christian movie review black panther

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Christian Movie Review)

Verdict: An emotional and meaningful film that struggles not to buckle under its own weight; succeeding more as a cultural moment than as an exciting or cohesive story.

About The Movie

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would have been one of the year’s most anticipated films under any circumstances, but the tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman adds an inseparable dimension. The movie is by far the weightiest and most emotional Marvel film to date; a meaningful—sometimes beautiful—tribute to its beloved actor and cherished character. At the same time, it doesn’t always soar as high as an actual compelling or cohesive story. Wakanda Forever is far from a bad film. In fact, at times, it’s an excellent film. But it’s a busy film, and often buckles under its own weight.  

The film handles the loss of its lead actor/character as well as feasibly possible. His presence is felt from start to finish, including an adjusted opening title card that essentially functions as a moment of silence. There is clear synergy between reality and fiction. For both the characters and the audience, the story unfolds almost like a guided process of cathartic mourning.

A byproduct of a Black Panther film without the Black Panther is that it is a more ensemble story. Letitia Wright as Shuri takes a more central role and gives a superb performance. Angela Bassett is also great as a grieving mother, and Lupita Nyong’o is always a welcome presence (despite limited screentime). Another standout is the newly introduced character of Namor, who is easily one of the most compelling villains in the MCU canon. Actor Tenoch Huerta doesn’t necessarily have the magnetic charisma to steal or command many scenes, but the character is so well developed, with understandable motivations and sympathetic humanity, that he is truly a character in his own right, and not just a necessarily foil for the heroes.   

Despite its emotional earnestness, not everything in Wakanda Forever works. Thematically, the film is razor-focused and unified. Narratively, however, it is jumbled and convoluted. The story unfolds as a collection of scenes and moments that don’t always flow together. The story constantly jumps to new locations and introduces new characters (that don’t add much) to an already crowded cast. Even when the film hits the middle of its lengthy runtime, it still feels like it’s just revving its engine.

Although director Ryan Coogler’s fingerprints are still evident, the movie lacks the kinetic energy of the thrilling first Black Panther film. Whereas Black Panther popped with vibrant color and visceral action, its sequel feels noticeably muted. Part of this is due to the more solemn story, but much is simply the result of some uninspiring storytelling decisions. Wakanda Forever is excessively plot-heavy and filled with a barrage of exposition. The story is emotional, but never all that fun or exciting. It may be a satisfying meditation on a specific cultural moment, but there is little to compel audiences to rewatch it, and it will be interesting to see how how the film is viewed in the future.

In the end, Wakanda Forever is a unique film with a worthy message. There is lots to appreciate, and there are flashes of brilliance, but it is largely held back by a jumbled and often unexciting story. It’s an excellent tribute to both Chadwick Boseman and the Black Panther character, but not the masterful sequel to Black Panther some may be expecting or hoping for.

For Consideration

Profanity: A handful of minor profanities (mostly “sh—“).

Violence: Standard, mostly bloodless MCU action. Several times, music (a siren’s call) is used to put characters in a trance and compel them to toss themselves into the ocean (and presumably drown).

Sexuality: There is a brief scene where one woman kisses another woman on the head and calls her, “my love,” with what seems like romantic undertones, although their relationship is not explicitly stated.

Other: Pagan spirituality plays a central role in the story. Characters pray to “the gods,” or to the specific god of their people. Several funeral rituals are performed. There is frequent talk about characters joining their ancestors, or having their ancestors watch over them. A ritual transports a character to the “ancestral plane.”

Engage The Film

Overcoming grief and finding faith.

From start to finish, Wakanda Forever is an exploration of grief. It asks difficult questions, such as, “How do we move on from tragedy?” and “How does loss shape us, for better or worse?” A strength of the film is that it allows its characters to confront these questions with raw and honest emotion. The Bible says that there is “a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” ( Ecclesiastes 3:4 ). Grieving is a natural reality. The characters respond to the tragic loss of T’Challa in different ways, and the film never seems to judge them or suggest that one response is better than the others. While the story cautions against allowing grief to become all-consuming or lead to destructive anger, it also serves as a reminder that there is no one path to healing.

