Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Last night I went to a Thursday preview of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and I don't think I have anticipated the release of a Marvel movie more since Avengers: Endgame and I don't think I have had a more emotional experience watching a Marvel movie since then, either.  I absolutely loved it!  One year after the sudden death of King T'Challa, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) informs the U.N. of her decision not to share vibranium with the world after attempts are made to steal it.  The CIA then makes use of of a vibranium-detecting machine to search for deposits in the Atlantic Ocean but, when everyone involved in the expedition is killed by Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his people, the U.S. government blames Wakanda.  Namor is the king of Talokan, an underwater ancient Mesoamerican civilization rich in vibranium, and he is determined to protect his people from the surface world.  He reaches out to Shuri (Letitia Wright) to form an alliance with Wakanda but she refuses because he wants to kill Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), the young M.I.T. student responsible for the vibranium-detecting machine.  In retaliation for her refusal, Namor and his people attack Wakanda with devastating consequences.  It will take the reemergence of Black Panther in order to save Wakanda.  I loved the story which features powerful themes of grief and vengeance as well as commentary on the injustice of enslaving an indigenous people for the sake of a resource.  Bassett and Wright are incredible, particularly in the scenes where they mourn T'Challa (I had tears streaming down my face multiple times and I heard audible sobs all around me) and when they show their rage.  Huerta is also outstanding and Namor, like Killmonger before him, is a compelling villain because, while he is ruthless, his motivation is understandable.  The images on the screen are absolutely gorgeous, especially the sequences under water, and I loved the world building for Talokan.  The costumes, as in the first movie, are so beautiful and I was surprised by how moved I was by the atmospheric score!  Finally, I loved the footage of Chadwick Boseman used in the Marvel title card and in a lovely montage at the end.  These scenes are a fitting tribute to the late actor and, once again, there were audible sobs from the audience.  My only criticism of this movie would be the length.  I think the CIA subplot involving Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a bit superfluous because its only function is to set up further Marvel properties.  However, this is a worthy successor to the original movie and I'm sure that fans will love it as much as I did!

Note:  There is only one mid-credits scene (but it is really good).