Discussion of all Marvel Cinematic Universe related movies and TV shows, including, but not limited to, the Avengers, Captain America, Agent Carter, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil, Spider-Man, Ant-Man, etc., etc., etc. ad-infinitum.
Discussion of non-MCU Marvel titles like the X-Men or the Fantastic Four is also permitted. Ties to comics may be discussed, but this is not the primary forum for comics discussion (see the Other Media thread).
Spoiler policy: For broadcast TV shows, blackfont is allowed after the show has aired on the east coast. For movies and Internet streaming shows, whitefont all plot-related discussion until it's been in wide release two weeks. Posters are encouraged to preface their posts to indicate the subject, particulary if switching subjects.
Ahhhh all the feels. All of them. I totally cried at
Killmonger's death. His last line was brutal.
. I saw it with the local Geek Girls Brunch group; there were 16 of us and I think 2/3 were WOC. For one it was already her fourth viewing! Everything was amazing - the world-building, costume design, music, subversion of various tropes I hate and was braced for like
the girlfriend being kidnapped. The movie opens with it and it's a fake out, kind of like that scene with Black Widow
.
Also, I want all of Shuri's clothes. And some of Nakia's.
Glorious.
WHAT ARE THOOOOOOOOOSE?
She is the absolute BEST.
Fivethirtyeight has an article touting Shuri as being the most important character in the film. (As well as being the funniest character and stealing every scene she's in.) [link] Basic thesis being the aspirational possibilities of having a kick-ass black woman functioning as a role model in a STEM field.
I was particularly impressed by all the design elements, this has to be one of the most visually spectacular MCU films so far. Some of the work was just amazing. (The tipping point on this thought was actually
M'Baku's throne room.) I'm sure a huge number of African influences went over my head, but Ryan picked up on one in particular. Last year he did a class project on adobe buildings, including the Great Mosque of Djenné. He could see that there were skyscrapers in Wakanda that were studded with posts in much the same fashion. (I was particularly taken with the dragonfly aircraft, especially when they were parked hanging onto the edge of the pit.)
I can't make much sense of Wakanda's economy, though I figure they have to be managing under-the-radar trade in vibranium. I'm more concerned about its political system,
which frankly seems to be a recipe for mismanagement and corruption. There's a huge risk of that to begin with in an economy that's dominated by a single primary resource whose supply is easily controlled by the government. And then the system of government is a monarchy, which is a real lottery as to the quality of rulers it throws up - not much protection against the stupid or venal. But that's ok, because there's a mechanism to change the ruler if he proves unworthy. All you need to do is defeat him in hand-to-hand combat. Because a great way to ensure wise rulership is to select for a talent for violence. I can't help feeling that the place has just been incredibly lucky to make it this far without becoming a plutocracy.
I watched the first season of Legion.
Watching it again.
If Cary died, I wonder if Kerry would become the dominant and absorb him, and it would be Kerri/Cary Instead of Cary/Kerri thus "saving" his life.
Dan Stevens makes me think of a younger House, which makes sense since he is a brit playing American.
Rachel Keller could be Gillian Jacobs younger sister.
Aubrey Plaza is a hoot.
Also, I found out Aubry's character was originally written for a man, and a lot of the dialogue was not changed.
When I was in the restroom after Black Panther, I ended up talking about it with an African American woman who I didn't know. She said it was the first movie she could remember that she wanted to pay to see in the theater a second time.
In between the first and second post-credit scene, I turned to my cousin and said,
"Don't they still have Bucky?"
Just read about the
White Wolf
in Marvel canon! OMG!
There must now be a training montage of Bucky vs the Dora, with Steve on the sidelines drooling until he gets invited in, and the bad guys learning that the "newly" tech savvy Wakanda has the Winter Soldier in its loyal arsenal and crapping their pants.
Two random Black Panther thoughts:
- My favorite thing about Okoye is that she has fun. Even in a movie where there are enough women that each one doesn't have to be Every Woman, it's so great that the general isn't just deadpan and serious at all times.
- How awesome that young T'Chaka AND young Zuri are played by the other actors' sons? (I was really wondering how they got that guy's eyes to look just like Forrest Whitaker's.)
PLOT TWIST: Denzel Whitaker is not actually Forrest's son, wtf. [link]