In the film, grief also drives characters toward faith and spirituality. While this spirituality is not presented in a strictly biblical sense (see Content to Consider above), the overarching theme is nevertheless powerful. The movie begins with a voiceover of a prayer that ultimately goes unanswered, resulting in a spiritual journey for the grieving character. There is a fascinating conversation between the Queen and Shuri, as the queen attempts to guide her daughter through a religious ritual to find peace and feel her brother’s presence. The scientifically minded Shuri dismisses the advice, asserting that the feeling is merely a mental construct, and not real. Her mother responds by challenging Shuri what “mental construct” her own brain is making, and whether it bring her peace?

Shuri retreats from her grief into her science and technology but can’t find peace in her more naturalistic worldview. On several occasions, she questions or lashes out against spiritual things and their futility to prevent her brother from dying. By the end of the film, however, she is on a path toward faith, reaching a satisfying conclusion and bookend to the opening scene. While the film’s conception of faith and spirituality does reflect biblical Christianity, the general theme is consistent with the comforting invitation by Jesus, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” ( Matthew 11:28 ).  

Daniel holds a PhD in "Christianity and the Arts" from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author/co-author of multiple books and he speaks in churches and schools across the country on the topics of Christian worldview, apologetics, creative writing, and the Arts.

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Reviewed by: Alexander Malsan CONTRIBUTOR

Fictional African kingdom/country

Afrofuturism movement

Paganism / false religion / anti-Christian worldview

Prayer to the Egyptian false god, Bast (aka Bastet)

About idolatry and false gods in the Bible

Death of a loved one and national leader

Dealing with grief

Quest of nations for superior weapons

Hollywood films that characterize the United States and other Western nations as “greedy colonizers”

About mercy in the Bible

What is true Christian love , according to the Bible?

Prequel: “ Black Panther ” (2018)

K ing T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, has died. T’Challa, the Blank Panther, an Avenger and the protector of the Wakandans, contracted an illness for which there was no cure, despite his brilliant, younger sister, Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), multiple efforts to find one. As a nation mourns, a mother, Ramonda ( Angela Bassett ), still grieving the loss of her son, trying to make sense of his sudden passing, must once again take up the mantle and serve as the Queen of Wakanda.

A year goes by. While T’Challa may be gone, the actions he caused have continued to cause a ripple effect. While the world, or at least the nations that comprise the United Nations, claim they wish to work with the Wakandans, in secret, there have been recent attacks on the Wakandan’s storehouses in search of vibranium (the strongest, most powerful element on Earth, which can only be found in Wakanda). In truth, the UN fears the damage vibranium could cause if in the wrong hands. The Queen informs the General Assembly that she is fully aware of the attacks on the storehouses and warns them of dire consequences should these attacks occur. But they aren’t the only threat to worry about.

Indeed, an aquatic creature, known only as Namor ( Tenoch Huerta ), appears to the Queen and Shuri with a proposition: to ally with him and his people, the Talokans and preemptively start an attack on other countries before those countries can impose damage upon Wakanda and Talkoa. The Queen is appalled by his proposition and refuses, but Namor is not one to give up so easily.

Wakanda Forever.

When the first “Black Panther” came out in 2018, for some it felt like Marvel and Disney had revolutionized superhero movies. In some respects, African-Americans, as well as African cultures and traditions, had been placed in a more prominent position in mainstream media, particularly as it pertained to the superhero genre. Could one make this argument? Perhaps.

On the other hand, one could also make the argument that there were other motives that led to the creation of “Black Panther,” such as the need to keep up with progressive audiences with a woke agenda. If you think about it, the entire cast of “Black Panther” is African-American and the one white character that is in there, a CIA agent, is portrayed as naivé and clueless (and remains so in future appearances alongside the Black Panther in future films before “Wakanda Forever” came out).

