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Black Panther: Not Just Another Superhero Movie

Elizabeth Tejada
Carina Licon
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TAMU chapter.

“Hi. I’m buying your Black Panther ticket, k? K.”

“For Thursday at 12:01 A.M.”

“You’re welcome.”

My best friend texted me Monday night. I already knew that she had been counting down the days to watch Black Panther ever since the movie went into production. I have always been a superhero movie enthusiast, so I was excited, but for a completely different reason than she was. I love Marvel films, while she was finally getting the on screen representation that her race deserved. 

When Black Panther was announced, it seemed like the black population of the United States exploded into a frenzy of excitement, slowly gaining a sense of empowerment. The first black superhero, the first movie that accurately portrayed African culture, and the first movie about people of color that wasn’t a stereotypical comedy or period piece over slavery.  

Black Panther brought together one of the most impressive black casts that have been in any Hollywood movie. The architecture and the aesthetically pleasing costume design are  masterpieces.  The overall visuals are breathtaking: from the ancestor realm that T’Challa encounters in his spirit dream to the high-tech sleekness of Shuri’s lab. The African dialect and golden one-liners like “colonizer” and “hey auntie” truly made this film worthy of its 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Instead of studying for the two exams I had the next day, I sat in awe for the 2 hours and 15 minutes that the movie ran and I realized how important it truly was. The concepts that it touched on mirrored what the United States is going through today. Michael B. Jordan’s character, Eric Killmonger, expressed vividly what oppressed minorities have thought for ages. 

Black Panther is more than just another superhero movie. It is a milestone. 

Positive black role models, strong women warriors, a young female inventor interested in STEM, and a politically serious but also light hearted and hilarious script, Black Panther is a complete triumph. 

So thank you Marvel Studios for finally giving us Black Panther and thank you Ryan Coolger for directing such a powerful and woke movie. 

Wakanda Forever. 

 

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Elizabeth Tejada, known to the majority of the people who are acquainted with her as "Liz," is a senior at Texas A&M University in College Station. She is pursuing a degree in Communication, with a speciality in Global Media and a minor in Spanish. She has been a writer for Her Campus TAMU for a year now and is currently a Her Campus Chapter Advisor. When she isn't obsessing over a new tv show she just watched, you can find her crying at work or at the Chick Fil A drive-thru with her best friends.   
"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." – Ernest Hemingway Carina received her B.A. in English from Texas A&M University in May 2019. She was employed on campus at the University Writing Center as a Writing Consultant and in the Department of English as a Digital Media Assistant. She was the Editor-in-Chief for the Her Campus at TAMU chapter and was also the President of TAMU’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society. She previously interned with the Her Campus National Team as a Chapter Advisor and with KVIA ABC-7 News as a News Correspondent Assistant.