So here we are at the final entry in Marvels polarising fourth phase, And I think it’s safe to say that it’s definitely had it’s ups and downs. However at the risk of being labelled a fan boy i feel this phase was definitely the most interesting of the bunch.
Tonally it was all over the place and seemed to genre hop with the grace and forethought of a woodland creature loaded up on fermented berries, but it was far from dull and for that I applaud it and it’s approach of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.
The film does a fine job of handling the tradgic passing of Chadwick Boseman which is done respectfully and in a way that feels earnest and respectful which is the least we can ask for. It also gives the film an emotional punch that feels neither forced nor cheap.
Given that the MCU machine is a cold mechanical behemoth that is powered only by cold hard cash and what I can only imagine is the souls of unwanted children its nice to see these genuinely tender moments drip through.
As far as the performances go it’s pretty much all systems go, we’re treated to a plethora of talent and the entire cast is on point, but its unsurprisingly the phenomenal Angela Bassett that leads the charge and is easily best in class for phase 4 on the whole.
We aslo get some of those classic Marvel snippets of connective tissue which everyone should be accustomed to at this point and I was very much interested in seeing how Iron Heart would be introduced ahead of the characters upcoming special presentation and I was definitely not disappointed in the actor or her take on the role but her agency seemed a little absent and the suit was……not great.
The introduction Namor was fun and having a different element to action sequences brought a nice change of pace and did a great job of further fleshing out not only Wakanda but the marvel cinematic universe in general.
After this initial viewing Wakanda Forever is a mixed bag for me, it’s got some great action set peices and a truly memorable performance from Angela Bassett, it also made me weep more than most others in the series but I’m undecided yet as if that’s a tick in the plus or minus column
The main issues I found here are that the story lost almost all of its steam in the third act due to it’s unnecessary run time and its occasionally janky effects, its amazing how the fragile balance between an action epic and an uphill slog actually are when put to the test.
Overall however i think the film is a great cap to the fourth phase in this billion dollar experiment and I’m glad it not only continued to build on the Wakandan arc but did so in a way that not only made sense but also respected the passing of a great actor. But as with most things this one’s milage will vary with your personal preferences.
Its definitely ambitious and it’s story of loss, grief, revenge and forgiveness is told well for the most part.
I had a great time with Wakanda Forever right up until it started to outstay its welcome, plus the absence of Bowsman just made me sad. I’m hoping this is less of an issue over time but for now I’ll be giving it two and a half Legend’s out of five.
Thanks for reading 😊
Postcardsfromhobbsend 