This brings me to its sequel “…Wakanda Forever.” There’s no denying that, like its predecessor, “…Wakanda Forever” tugs at the heartstrings and never lets go for almost three hours. There were moments my heart literally felt like it stopped. The dialog between certain characters, particularly those delivered by Angela Bassett (who plays the Queen) felt impassioned and fueled by the real life tragedy and death of the actor who played the original Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman .

Speaking of Mr. Boseman, before his passing, had a very promising, aspiring career ahead of him. Disney and Marvel had huge plans for him and hopes of making future Black Panther films with him at the helm. In fact, “…Wakanda Forever” had originally contained numerous scenes that had Boseman in them and as such the production team decided to scrap the original film and rewrite and reshoot the film from scratch to account for his passing. I have to commend Disney a little bit for not adding salt to a wound for many fans who may, indeed, have been too saddened by seeing the original Boseman in the film, and yet…

Most recently, I came across a brief, yet thoroughly examined review of “Wakanda Forever” by David Cullen (his full review can be viewed below). Cullen believes it would have been possible for the franchise to have continued by simply replacing Boseman’s Black Panther in “Wakanda Forever.” Could someone else play the Black Panther? I’m divided, honestly. Boseman’s performance as the masked Avenger was so gripping at times it’s hard to think of someone else to replace him, and so if Disney had, I don’t believe the franchise would have been as successful, or appeal to the audience it wanted to.

Having said all that, there was one thing Mr. Cullen pointed out that I also noticed, and that was that “Wakanda Forever” has significantly promoted wokeism and woke ideology. I would also argue, and perhaps this is a step too far, that Mr. Boseman’s death allowed for Disney to become more woke in “Wakanda Forever” (whereas the first “Black Panther” had a healthy mix of males and females, “Wakanda Forever” is a female African-American driven film from start to finish, with the VERY few, again naive, males taking a backseat). In short, make no mistake that Disney continues to up its game on its subliminal woke messaging and “Wakanda Forever” serves as the catalyst for the message this time around.

Content of Concern

VIOLENCE: Very Heavy. Haitian slaves are seen being whipped, and then we watch as their homes are burned and they are then murdered. Two people are shot and killed. Some soldiers are zapped by electric spears. A sonic siren hypnotizes soldiers and people and makes them jump off of a ship and into the ocean. There are multiple instances where people are zapped or killed with a spear. Someone is shot in the face. A helicopter crashes into the ocean. A girl throws a speaker at someone. There is an intense chase sequence where cars explode and characters are tossed around. Water begins flooding Wakanda, and we witness people drowning or being pulled underwater. A character dies. There is a major fight sequence between the Wakandans and Talokans. People jump off a ship again and into the water. We see corpses floating in the water. Someone has a “part” of their body cut off (a wing). Someone takes a spear right out of their chest (somehow they are alive and walk it off). Someone is burned but survives without a scratch.

VULGARITY: Sh*t (8), B*ll-Sh*t (1), P*ss-Off (1), A** (1), Po-Po (Police) (1)

PROFANITY: Oh my G*d (2), H*ll (5), D*mn (1)

SEX: We see a implied lesbian couple kiss each other on the forehead. We witness a birth underwater and see a boy attached to a woman’s umbilical cord. Someone makes a double entendré about their fitness and their Peloton to a woman they’re trying to impress.

NUDITY: Some female Wakandans and Talokans wear tribal outfits that reveal their bare midriffs, and feature curve-revealing outfits. Some males are bare-chested.

DRUGS: The Black Panther serum brings Shuri to the ancestral plain, a spiritual afterlife of sorts where she can meet people like T’Challa and her father, T’Chaka. Talokans drink a serum, vibranium, that kills everyone but brings them back to life so they can live underwater.

