One of the year’s most highly anticipated productions, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther hit the box office with a storm, smashing records and becoming the highest grossing solo superhero movie. It definitely deserves all of its hype, especially with its underlying themes of diversity and understanding that are so relevant to our world today.

Based on a Marvel Comics character with the same name, the movie follows T’Challa, the Black Panther and the recently throned king of Wakanda, the world’s most advanced civilization that thrives off of the indestructible alien metal vibranium found only in its land that grants people superhuman abilities. Although the prosperous African nation has developed highly effective weapons and futuristic technology because of its secret resource, it remains isolated from the world, afraid to share its power and secrets and potentially have to go to war. Elsewhere in the world, Africans are made to feel inferior because of systematic racism and oppression, and fall prey to gangs and drugs.

The movie begins with T’Challa setting out to take down Ulysses Klaue, who infiltrated the isolated nation and stole vibranium. His infiltration resulted in many deaths of the Wakanda people, so they are determined to seek vengeance and bring Klaue down. The plot thickens as T’Challa discovers the truth behind how Klaue managed to infiltrate Wakanda and meets the man at the heart of this truth. This man challenges T’Challa for the throne to fulfill his dream, and political struggle begins! T’Challa must reconsider his values and the future of Wakanda as he seeks to defeat the man.

This movie is quite long because it covers a vast amount of information, including the backstory of the characters. However, the movie definitely does not feel lengthy because it is fast-paced given the thorough plot it covers.

Interestingly, Black Panther alludes to the ideological struggle between black activists in the Civil Rights Movement. The perspectives of two main characters in the movie mirror the perspectives black activists held on the most effective method to liberate oppressed people of African descent around the world, more specifically in the USA.

Overall, Black Panther presents an interesting portrayal of conflicting perspectives in the Civil Rights Movement. The incredible cinematography and fast-paced nature of the movie made this movie a memorable one.