REVIEW: black panther - WAKANDA FOREVER

WAKANDA FOREVER (WF) - A lesson on screenplay sequels. #SpoilerAlert.  ​WF picks up 6 yrs after INFINITY WAR and is the result of the choice T'Challa made at the end of BLACK PANTHER - to share the knowledge and technology of Wakanda with the world, including admitting to being the host land of vibranium. This choice creates our problem in WF.

Sometimes sequels can just be another installment in the series having no cause and effect. In WF, it's very clear why Namor, our antagonist, presents an ultimatum to our beloved Wakanda. T'Challa's decision has brought humans to his underwater world in search of vibranium, putting his people in danger. 

Tips:
- Plan ahead. Though Marvel has an established world of comics, when adapted for the screen, a choice must be made about which storyline to follow and how to track that timeline and its changes during adaptation.
- Reset the backstory in the sequel. In a quick scene at the UN, we're reminded of T'Challa's decision and where the rest of the world now stands because of it. Immediately after, we get our inciting incident showing the consequences.
- Establish new goals and stakes in the sequel. Shuri's external goal in WF is to make peace with/defeat Namor. Her internal goal is to pass through the grieving process without becoming vengeful. The stakes are losing Wakanda, the world having access to vibranium, and Shuri losing herself. 

CRITIQUES + THINGS YOU MAY NOT WANT TO HEAR
- The film was good not great.
- I did not cry. I packed tissues and everything. 
- Loved the blue people played by brown people and their history. The WF set was a melanated haven.
- The man became bigger than the story. When an actor dies, the story can live on uninterrupted. When a character dies, there is a ripple effect that must hold our attention throughout. As a result, Shuri's story as BP is based in vengeance instead of taking her rightful place as the protector of Wakanda in joy. 
- T'Challa, Jr. is not T'Challa. I don't need his heir. I need him. King T'Challa did not have to die.
- So now I can't see Angela Bassett in upcoming Black Panther films? Oh, ok. 
- The rules state that an heir should be near death during the purple herb ceremony to see the ancestral plane? How did Shuri see Queen Mother in the middle of killing Namor?
- Other than our inciting incident of finding the machine that can detect vibranium and tracking it to RiRi, the CIA storyline added no stakes to Wakanda or Talocan. Ultimately, I don't care what happens to Agent Ross and would love a BP movie that didn't include him. Just let the black and brown people have a moment... alone.
- That purple streak, chile...
- This was RiRi's introduction, not her story, but she was so heavily involved that it seemed unfair to gloss over her connection to Ironman, especially for those who don't know her origin. I left with no real connection to her.
- Auntie Ang was great, but give Letitia her flowers.

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author

Shannan E. Johnson is a former creative executive at The Syfy Channel turned CEO + Head Consultant of The Professional Pen, a script consultancy that develops screenwriters from idea to pitch to become more confident storytellers ready for a professional screenwriting career, and consults with scripted development teams at entertainment companies to streamline their notes process to get to pre-production more efficiently.