OCCULT: There is a heavy amount of occult references in the film, or at least more than I was comfortable with. *Minor Spoiler* Namor’s origins are that he is an undersea ruler associated with Mesoamerican mythological systems. His watery realm was allegedly a gift from Chac, the Mayan god of water; and his people consider Namor to be a god himself. (He’s apparently considered the Feathered Serpent of those Mesoamerican pantheons, called K’uk’ulkan in Namor’s native Mayan language and Quetzalcoatl by the Aztecs.). The Wakandans also worship their own gods, particularly one named Bast, and we observe Shuri praying to one, but she loses her faith in Bast. The origins of the Talokans is that they consulted a shaman who was told to create a serum that kills everyone but brings them back to life so they can live underwater. The Black Panther serum brings Shuri to the ancestral plain, a spiritual afterlife of sorts where she can meet people like T’Challa and her father, T’Chaka.

WOKEISM: The female characters, whether they are Wakandans or Americans, are portrayed as the heroines and saviors, and the men that try to assist them, or offer guidance, are seen as subservient and stupid, or of little assistance at best. The United States and other countries are portrayed as villains (mostly the U.S.—they are the ones who broke into the Wakandan warehouse). As a side note I find this humorous, considering The Disney Company’s origins began in the U.S. and made films for the military. So in context they are really making themselves the villain, right?

There are multiples themes that I can draw upon from “Wakanda Forever.”

The first theme that is addressed numerous times throughout the film is the concept of death and life after death. As Shuri tries to deal with her brother, T’Challa’s, passing, she cannot help but wonder if he will be there waiting for her when it is her time to depart or whether it is a bunch of nonsense. In fact, since she is a woman of science, she is led to believe in the latter and her belief is strengthened even further when she *MINOR SPOILER* drinks the Blank Panther potion and does not see T’Challa in the ancestral plains but someone else *END MINOR SPOILER*

Indeed, in the real world, death is not the end, but the beginning. Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins so that death would not be the end, so that we would not perish, but that we could have live eternally with Him in Heaven.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son , that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life . — John 3:16

What is DEATH? and WHY does it exist? Answer in the Bible

What is the FINAL JUDGMENT? and WHAT do you need to know about it? Answer

What is ETERNAL LIFE ? and what does the Bible say about it?

What is ETERNAL DEATH ?

Jesus stated the following…

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life . Whoever believes in me, though he die , yet shall he live , and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die …” — John 11:25-26

He also stated…

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life . He does not come into judgment , but has passed from death to life .” — John 5:24

He later proved his power over death by calling Lazarus to rise from the dead , though he had been dead for over a few days (John 11:17-44). He then conquered death , himself, by dying on a cross and rising from the grave three days later.

“But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels , namely Jesus , crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” — Hebrews 2:9

The other theme is temptation . The character, Namor, in the film reminds me a lot of Satan . I watched as he whispered in the ears of Shuri and the Queen promising them power, glory, and greatness if they allied themselves with him to go up against the other countries and preemptively strike.

Satan , the great deceiver , promised the exact same thing to Jesus in the desert: power, glory and riches if only he swore allegiance to him and not God (Matthew 4:1-11).

Satan wants us to doubt, distrust and spit at God’s very existence. He does this slowly by placing certain temptations into our lives. We must resist! We must put on the armor of God .

For because he himself has suffered when tempted , he is able to help those who are being tempted. — Hebrews 2:18

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil , and he will flee from you. — James 4:7

Trust in God! He won’t let you down. Even when you feel alone, God is there in the midst of us.

Closing Thoughts

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” is perhaps one of the most visually impressive movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to date (the production values are the strongest I’ve seen from a Marvel Film since “Avengers Endgame”). The attention to detail between the costuming, scenery and character development is memorable.

However, “Wakanda Forever” also has it shares of dangers: some incredibly heavy amounts of violence, heavy occultic themes, and some sex and language. So, while the film might look beautiful on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts and on the inside there is something that, well, just doesn’t sit right .

