So you’re going to see Marvel’s Black Panther… good decision! Before heading to the theaters on February 16th here are 7 things to know (don’t worry, it’s Spoiler Free) about this kickass movie.
1. If you haven’t seen Avengers: Civil War, you may want a tiny bit of backstory… or just go watch Civil War. Yeah, do that.
2. You don’t actually need any backstory, because Black Panther reminds you of everything you learned in Civil War. (Regardless, I still recommend seeing it)
3. It seems the movie is 2 hours and 15 minutes. I say “seems” because I didn’t even notice, unlike most two hour movies where you’re waiting for them to be over.
4. The women are amazing! Some might even say that the female characters in Black Panther are more interesting than the King himself… those people include me. I’d absolutely watch an entire movie just about Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri.
5. If you think Black Panther shouldn’t be political, or that the fans/critics/twitterverse are “politicizing” the movie, let me remind you that the IMDb description of the movie is: “T’Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.” I’m not sure how you depoliticize royalty, or ruling a country, but that, to me, seems inherently POLITICAL. It’s like complaining that House of Cards is super political… it’s a show literally about the government.
6. Black Panther is way more political than that. Accept and embrace it. It’s great.
7. There is a mid-credits scene, and a post-credits scene. So sit tight.
Black Panther was hands down fantastic! That said, there have been a lot of glowing reviews out there and I suggest you lower your expectations (this is my advice for all movies, because when you expect too much from a movie, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment). But, yeah, this one definitely lives up to the hype.
Black Panther opens on February 16th 2017.
— Yael Tygiel