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A few words about...™ - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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I've unfortunately added Ryan Coogler's Wakanda Forever to my short list of films that I've shut down before finishing in the past few months.

It's certainly not the fault of the 4k UHD disc from Disney, which is gorgeously and meticulously produced, and appears magnificent in projection.

My problem comes from the screenplay, and an odd position the film takes, with the United States seemingly being in some machination with its greatest ally, France, to rob the great nation of Wakanda - which recently lost it's leader - of some rare earth mineral.

I may be in the minority especially with so many Marvel fans out there, but I found Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to be an extremely expensive (reportedly a quarter billion dollars), yet beautifully produced mess. It gives this viewer the feeling that a sequel was presumed as an absolute necessity, and one had to get there, regardless.

There's also another odd attribute. The bad dudes, who live in the sea, are blue. Are they related to creatures in that other big sci-fi blockbuster? Distant cousins, perhaps?

While this film didn't make it for me, it's a terrific 4k UHD release and true 4k.

There's also that one other really important attribute. A lovely slipcover. beautifully printed and embossed, a possible future collectible, and a major reason to purchase this First Edition release above all else.

Image – 5 (HDR)

Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 5

RAH



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lark144

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There's also another odd attribute. The bad dudes, who live in the sea, are blue. Are they related to creatures in that other big sci-fi blockbuster? Distant cousins, perhaps?
Well, those blue, sea-living dudes are in a film owned by the same conglomerate. Sequels are not bastions of originality. Lots of mixing and matching and borrowing goes on. Maybe it's like when Warner Brothers had the rights to Hemingway's To Have and Have Not in the 1940's and kept using the ending of the novel for various projects, even unrelated ones, like Key Largo.
 

SD_Brian

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There's also another odd attribute. The bad dudes, who live in the sea, are blue. Are they related to creatures in that other big sci-fi blockbuster? Distant cousins, perhaps?
They say Avatar 4 or Avatar 5 is going to take place on Earth, so maybe they are planting the seeds for a Very Special Crossover Event?
 

jayembee

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My problem comes from the screenplay, and an odd position the film takes, with the United States seemingly being in some machination with its greatest ally, France, to rob the great nation of Wakanda - which recently lost it's leader - of some rare earth mineral.

Well, the MCU has never been particularly kind in its depiction of the US government. Even starting with the first film, virtually from the moment Tony Stark created his Iron Man armor, the US has taken a "I see it, I want it, it's mine" attitude.
 

Robert Crawford

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Let me step in here as we're getting a little too political talking about "real life" stuff versus this movie adaptation.
 

Sam Favate

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There's also another odd attribute. The bad dudes, who live in the sea, are blue. Are they related to creatures in that other big sci-fi blockbuster? Distant cousins, perhaps?
To be fair, those blue dudes in the Marvel universe existed decades before their Avatar cousins. The MCU is just adapting the source material.
 

John_Simpson

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There's also another odd attribute. The bad dudes, who live in the sea, are blue. Are they related to creatures in that other big sci-fi blockbuster? Distant cousins, perhaps?
Sorry to break it to everyone seeing James Cameron everywhere, but the "Blue People" have been a part of the Sub-Mariner comic books since the beginning.
645c971e4e5f38f3ab4993efa7d6e8f4.jpg
 

JoshZ

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Sorry to break it to everyone seeing James Cameron everywhere, but the "Blue People" have been a part of the Sub-Mariner comic books since the beginning.

First, I think you missed RAH's sarcasm.

Second, while the blue sea people in the comic book may have preceded Avatar by decades, Marvel's decision to dig them out of obscurity and bring them into the Cinematic Universe now, timed against the Avatar sequel, certainly wasn't a coincidence.
 

jayembee

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First, I think you missed RAH's sarcasm.

Second, while the blue sea people in the comic book may have preceded Avatar by decades, Marvel's decision to dig them out of obscurity and bring them into the Cinematic Universe now, timed against the Avatar sequel, certainly wasn't a coincidence.

Well, it kind of was a coincidence. Marvel would've liked to have used Namor (and his fellow Atlanteans) earlier, but the character rights were tied up by Universal.
 

JoshZ

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Well, it kind of was a coincidence. Marvel would've liked to have used Namor (and his fellow Atlanteans) earlier, but the character rights were tied up by Universal.

How much earlier? Right after the first Avatar came out? :)
 

Jake Lipson

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They should have recast T'Challa. Simple.

I don't think it's simple at all. The cast and crew are all industry professionals, but they are also human beings in mourning for the sudden loss of their friend and collaborator during the making of this film. I understand why some people wanted T'Challa to be recast, but I also understand why the filmmakers would make the choice not to do that.
 

DigniT@DigniT!

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I don't think it's simple at all. The cast and crew are all industry professionals, but they are also human beings in mourning for the sudden loss of their friend and collaborator during the making of this film. I understand why some people wanted T'Challa to be recast, but I also understand why the filmmakers would make the choice not to do that.
I concur. and I respectfully disagree with Mr. Harris' opinion of the film. Viewed in its entirety including the end title teasers, there was much for many of us in the audience to admire. I found the film extremely moving and in some ways more powerful than the first film which I saw multiple times in the theatre, as I have Wakanda Forever. Everything isn't for everybody.
 

Kent K H

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Another Phase 4 film that left me scratching my head. I can understand how the particularly unfortunate death of Chadwick Boseman left them scrambling and on paper some of these decisions make some sense, but when it's put together, it unfortunately came off as clunky for me. Especially the changes to turn the Atlanteans into an Aztec splinter group of some sort, which unfortunately had even me making the Avatar comparisons since it took the original concept further in that direction.
 

Robert Harris

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I concur. and I respectfully disagree with Mr. Harris' opinion of the film. Viewed in its entirety including the end title teasers, there was much for many of us in the audience to admire. I found the film extremely moving and in some ways more powerful than the first film which I saw multiple times in the theatre, as I have Wakanda Forever. Everything isn't for everybody.
I’ve heard from several people that the film has a great last half hour, But that also means that one must get through 90 minutes or so to get there.
 

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