Learn about DISCERNMENT —wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions

What is biblical WISDOM ?

Is “Wakanda Forever” a film worth seeing? I’m not entirely sure. You don’t NEED to see this film. You’re not really missing out on anything if you decide not to. It’s not spiritually edifying for Christians, especially the occultic themes I mentioned. In short, discernment is STRONGLY advised.

• Violence: Very Heavy
• Occult: Heavy
• Wokeism: Moderately Heavy
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Nudity: Moderate
• Sex: Moderate
• Profane language: Mild
• Drugs/Alcohol: Mild

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Black Panther Movie Review From A Christian Perspective

The new Marvel movie, Black Panther, features a black superhero and some women who are tough as nails. If you are about to go see it or are thinking about seeing it – it is definitely worth the wait! Worth seeing!

Black Panther is a little bit different than your typical Marvel superhero movie that features a Norse-god, a youthful prodigy, or a WWII recruit. Black Panther is the first film in the Marvel cinematic universe to center on a superhero of color: African prince-turned-king T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), aka the Black Panther. It’s a nearly all-black superhero movie from a black director, Ryan Coogler, that’s going to make a billion dollars. It’s a historic event in pop culture history.

“The concept of an African story, with actors of African descent at the forefront, combined with the scale of modern franchise filmmaking, is something that hasn’t really been seen before,” Ryan Coogler, the director, told The Hollywood Reporter. “You feel like you’re getting the opportunity of seeing something fresh, being a part of something new, which I think all audiences want to experience regardless of whether they are of African descent or not.”

It’s mostly set in the African nation of Wakanda. Its hidden capital is both ancient and futuristic, fueled by a vast supply of the super-metal Vibranium, which Wakandans have protected for generations.

Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa transforms into the Black Panther, his spirit animal, as a result of ingesting Vibranium.

Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, is the villain that goes up against the Black Panther. This villain’s fight for the throne is fueled by blood and vengeance for the death of his father.

This movie really ups the stakes, presenting us with numerous memorable, fierce and intelligent women who fight alongside Black Panther and earn their own cheers. This is such a nice departure for Marvel, which is basically a boys’ universe!

There is some bad language in the movie but I would say less than five words.  No nudity but it does have your typical comic book violence. The movie is rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence and a brief rude gesture. (Someone does something with a certain finger to someone else) There is nothing of a sexual nature in this film.

If you’ve been to a Marvel movie before you will not be surprised by anything in “Black Panther” as it proteins to language or violence.

Every new Marvel movie is an opportunity for a new direction, a chance for the studio to restore its formula and bring in new material. This is exactly what Black Panther accomplishes!

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Let’s Talk About . . . ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

by Christian Standard | 2 December, 2022 | 1 comment

Movies bring people of all backgrounds together like few other events. We want to provide talking points to help you take conversations about movies with family and friends to a deeper, spiritual level. Starting from this common ground, you can find opportunities to share your own faith experience with others. Check out the discussion questions at the end.  

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  

PG-13 • 2022 • Action/Adventure • 2 hours 41 minutes   

Starring: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta   

——– 

By Andrew Wood  

It’s been two years since Black Panther fans were stunned by the sudden loss of lead actor Chadwick Boseman to cancer. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an extended tribute to his character, King T’Challa, and a passing of the torch to a new generation as the kingdom of Wakanda faces unprecedented global threats. In the process, the audience is challenged to reflect on issues of grief, generational change, and the rise and decline of global powers.  

THE BACKSTORY  

In the previous film, Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) , Wakanda appears to the world to be an ordinary, developing African nation. In reality, it sits on a rare resource called “vibranium” which it has used to develop highly advanced technology and cloak itself from the world. After his father’s death, Prince T’Challa (Boseman) struggles for the throne with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who plans to use Wakanda’s technology to incite a global revolution. T’Challa comes out on top, but not before the world discovers Wakanda’s true abilities and their source. 

