Parents' Guide to

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Epic, women-led sequel is part tribute, part intense battle.

Movie PG-13 2022 161 minutes
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 10+

Based on 25 parent reviews

Charlie H.
Charlie H. Adult
November 13, 2022
age 10+

MCU manages to pull together to make one of the best MCU movies out there!

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the best MCU movies that they've made. There is so much to enjoy and love about the film, and it is nearly as good and rich as the first Black Panther film. I had a lot of expectations for this movie, and I felt like they delivered all of my expectations and even more! So I saw this film twice (opening weekend), once in 2D and the other in 3D, and as much as I thought the 3D exprience was better, it actually does not matter what format I see a movie in because to be honest: I could see a big budget movie (like this one) in 2D and still really enjoy it and the same could be in 3D (I got dizzy during the 3D format). But this whole film was beautifully perfect (for the most part) . . . from the soundtrack to the cinematography. And I really can't find anything wrong about this except the end credit. I've heard from other people that this film can be slow or be dull, but for me: this movie had raw emotions and a well-written plot. Everything in this movie was beautifull in my eyes. This movie got me grinning to almost having tears in my eyes. It has a lot packed in the movie that the 2 hour 40 minute runtime (2 hours 28 minutes without credits, I know: I timed the movie) is more than appropiate enough. It could have been 3 hours long, and I feel like I could have really enjoyed it still. In this movie, I felt like they did such a great time not only furthuring the MCU universe but contributing this movie to Chadwick Boseman who sadly passed away to cancer in 2020. The beginning of the movie contributes not only T'Challa's death but also remembering that Chadwick died in real life who played him. It was such a great contribution and memoir that it is very hard for me to hate for this movie. Also, I realise that people say the bad guy in the movies weren't that good, but in my eyes: they weren't bad guys. They were a group of people who I felt at times felt misunderstood but at the same time their plans didn't align to what we could be called good, but I never really saw them as bad guys! I also love how this movie manages to (just like the first film in its series) balance out so much: the action, the plot, the emotions, the comedy, etc. I mean, it truly felt one of the better MCU movies because I promise you, I have seen sloppy MCU movies and this is cinematic compared to the sloppy ones. I mean, it is 98.9% perfect. I felt like what was holding this movie back was because the actions sequences were mild, and the post-credit scene as much as it should haver hyped me, I just felt frustrated. I also love how MCU expands not only the Black Panther franchise, but the MCU Universe. It holds enough promise to expand it, and if they don't screw it up, MCU can really grow from this movie. It is the best movie from Phase 4, and as a review as mine said, "it literally carries the whole Phase 4", and that statement couldn't be so much more true. In Phase 4, we got a lot of Marvel films, and so far before this movie Spider-Man: No Way Home was the best . . . but along came this movie! This movie carries the whole Phase 4 on its back, and it doesn't screw it up like so many Phase 4 movies have (*ahem* Thor: Love and Thunder). Overall, this movie holds so much potential for the MCU movies to expand and the Black Panther franchise. And this movie has so much packed into its part, that watching it more than once is highly advisable. It balances so much out, and it truly is one of MCU's better movies! I highly recommend this movie for everyone wanting something more than Thor: Love and Thunder and people who want depth, an amazing plot, and comedy and can balance all of it out in the best way!
Sarajobe
Sarajobe Parent of 8 and 11-year-old
February 19, 2023
age 8+

Great movie, but no movie is safe.

