“Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T’Challa’s mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.
Critics Consensus: Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU’s most absorbing stories — and introducing some of its most fully realized characters.
Here are some of the reviews:
Black Panther celebrates its hero’s heritage while delivering one of Marvel’s most all-around appealing standalone installments to date. Peter Debruge, Variety
Say this about Black Panther, which raises movie escapism very near the level of art: You’ve never seen anything like it in your life. Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Black Panther is every bit as good as you were hoping. Actually — it’s better. A terrific screenplay from Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole elevates this thing way beyond the usual boundaries of the Marvel Universe. Liz Braun, Toronto Sun
Black Panther pounces toward the head of the class in a way that should make the King, and his key subjects, a cornerstone of an already-formidable roster. Brian Lowry, CNN.com
We didn’t know we’d been yearning for it until it arrived, but now that it’s here it’s unmistakable that the wait for a film like “Black Panther” has been way longer than it should have been. Kenneth Turn, Los Angeles Times
This is a superhero movie for the ages, and especially for this age. Peter Hammond, Deadline Hollywood
You believe in T’Challa, you believe in Wakanda, and you believe – maybe for the first time – that the MCU actually matters. David Ehrlich, IndieWire
While the themes are deep, Black Panther is at the same time a visual joy to behold, with confident quirkiness, insane action sequences and special effects, and the glorious reveal of Wakanda. Brian Truitt, USA Today
With uncanny timing, Marvel takes its superheroes into a domain they’ve never inhabited before and is all the better for it in Black Panther. Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
While many Marvel films feel like small pieces of a larger story, Black Panther is an entire cinematic universe unto itself. Matt Singer, ScreenCrush