Exploring power and privilege: why Black Panther is a hero for our time

From the moment the talking drum announces the entrance of the Wakandan king, Black Panther sets itself apart from its comic book-inspired brethren.

Sure, it's still a superhero film, with all that termentailschase sequences, fantastical weapons, cackling bad guys. But the influences woven into the fabric of the film are whyBlack Panther transcends the genre.

One of the reasonsBlack Pantherworks is because of the faith Marvel Studios has put into director Ryan Coogler.With a $200 million US budget to play with, he began by bringing production designerHannah Beachler and costume designerRuth E. Carter to Africa. There, they soaked up the culture of the continent and let their imaginations run wild.

The result is a riotous rainbow of coloursas thefictional African nationof Wakandacomes to life.A hidden African country unscarred by colonization, it's unveiled as atechnological utopia.

The story itself is more royal rumble than the usual Marvel movie treasure hunt.Chadwick Boseman stars as T'Challa, a young king who inherits the mantle (and the power)of Black Panther after the death of his father. Bosemanexudes a quiet confidence that befits his character's regal stature.

T'Challa is soon tested by the appearance of Erik Killmonger(portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, afrequent collaboratorof director Coogler).With fury in his eyes, Jordan's Killmonger an American mercenary raised in a life of crime and poverty outside thehiddenWakandanparadisebrings a harsh reality check to utopia.

For this Afro-futuristic adventure,Cooglerhas assembled some of the finest black actors working today:Forest Whitaker plays aWakandanpriest,LupitaNyong'ois a covert agent with the power to catch the king's eye.

But the most exciting addition is Letitia Wright as the Wakandan princess. Black Panther canget stoic and serious at times, but the film brightens every timeshe appears.Not only is Wright's sneaker-wearing millenniala tech genius who could teach Tony Stark a thing or two,but T'Challa's sister Shuri also keeps his royal highness grounded.

For action fans,Black Panther's only real weakness is thesenseof samenessthat marks many of thefight and chase sequences. As is often the case in Marvel films, superfolk leap onto cars, employ amazing machinesand make improbable feats seemeasy. Here,Cooglerplays it safe, but whereBlack Panther breaks new ground is the relevance of what's driving the conflict.

Black Panther isn'ta film about battling a giant robot or chasing magic stones. Instead, itexplores issues ofpower and privilege,taking us inside a countrytorn apart by questions about whether to share its riches. Instead of"America First," T'Challagoverns by the motto "WakandaForever."

But at what cost?The fire in Killmonger'seyes stems from his sense of injustice about this hidden paradise where Wakandans thrived, while the rest of the world burned.

At the end of Spike Lee's seminal filmDo The Right Thing Leechallenged the audiences with two quotes:one from MalcolmX and the other from Martin Luther King Jr.

One could say Black Panther is theDo The Right Thing of superhero movies: a film that questions the right way forward.

That Coogler and his team managed to embedthese concepts amidst the blockbuster's spectacular vistas and visionsis what makes Black Panther a hero whose time has come.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars.