Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the second feature-film in the Black Panther franchise. As part of the epic Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever raises the stakes of the franchise. A compelling continuation of the Marvel blockbuster.

Executive produced by Victoria Alonso (Werewolf by Night, Thor: Love and Thunder), Louis D'Esposito (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home), and Barry H. Waldman (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has a strong ensemble cast including Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett. Produced by Kevin Feige (Avengers: Endgame, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Nate Moore (Black Panther, Eternals), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continues the tale beyond the involvement of the original Black Panther Chadwick Boseman (who passed away in August 2020).

The tale begins with the passing of T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman). The former king of Wakanda finds himself dying due to an incurable illness that befalls him. In his wake, T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) helps to take over his role and mantle as Black Panther.

The Kingdom of Wakanda finds unexpected pressure. There is growing movement on rare resources. The pressure is on for Wakanda to share their resources of the rare vibranium and the threat of dangerous opponents seeking the vibranium causes a rift between alliances. As the Wakanda superheroes band together, a fight for the future of Wakanda is underway – led by women.

The performances in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are entertaining and the cast does a terrific job carrying the mantle for Chadwick Boseman. Letitia Wright is especially compelling as she continues in her role as the sister Shuri. Lupita Nyong'o and Angela Bassett are also outstanding in their supporting roles. The cast elevates the material and finds a fun way to explore their characters – expanding on the original film.

The production design by Hannah Beachler (Black Panther, Creed) stands out as one of the most compelling elements of the film. Beachler is a terrific production designer and the sense of scale provided to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is something that is epic in every sense of the word. Outstanding design elements highlight the filmmaking and enhance the journey. The scale given to Wakanda is especially remarkable and there are several sequences during the film that are far more ambitious than a typical comic-book movie.

The costumes by Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther, Dolemite Is My Name) stand out as a highlight of the film. The costumes by Carter are creative and ambitious. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever showcases outstanding designs that are sophisticated, complex, and fashionable. The costumes are outstanding for both female and male characters and the level of care given to these elements is something that stood out as essential for the film.

The score composed by Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Tenet) is an essential component. Göransson is a talented composer and the music is more organic and triumphant sounding than many films in the genre. The score is wonderful and a testament to the talents of the composer. A great effort overall.

The cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Loki, Teen Spirit) is a compelling and exciting piece of the puzzle. Arkapaw provides an artful and sophisticated cinematographic approach for the production. Though the cinematography is often darker than the original Black Panther outing was. With regards to the overall aesthetic, the results are still compelling in the sequel.

Edited by Kelley Dixon (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), Jennifer Lame (Manchester by the Sea, Marriage Story), and Michael P. Shawver (Black Panther, Creed), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a fast-paced thrill ride. The editing is a bit chaotic at times and one can sense that a number of editors had been involved with this production. The editing sometimes seems a bit inconsistent with this particular production but the end result is still satisfactory.

Directed by Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed), with a screenplay by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther, A Day and a Night), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an entertaining and ambitious follow up to the original Black Panther. Coogler is a talented director and this is something that is abundantly clear from the film more-so than almost anything else – the sense of scale given by Coogler to the action set pieces and the heart given to the dramatic moments is compelling.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a good showcase for Coogler’s talents and the filmmaker had a hard role to fulfill in carrying on the story following the passing of Chadwick Boseman. The script isn’t as good as the first Black Panther in some regards but it is generally engaging and does a better job of expanding the Black Panther universe than expected (given the loss of Boseman).

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Disney and Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 MVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. An impressive 3D presentation awaits fans of the film. Having seen the film theatrically and on home media, it is nice to see the emphasis on the 3D for this home media release.

The 3D isn't quite as strong as with some Marvel films (the recent Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 comes to mind). The 3D format still delivers an engaging experience with good depth and detail separation. The presentation doesn't have as many pop-out effects and is more focused on simply adding an extra sense of dimension but this is certainly still acceptable.

The one thing that was disappointing was that this is a dark looking film (with the cinematography often being less bright than on some 3D presentations). Even with my reference grade OLED65E6P display, the image was sometimes a bit less robust looking than expected. This is due to the creative decisions of the cinematography and the way it was implemented with the 3D presentation. Nonetheless, a nitpick, and not something to deter someone from seeing Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 3D.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround sound. The lossless audio encoding on the release is excellent. Dialogue reproduction is superb. The track sounds crystal clear and engaging. The surround sound track is actively utilized and the soundstage provides plenty of moments for the sound design to make an impression (with the freeway sequence making good use of the fun surround effects in particular). A quality encode by Marvel.

The release has removable subtitle options. Unfortunately, there is not a standard default for English subtitles during the select scenes that are not in English. These moments are brief and one can easily toggle on the regular English subtitle track for them but it is a slight annoyance (reminiscent of the Japanese 3D Blu-ray for Shang-Chi – though with only a few moments of subtitles by comparison).

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 3D release includes the same supplemental package as provided on the standard 2D Blu-ray release (reviewed here). The 3D Blu-ray/2D Blu-ray combo pack provides these extras on the included 2D Blu-ray. This is not an in-depth supplemental package but there are a few inclusions that should appeal to fans of the film.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an exciting continuation of the franchise. Though the second installment isn't quite the match for the original, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever still finds an entertaining way to continue the series without Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa (following his unfortunate passing in 2020). The ensemble cast does a great job continuing the legacy.

The 3D Blu-ray release includes a solid presentation. The 3D presentation is worth seeking out for format enthusiasts. The release also includes an excellent lossless audio track. The package has a selection of extras as well. Though the 3D in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not top- tier for 3D presentations in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the results are still engaging. Recommended.