire): “WAKANDA FOREVER is as satisfying as everyone excited for it would expect. What’s most extraordinary is that Ryan Coogler is Hollywood’s preeminent termite artist, burrowing inside Hollywood formula w/bold ideas about the geopolitics of natural resources & indigenous trauma.”
Kyle Buchanan (New York Times): “This year's Best Picture lineup is still very fluid, and WAKANDA FOREVER has a shot at making it. There's plenty of great stuff here, though it's a tad overstuffed and critics may ding all the spinoff setup. But when the movie gets intimate and emotional, it sings.”
Gregory Ellwood (The Playlist): “Wakanda Forever gets off to a slow start but is quite moving at the end. Rihanna’s first song is quite beautiful. Incredible production design, score and cinematography. Best Picture? Thoughts later tonight…”
Drew Taylor (The Playlist): “[Wakanda Forever] prioritizes sentiment over spectacle and for the most part it’s a transporting and engrossing triumph. Arguably Marvel Studio’s most deeply felt and emotional resonant extravaganza. Also Ludwig’s score is an all timer.
Clayton Davis (Variety): “[Wakanda Forever] is a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman. Visual stunner, with Angela Bassett commanding every scene she inhabits. Rihanna's "Lift Me Up" will do that for many. Another great post credit scene that's genuinely a jaw-dropper. Don't know about Oscars.”
Scott Mantz: “WAKANDA FOREVER isn’t as good as BLACK PANTHER (I mean, how could it be?), but even so, it’s still a mixed bag. The first half is slow, hard to follow and lacks focus, but it gets better as it goes, and the last 30 minutes are great with an emotional payoff. Letter grade: B-
Ramin Setoodeh (Variety): “#WakandaForever is a great, fitting sequel to ‘Black Panther.’ The audience at the premiere tonight burst into spontaneous applause throughout the film — especially for Letitia Wright.”
Scott Mendelson (Forbes): “WAKANDA FOREVER entertains but spends way too much time setting up future MCU projects and coping with its non-fiction tragedy. It also often feels like a mix-and-match of prior (frankly inferior) Marvel movies. Works best when it's just allowed to be Black Panther 2”
Meanwhile, We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel decided to virtue signal his way out the screening:
EARLIER: This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Auteur extraordinaire Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece-in-the-waiting “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is being screened today for selected press.
I’ll be updating this post whenever the embargo lifts.
There are some out there who believe Coogler’s sequel has a shot at Oscar glory, I’m not one of them. Surely some tech nods await, but Angela Bassett for Supporting Actress? As Joe Biden would say, “Come on, man!” Bassett did deserve her Best Actress nomination for playing Tina Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Gotta Do With It.”
Social media reactions should show up later today. There is still a review embargo on the movie, so we’ll have to rely on tweets. Obviously, caution is necessary in that regard. The Disney machine likes to pack these screenings with Marvel fanboys (and fangirls) …