I really enjoyed this movie... my boys mostly did, but having basically an all female cast was less enticing to them. They definitely missed Chadwick in it. They did like it though. I thought the messages were about protecting those you love were good as well as knowing when to fold. There was a fair amount of killing and violence but I felt like it was an old Star Wars movie as there was no blood. The sirens and a few other parts were creepier than anything in the first movie. My 8 year old wasn't bothered though. Graphics were amazing as all Marvel movies are. I thought Leticia (sp?) Held her own as the lead. I'd watch a third. Heads up for anyone strict on LGBT content though, a warrior kisses another warriors head at 2 hours 21 minutes. It's subtle but subtitles accentuate it since she says "my love". Otherwise a great movie.
See all 25 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER begins with the off-camera death of King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman) after an undisclosed illness that even his genius little sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), can't troubleshoot and fix. And since Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) had all of the sacred heart-shaped herb destroyed in Black Panther, a new Black Panther cannot be named after T'Challa's passing. A year later, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) makes a statement to the international community asserting that T'Challa's absence doesn't mean that Wakanda can be weakened or destabilized by rogue mercenaries or jealous superpowers who want to steal vibranium. So when an American military operation to mine for vibranium underwater ends with everyone involved being killed, the CIA assumes that Wakandans are the assassins. But the culprit is actually the Talokanil, a group of mysterious, blue-skinned underwater mutants descended from Mesoamericans. Their leader, Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejia), can fly, has pointed/elven ears, and can -- unlike his people -- breathe outside of the water. He tries to convince the queen to join forces with him, oppose the sharing of vibranium, and secretly turn over the American scientist responsible for a machine that can detect vibranium underwater. But it turns out that when Shuri and General Okoye (Danai Gurira) track down the scientist, she's just a 19-year-old MIT undergraduate named Riri (Dominique Thorne) who reminds Shuri of herself. Unwilling to give Riri to Namor, the Wakandans must prepare to fight the Talokanil -- with or without a new Black Panther.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (25 ):
Kids say (66 ):

Writer-director Ryan Coogler's sequel, led by an excellent ensemble of women, pays tribute to the hard loss of Boseman/T'Challa by exploring how grief (and revenge) can be all-consuming. It feels like Shuri is speaking for the fans when she cries out and wonders how life can go on without her brother. But, step by step, the influential women of Wakanda (with backup from Winston Duke's M'Baku and Martin Freeman's Agent Ross) manage to safeguard their homeland and prepare for yet another battle -- not for leadership of the kingdom, but for its very existence. Bassett and Wright do a beautiful job with their emotional scenes as mother and daughter, queen and princess. There's an authentic tenderness to their interactions that's mirrored in all of the women's relationships, even Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who's now the headmistress of a school in Haiti but agrees to help Wakanda defeat Namor. Although W'Kabi's (Daniel Kaluuya) absence is felt nearly as keenly as T'Challa's, at least his possible return to the franchise is left open. Meanwhile, award-winning TV star and comedian Michaela Coel joins the cast as another fierce and funny member of the Dora Milaje.

Coogler's interpretation of the canonical characters may not appeal to hardline comic book purists, but viewers who are more familiar with Marvel through the movies will appreciate the director's inclusion of complicated, morally gray antagonists who, while villainous, often make thought-provoking points. When Namor suggests an alliance between Black and Brown nations against the threat of greedy, colonizing forces, it frankly makes sense. Make friends, not foes, he says to Ramonda, even as he blackmails her with an ultimatum. Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter and composer Ludwig Göransson do a phenomenal job of adding Mayan-inspired costumes and music to the proceedings (the soundtrack includes tracks in Spanish and Mayan, as well as "Lift Me Up," a lovely Rihanna ballad). Mexican actor Huerta gives a nuanced performance as the intense Namor, but ultimately this movie belongs to the women of Wakanda, who pull off the nearly unimaginable feat of proving that the story can go on.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the filmmakers handled the continuation of the Black Panther series without Boseman as T'Challa. Do you agree with the decision not to recast the role in Wakanda Forever?

  • Why is representation important in movies, shows, and books? What progress have superhero movies made when it comes to diverse characters? What do you think of the racial and gender representation in this movie compared to that of other superhero films?

  • How does the movie explore issues related to race? What do you think of the story pitting Black Africans and Indigenous Mexicans against one another? What's the message about what happens when Black and Brown people fight instead of collaborate?

  • Discuss the role of women in the movie. How are Ramonda, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, and the other Dora Milaje unique in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Why is it still uncommon for women to hold positions of power in movies (not just superhero movies)?

  • Talk about the theme of grief and loss in the story. Was it necessary? Do you think there should be another Black Panther movie?

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