Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, join the cry of “Wakanda forever!” and discuss Black Panther, which premiered in the United States on Friday, February 16, 2018.

Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we are all individuals, even mutual love of something (or hate) can come from different places: you may find everything from critique to fangirling to maybe even hate-watching.

Now, join John Edward Lawson, Merrin, J.L. Gribble, Nancy O’Toole Meservier, Nicole Taft, and Shara White as they talk about Black Panther. [Note: Spoilers after the giant red warning!]

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John: At 9:35 AM on Friday, in Silver Spring, Maryland — recently ranked the fourth-most diverse city in the United States — I saw Black Panther in a packed theater. I was unsure what to expect after all the hype about the film’s importance for black children, or black women, but all demographics across all ages, ethnicities, and genders were represented by the crowd.

Was the film deserving of such broad support? Yes.

Black Panther is visually stunning with brilliantly crafted characters, is well-paced, filled with memorable action sequences, and overflowing with great dialogue. Is it a message movie? If you want it to be, yes, but if you’re just looking for entertainment, Black Panther delivers. Everyone involved in the production should be set, career-wise, unless they do something really stupid. I’m guessing we should especially keep an eye on Winston Duke (who played the complicated M’Baku) and Letitia Wright (Shuri, the best Disney princess yet).

I found myself in the row of folks bojangling at every opportunity, which, for once, I didn’t mind. There was much to celebrate, and much to cut up about. Especially from us men who have been on the receiving end of some of those reactions the female characters had. We loved seeing the strong black women of our lives represented on screen, telling the film’s dudes they should have known better. The entire theater was feeling it, not just my particular row: the plot twists, jokes, and emotional escalations all hit home.

I only have two criticisms of this film experience, and the first is directed at the audience: why did the theater clear out as soon as the credits began?! This is a Marvel movie! You have to stay and watch all the little scenes to crop up throughout the credits!

Whoever was making decisions throughout the film creation and distribution process deserves kudos. They grasped what was culturally riding on this film, and also that this event could reinvigorate film-goers’ thirst for the Marvel franchise.

My second negative feedback: in the nation’s fourth-most diverse city, in an audience filled — as is being reported nationwide — with the community’s minority groups, commercials and trailers were still geared toward white males. It’s not that the importance of commercials during the Black Panther launch was lost on the industry, as we had to sit through nearly half an hour of them, just like peak Christmas or Fourth of July blockbusters. I’m accustomed to sitting with a majority black audience in nearby Greenbelt, Maryland, and feeling dismissed during this part of the film experience. For some reason I thought it would be different this time.

I’m sure the message will sink in after seeing these audience demographics and their financial impact. In the meantime, I’ll be going back the theater to see Black Panther all over again. And again. In fact, I’m just moving. Once you go to Wakanda, you don’t go back yonder.

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Merrin: I literally just rolled into my condo from seeing Black Panther, and I cannot contain myself. Kermit flail gif time.

I keep trying to pinpoint what I loved about it, and I keep coming back to one answer and that answer is EVERYTHING. The music. The costuming. The characters. The setting. The story. The truly perfectly placed moments of absurdity. This movie was perfectly itself while still slotting into the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large.

And I’m not even saying it was without fault, because I had some trouble with the character progression of W’Kabi. Y’all, I just didn’t understand how he went from the beginning to the end of the movie, he basically should have been two different characters, both playing Okoye’s husband, maybe.

That might actually be my only complaint though. Let me think. Yeah, that’s basically it.

And the actors, oh my god.

Michael B. Jordan was amazing from the minute he appeared on screen, but my favorite thing about his character was the number of notes he was allowed to hit. He was absolutely ruthless but had moments with his [redacted for possible spoiler??] that were so tender and sad that I literally clutched my heart in the theater. And don’t tell Chadwick Boseman, because I absolutely adore him, but duuuuuuude Michael B. Jordan has so much swagger as the Panther, he was just so fun to watch.

But Chadwick Boseman has always been perfection in this role, and I really enjoyed getting to see more from him than the angry dude enacting vengeance for his father’s death. And I loved Lupita Nyong’o. Letitia Wright was delightful. And Danai Gurira can plan my castle onslaught any day. (Except she never would because she’s so loyal to the throne.)

I’m really happy for what this movie represents too, especially during Black History Month, especially for the representation it gives Black kids wanting to see themselves in the superhero universe. It’s a beautiful step forward in a franchise that’s had a few missteps so far.

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J.L.: When the trailers for Black Panther started appearing, one of the frequent complaints I saw online was that people were tired of the final villain just being a guy wearing the same type of suit as the hero. While Erik Killmonger does in fact wear a suit specifically made for T’Challa in their showdown, the conflict in this film was about so much more.

Where to even start? Probably the beginning. From the very first moments, I was entranced by the world of Wakanda and its people. I’ve been Team Black Panther since Captain America: Civil War, but the first moments of Black Panther humanized T’Challa in delightful ways even as it showed the quiet ways that Wakanda has been trying to help its neighboring countries. The first hour or so of the movie picks up the important plot elements left after Civil War, introducing us to Wakanda and its society. However, not everyone is as enamored of worldbuilding as I am, and my husband complained about the film’s pacing. Definitely a case of “your mileage may vary.”

But this film wasn’t just about T’Challa. And forget the token female teammate. This film is packed with three-dimensional, fascinating women who all have different skills and strengths to bring to the table. I’d happily watch a movie about any of them, and I wouldn’t even want the movies to be superhero stories. I want to see the fallout after Okoye and W’Kabi’s confrontation. I want to see Nakia continue her work supporting women. I want to see Shuri’s intellect and personality go toe to toe with Tony Stark (okay, that one can be a superhero movie).

It wasn’t all perfect. I felt a bit hit over the head with some of the CGI, especially the Black Panther costume and the overhead shots of Wakanda’s major city. Perhaps because the rest of the costuming was so fantastic, the blatantly computer-generated stuff jarred me out of my enjoyment of the film’s natural flow. On the other hand (pun not intended), Klaue’s literal hand cannon was a fun element.

I could write an entire blog post about the character of Erik Killmonger and his progression through this film. By no means do I consider myself any sort of expert on racial issues in America or the rest of the world. Coming from a place of privilege, I try my best to shut up and listen. I suppose that I have absorbed enough that I really appreciated the divergent perspectives on race and the role of Wakanda, fictionalized society that it is. As a Wakandan to grow up in America, Killmonger is the first truly sympathetic Marvel villain. I sobbed in the theater at his last moments, and his final line of dialogue continues to resonate days later.

I watched a YouTube review by two white men with my husband on Sunday night. In blatant disregard to their own positions of privilege, the best thing they could seem to find to say about the movie was that at least they weren’t bored. As a woman, I think that Marvel has finally hit its stride in terms of gender representation. Judging by the reactions to this film by my friends who are people of color, I can’t even scratch the surface of what this amazing movie means to them.

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Nancy: On opening night, I walked into my theater’s 7:30 screening of Black Panther with pretty high expectations. After all, Chadwick Boseman had thoroughly sold me on the character during Captain America: Civil War. And the trailers, with their emphasis on strong, colorful visuals and slick-looking action sequences, just looked so cool. Also, as a comic book fan, I was eager to see how director Ryan Coogler would capture the technologically advanced country of Wakanda.

Now that I’ve seen the film, I’m happy to report that not only were my expectations met, but surpassed.

Black Panther is a perfect example of a movie that is running on all cylinders. As expected from the trailers, it is one of Marvel’s most visually striking films yet, inviting its audience into the vibrant world of Wakanda. The storyline is exciting and fast-paced, and the action sequences are pretty much everything you’ve come to know and love from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (including the fact that they get a little CGI-heavy by the end).

But where the film really sold me is with its wonderful characters.

Props should be given to both the screenwriters and the cast for taking such a wide variety of (almost entirely new) characters and making them so magnetic and sympathetic. Chadwick Boseman, once again, does wonderfully with the regal T’Challa, a good king torn between keeping his isolated nation safe from the problems of the world while painfully aware that many of these problems could be helped by Wakanda’s achievements. Michael B. Jordan also deserves props for his take on Killmonger, a villain who oscillates back and forth between sympathetic and despicable in a manner that is completely compelling.

But who really stole the show for me were the women of Black Panther, who are awesome in so many different ways. Take Shuri (played by young Letitia Wright), Wakanda’s outspoken princess whose innovations push technology forward and keep her brother safe in his role as the Black Panther. There’s also Danai Gurira’s General Okoye, the militant badass whose loyalty is first and foremost to the nation of Wakanda. And then there’s Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, the brave spy who seeks justice not just in her home country but in the wider world as well. Nakia, it’s worth mentioning, is also the love interest of the film, as she and T’Challa once shared a romance. It’s clear from the start that they are still devoted to each other, even though their lives have taken them in different directions. Marvel movie romances usually fall flat, but his is one that succeeds in a big way.

Black Panther is an exciting movie that isn’t afraid to sidestep many Marvel movie tropes and forge its own path. Thanks to the strong visuals, great action sequences, a wonderful script, and talented cast of characters, Black Panther has fast become one of my top five Marvel movies. I am excited to see where the characters presented here will go in future Black Panther movies, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.

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Nicole: I’ve been waiting for this movie ever since I saw the trailer. It looked like it was going to be so different with not just the swatch of characters, but the settings, story, and bad guys.

I was not disappointed. If this movie were a meal, it’s the kind where you’re left sitting comfortably full, looking at other people in the room and talking about how delicious everything was. And I think the best part is that it wasn’t over the top — it didn’t try to outdo any of the other Marvel movies or be extra-flashy to make a name for itself. Instead, it’s solid movie from start to finish, top to bottom, with a strong story, excellent characters, prime soundtrack, and complex villains.

