So I just saw Black Panther last night and I want to give some take aways.
1) I am very familar with the Black Panther comic and prior to this I had experience in both reading the comic and other media regarding it.
These were my views on Black Panther and Wakanda as stated below. It was a colonialist re-imagining of Africa while adhering it to Western standards of technology, philosophy, and beauty. I will admit I was actual exceedingly repulsed by the prospect that they would be bring Black Panther to the mainstream universe as I felt it would only further instill stereotypes of what African countries are and have been. One of my greatest concerns was the presentation of Wakanda as a homogeneous tribal community who happened to have technology which looks and operates as advanced western levels. There were other concerns and it was really in relation to being unfamiliar with the the perception surrounding African countries.
The concept of Wakanda is both inspiring and terribly sad, the closest to an African Utopia we can get in reality is that of an old white mans comic design.
I'll nibble on the bait then, but I'll admit I wondered while watching the movie how people would have reacted if the exact same movie had been made by a non-black director. For example I raised a very surprised eyebrow when M'Baku and his tribe started barking ape noises. It's something that would have been considered racist in many other contexts.
In the case of Wakanda, is it really a compliment to consider that the best an African nation can do with unlimited technology and wealth is a dictatorship with primitive ritual fights ? Even the traditional costumes raise a few questions, it reminded me of my brother in law who spent half his career in Africa, and is always annoyed when all people will ask him about is djembes, tribes and ritual masks.
There is definitely this idea that Wakanda is how a (former colonialist) foreigner would imagine a rich African country. "Powerful but still with primitive elements".
1) I was unbelievably surprised and blown away. I 1000% recommend this movie. There was an incredible amount of research and reverence which to be honest I did not expect to find in a Disney/Marvel film. The capture of the identity struggle of Ancestral Slave Africans being a separate identity than Africans was captured, while I think it could have been better explored and emphasized, the fact that it existed at all was 100 steps in the right direction.
2) The importance of having a black director. At first I felt that having a black cast and director would have no tangible benefit. As I had said I was already familiar with the concepts of Wakanda and Black Panther and felt that the use of black cast and director would be for promotion purposes only. I was shamefully wrong. This is not to say a director or actors of other races would not do well in the position, however. The context allowed a black director to understand the subtly in the identity issue which is core to the black panther plot. I mean the re-envisioning of this was astounding. Even the technologies taking on more organic and less western forms. Just unbelieveable.
3) The cast and crew were young. I think my only regret is that this was not handled by older, more seasoned veterans but this is wholly unfair because it is their young talent which created and re-envisioned this story and world to begin with.
I'm both frustrated because I can see where the crew and cast are inexperienced in the development of the movie, however the movie concept as it sits now would not stand if not for those involved.
In the end it was far far far better and exceeded my expectations of what I though a Marvel/Disney Super hero movie about Black Panther would be. Yet it saddens me that the only way we were able to get this gem is from the inexperienced minds of those willing to take those risks. Ryan Coogler is to be commended and it truly a rising star of a director. If, I had to quantify this it would be like seeing Steven Spielberg create Jurassic Park in the early stages of his career rather than later. Knowing that one of his most iconic masterpieces would have been better with more experience.
All that being said, I want in another 5-10 years after Ryan has had some other work, for him to revisit Wakanda in earnest. Not as an action superhero story but as an honest critique of society.