My "Black Panther" Experience

A large tub of popcorn in hand, I settled into my--almost front row--leather reclining seat and suffered through at least 7 or 8 previews. What the hell?

I couldn't wait to see this film that has had such a phenomenal opening--both critically and financially.

Secretly, however, I was afraid that I might be disappointed despite Rotten Tomatoes' Critics Consensus: "Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of MCU's most absorbing stories--and introducing some of its most fully realized characters."

While black moviegoers were holding our breaths in anticipation, "others," I am sure, were hoping/expecting that it would be a superhero flick in black face, full of braggadocio and
non-stop wisecracks.

Panther is, in fact, a serious work that pays homage to ancestors, traditions, African culture and ingenuity, women, elders, and ritual; much of which is no longer valued in contemporary African American life.

Director/Writer Ryan Coogler, 31, infuses it with humor, pathos, inter-generational conflict, and social commentary; this movie is just the shot in the arm we need in the face of rising neo-Nazism, white supremacy, and hate-mongering.

Unfortunately, we still live in an America where we must prove that black lives matter.

Kudos to some of the best actors in film today: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupito Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Sterling K. Brown, Winston Duke, Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, and Leticia Wright.

Might this film be an Oscar contender? Don't know, but it has already won the hearts of millions.