NECESSARY MOURNING  

In this new installment of the Black Panther franchise, T’Challa succumbs to an undisclosed illness before his scientist-sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) can devise a cure. The whole kingdom joins her and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) in an elaborate mourning ritual combining African cultural elements with futuristic technologies. 

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a universal experience that connects moviegoers with the film’s protagonists. More than that, the funeral sequence feels like something fans themselves needed to mark the passing not just of a fictional character, but of the deeply beloved actor who played the role. 

WAKANDA ON THE DEFENSIVE  

Without T’Challa’s leadership, Wakanda faces huge international threats. The United States, France, and other world powers demand that Wakanda share vibranium with the rest of the world and are determined to get it, whether by force or by exploration for new sources. Queen Ramonda refuses to share vibranium, fearing it will be used for destructive purposes.   

Traditional world powers are not Wakanda’s only threat, however. American deep-sea exploration disturbs another well-hidden kingdom built upon an undersea source of vibranium. This aquatic, Mesoamerican-based culture Talokan is led by a fiercely protective mutant warrior named Namor. With vibranium’s secret out, Namor is determined that neither Wakanda nor any other nation will be a threat to his people.  

TOUGH, REAL ISSUES  

A key achievement of the Black Panther franchise is its ability to tackle some of the most controversial issues of our time in ways that can reach all audiences. Its fantasy genre allows us to see issues from another perspective in a way we might miss in the real world.  

For example, in Wakanda, women are completely equal to men and serve in leadership positions in government, the military, and technology. It’s not remarked upon, but simply shown as a fact of their society. Men might clash with female leaders on policy issues, but never on the basis of gender. 

Wakanda Forever has an even stronger anti-colonial theme running through it than the first movie. World powers are assumed to be rapacious and untrustworthy, and their concerns about Wakanda monopolizing a world-changing (or world-destroying) technology are dismissed. Namor of Talokan is less a villain than an anti-hero. With his people’s back story of having survived Spanish conquistadors, he becomes such a sympathetic character, at times it’s hard not to root for him in battle scenes.  

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT US?  

Comic books and the films based upon them often draw from current cultural themes. Thus, they can be a barometer of how the secular culture views certain issues. Seen in this way, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a reflection on the passing of national leadership to a new generation of leaders, and international leadership to developing nations.  

No doubt about it, the movie leaves us with some anxiety about what is to come in a world of rapid and radical change. But it also leaves us with hope that younger people will be able to combine the best of the past with the discoveries of the future, as the kingdom of Wakanda itself does.   

_ _ _ 

If you’d like to take your discussion of this movie with others to a deeper level, try some of these questions: 

• How has your life been touched by grief, and what helped you start to heal from it? 
• In the real world, which countries do you think are declining in influence, and which are growing? How could this affect us and future generations in positive and not-so-positive ways? 
• Are there areas of society where gender distinctions should be maintained, or should we try to erase distinctions? Explain. 
• Movies of the past often had clear villains and heroes. In today’s movies, those distinctions are not always so clear. Why do you think that is, and what does that say about the time in which we live? 
• What gives you hope for the future even when it seems clear it will be very different from the past? 

Andrew Wood, a former missionary to Ukraine and professor at Nebraska Christian College, is a freelance writer.     

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Black Panther review: Is this the most important film of the year?

Black superheroes matter. Marvel's latest movie carries a weight of cultural significance like none of its predecessors, finally demonstrating that despite the overwhelming precedent, not all heroes need to be white men with American accents. Black Panther takes place mainly in Africa, features an almost all-black ensemble cast, and draws heavily on Black cultural heritage. As a white man, I can't fully appreciate just how important that feels to black movie-goers, and of course, it's a scandal that we're almost 20 films in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) before we get a movie with a black lead. But this isn't just a highly anticipated comic book film, it's an important cultural moment. Perhaps it's the moment when Hollywood starts to catch up with genuine equality.