While you’re treated to a lot of fantastic action (though I do still question the necessity of war rhinos), there’s also a lot of grey area for both viewers and characters to consider. Wakanda is much like Wonder Woman‘s Thymescera in that it’s closed off from the rest of the world, thriving while everything — and everyone — outside their borders struggles, wars, and argues. (Kind of an interesting parallel, when you think about it). But therein lies the problem — do they continue to keep to themselves with such amazing technological advances, or do they offer what they have to the world? It’s not unlike what we’ve seen in some other movies or TV shows, but 99% of the time it’s aliens with the advancements, not a country on our own planet. What is the cost of lying? T’Challa must find out how to do what is best for his country, how to be a good king, and how to deal with the consequences of not just his own actions, but of those that have come before him.

Out of everything, though, I have to say that my favorite thing about this entire movie are the women. Look, T’Challa is a great Black Panther and all, but his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) is an absolute delight. I loved her the second she went all sciencey and Q in her lab. She was just so damned perky! Not to mention, she can fight, too. I probably giggled more than was necessary when an injured Agent Ross was brought to her and she said, “Oooh, another broken white boy for me to fix.” Which means Bucky is still somewhere in her lab. Next to her we have General Okoye (Danai Gurira). That woman is fierce. She and all her warriors looked so bad-ass in those red uniforms, wielding their spears, and watching them fight when the time came was pretty great. I did lament at one point when Okoye talked about a soldier’s loyalty (noooo, blind loyalty is always a terrible idea!), but that fixed itself rather quickly. Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), a spy who goes out into the world and occasionally gets into a few tight spots, could probably give James Bond and possibly Black Widow a run for their money. Angela Bassett is Ramonda, Queen of Wakanda and T’Challa’s mother. She may not have been in the movie a great deal but…look, I just like Angela Bassett, okay?

But if it’s not the women, it will be something else for viewers. The variety of music (South Korean rap, African drums, etc.), Andy Serkis as a bad guy who clearly loves being bad (I think this is the first time I’ve seen Andy acting in the flesh rather than staying behind the green screen), Michael B. Jordan’s performance as Erik Killmonger, or even the little snippet of Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) actually being useful like Agent Coulson (I keep forgetting he’s CIA and not a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. even though S.H.I.E.L.D.’s not really a thing anymore).

Seriously, if you haven’t seen Black Panther yet, make a point to do so. You don’t even need to see any of the other Marvel movies for this one to work — any continuity points required are brought up in neat and tidy fashion so you know what’s going on at all times. And stay until the end of the credits. That little snippet was nice. And I’m gonna say it — I know it’s really early, but I kind of already ship those two. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

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~SPOILERS AHEAD~

Shara: I’ve been looking forward to the Black Panther movie ever since seeing Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the character in Captain America: Civil War. I’d had no experience with the character prior to that film, but his inclusion was easily one of the best things about Civil War.

Fast-forward to Black Panther’s release, and I was determined to see it opening weekend, despite some creative scheduling on my part. And the movie, truly, struck me as unlike any other Marvel film I’ve seen to date. Taking place almost entirely in Wakanda, we are steeped into the culture and the history of T’Challa and his people. And one of the first questions I asked myself ended up being the entire focal point of the plot: how could Wakanda stand by when the rest of the world, specifically Black people, have been so subjugated and oppressed? That conflict was stark, and it made for a relatively sympathetic villain in Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger. Wakanda doesn’t know the meaning of oppression because they’ve never been colonized, so in some ways, it makes sense that for so long, they didn’t want to get involved because they didn’t want outside influences changing their ways and culture.

Which makes this movie so timely and so appropriate. Just like last year’s Wonder Woman, Black Panther is the superhero Black people have needed to see on the big screen a long time: a movie where Black people aren’t just sidekicks or token castings, but where they are major players in every single aspect, where there is a variety of characterization and personality instead of a stereotype. If you don’t count the stinger at the very end, there’s only two white people in the movie, and let me tell you, I had to giggle when Martin Freeman’s Agent Ross was questioning Andy Serkis’ Klaue. Riddles in the dark, anyone?

I loved so much about the characters and the acting in this movie. Seeing The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira kick ass as Okoye, the General of the king’s guard, was awesome, and my only question about her arc was why she bothered with Daniel Kaluuya’s character to begin with (his character arc was a bit too simplistic for me; I wish they’d had more time to develop it). Lupita Nyong’o was wonderful, and Chadwick Boseman’s return as T’Challa was thoughtful and engaging. But the show-stealer, and my favorite character by far, was T’Challa’s little sister Shuri, played with absolute delight by Letitia Wright. Her intelligence, joy, pragmatism, and badass-ness were easily my favorite parts of the movie, and I officially want a spin-off of Shuri meeting Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Leo Fitz and Gemma Simmons and making geeky science together.

Plot-wise, I had a few quibbles. While the plot hinges on it, I still have trouble believing T’Chaka’s decision all those years ago. There’s also the quick and sudden ease with which so many people stick with Erik despite the evidence they shouldn’t, though that leads to an interesting visual in the climax of the film, where it’s the women fighting and defending T’Challa, and the men not. Both sides want to protect Wakanda’s future, but it’s telling to me that it’s the men fighting for a more violent one.

But overall, it was a gorgeous film with a gorgeous score. I can’t wait to visit Wakanda again, and I can’t wait to see everyone return in future Marvel movies.