Black Panther - 4 smiles

"Black Panther," with its creative visuals, engaging actors, likable characters and current themes, stands out as one of the best movies to date. It's relatively rare to see a major blockbuster film starring an African-American protagonist, let alone a superior supporting cast that is also overwhelmingly African-American. In addition, it has an African-American director, writers, musicians and many other artists behind the scenes, proving that a movie featuring a black cast can perform well at the box office. Prince T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), introduced in Captain America: Civil War, returns home to Wakanda after the death of his father, King T'Chaka, where T'Challa must fight a series of adversaries to retain the crown and the title of Black Panther. Wakanda, known as a 'third-world country' outside its borders, is hidden behind a cloak of deception for years. It is really a technologically advanced superpower, rich in vibranium, an alien metal. Vibranium powers everything in the African country that holds itself apart and above worldly concerns. Enter Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), full of American swagger and entitlement. He wants everything Wakanda has and will stop at nothing to get it.

Director Ryan Coogler, while remaining faithful to T'Challa's back story, takes the film in some unexpected directors. Sure, there's lot of action, but it's mixed with more serious-minded and thought-provoking material, embracing inclusion and rejecting notions of isolation, nationalism and imperialism. Jordan's Killmonger is the scariest type of villain, full of righteous fury and deviousness, making it easy to understand (and maybe even sympathize with) his objectives. Boseman is exceptional as T'Challa, the king who understands the importance of tradition but also knows that he has a responsibility to those less fortunate. Letitia Wright (T'Challa's sister, Shuri) steals every scene she's in so here's hoping we see more of her in the future. Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira have key roles and portray strong women. Coogler flips tradition on its head by casting Martin Freeman as the token white character (and he's good, too). Although the movie's structure is rooted in the superhero tradition, the production rarely feels limited by that classification. "Black Panther" achieves a grandeur that's nothing short of exhilarating.