Of course, it would have been rather awkward if Ryan Coogler's epic had been a bit of a duffer, which given the high bar set by recent MCU films, was always a possibility. Thankfully it's anything but: it's right up there with some of the best films in the series. Chadwick Boseman is fabulously charismatic as central character T'Challa, the King of the fictional nation of Wakanda who moonlights as a baddie-kicking ninja in a near-invincible suit, and the story of his challenge to hold on to the throne while figuring out his own leadership ethics is constantly interesting and entertaining. Unlike so many of the other MCU films, this really does work as a standalone piece, linked in to the rest of the meta-narrative but a great story on its own merits.

What's so refreshing about the film – aside from the racial make-up of its cast – is that it feels so different to the previous entries in the series. Instead of yet another battle between robotic invincible thugs in bland cityscapes, the action mainly takes place against glorious African landscapes, full of colour, music and impressively large rhinos. It is distinctly and deliberately African throughout, despite being set in a fictional country, and constantly references culture that is non American, and non-white. As a result the experience of watching the film is both surprising and rewarding to the comic-book-movie fan; it feels like both a part of the larger universe, and a completely new take on the superhero movie.

The rich visual design constantly dazzles, from occasional visits to a supernatural 'ancestral plane' to a breathtakingly brilliant chase sequence through the South Korean city of Busan. Coogler uses his big set-pieces sparingly, but when they arrive they are frenetic and visceral, as in the brilliant multi-layered final battle. Perhaps most pleasingly for long-term fans of the series, he actually manages to give us an interesting, relatable bad guy in the shape of Michael B Jordan's Killmonger, who manages to be more than just a one-dimensional evil intent on destroying the world. And in Danai Gurira – a confirmed cast member for April's Big One Avengers: Infinity War – the film gives us a much-needed new female hero; her character, the royal guard Okoye, is another prejudice-kicking element in a film with an overwhelming scent of progress (in fact, women are in key roles throughout the film, which passes the Bechdel test easily).

There are some strong spiritual themes, seen from the very start in an initial origin story which credits some of Wakanda's power to a gift from a 'God'. The characters reference their gods throughout in a 'thanks be to...' sense, while as in 2016's Doctor Strange , there's an acknowledgement of a deeper spiritual force behind the world. Perhaps the element which chimes most directly with the Christian faith though is a recurring theme of death, burial and resurrection (and considering how different the film is attempting to be, it's amazing that we still see a Christ-like parallel in T'Challa's final triumph).

Inescapably though, this is really a film about race, and one which doesn't shy away from the big issues of racism and historic racial oppression. Not only does is have plenty to say about the potential cycle of hatred, violence and oppression that racial discrimination can lead to, but it's also brave enough to suggest that the ultimate expression of black empowerment would see black people choosing to break, rather than continue that cycle. What's brilliant about the premise of Wakanda is that it flips the balance of global and racial power: T'Challa's secret city contains greater technology, wealth and culture than any other nation on earth, and it's from this position of strength that the characters choose whether to wage further race-based violence, or seek to end it.

As I said at the beginning, I can only understand a limited amount of the cultural significance of Black Panther.  I am aware of just how much it means to many; earlier this week I was on a youth residential with a group of older black teenagers, and their total excitement about the film was palpable; for once, this felt like a film for them. It's not only for them though, because if black heroes are only really for black people, then we're still locked into the mindset which created so much race-based evil in the first place. It's also important for non-black people to see, and cheer for, black heroes on the big screen. In the end, that becomes the film's point – that we're stronger together, when we celebrate our diversity, and unify instead of divide because of it. Perhaps the film's loftiest ambition is that it might inspire young film-goers of every colour and culture to believe such a thing is possible.

Martin Saunders is a Contributing Editor for Christian Today and the Deputy CEO of Youthscape . Follow him on Twitter @martinsaunders .

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