This is more personal and emotional movie compared to the first movie.
As someone who already has lost 2 family members, this movie really hits me hard especially at the beginning where I was tearing up during T'Challa's funeral scene.
For that alone... to me, this movie is already better than the first movie.
This is a movie that had many adversaries and obstacles even before they began production. A sudden loss of Chadwick, Letitia Wright's controversies and her injuries that caused a numerious temporary shutdown on the production, until the doubts among many, whether the rest of the casts could carry the whole movie or not without their main lead.
And Ryan Coogler and co, imo had successfully delivered on that front. Given the circumstances, it is almost impossible for Coogler and Marvel to even managed this huge challenges to give a satisfying followup to the cultural phenomenon of the first movie....,and yet they managed to do just that and give us not only a moving tribute to Chadwick, and also give imo, the one of the best in MCU. Really..they couldnt give us a better movie than this one.
And the cast...they brought in their A game for each of their respective roles. Especially Letitia's Shuri and Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda.
They are the heart and soul of the movie that felt a huge hole in it without Chadwick.
I know Letitia's antics in real life had caused controversies and understandably so many had called up for her and upset about it...and I am not condone at all of her actions nor her views, but I just want to urge fans to appreciate what she brings into this movie. Her arc in the movie is one the best in the MCU (eventhough it is mirroring T'Challa's arc in Civil War).
I also like to pointed out Danai Gurira as Okoye.
I think here she gave one of the best performances in MCU. Look back at the scene where she was stripped out of her position as Dora Milaje. You could see in her faces of how pain and heartbroken she really is when the one thing that gave her life meaning and the only thing that she devoted her entire life into, has been taken from her. Such an underrated scene from a great actress here.
For the villain...I have no problem with Namor and Talokan. I think they served their purposes here really well as a foil for Wakanda. Though I hope there is more deep motivation from Namor to invade Wakanda.
And I am glad Marvel hasnt killing him at his first appearance, there is so many to explore with this character in the future.
At the end, with the alliance between Wakanda and Talokan, it is also to set up a future confrontation with a certain another kingdom. (When Namor said "any nationz would be willing to stripped Wakanda of their resources given any opportunity" or something like that), I couldnt help to think of Latveria.
As for Riri, i love her
This movie has set her up nicely to introduce her before her own series.
I see some had thought her as annoying and shoehorned into the movie. But to me, perhaps thats the way Generation Z has usually act,talk, and behave, especially someone her age.
So, I have no problem with that.
For her being shoehorned into the movie...well she was not being shoehorned any more than the Spider-Man shoehorned cameo in Civil War.
And for all I know, Spidey was also being shoehorned in CW but he was praised to the sky by fans....so I dont see any problem of Riri being in the movie.
One other thing that I'd like to pointed it out is the Midnight Angel suit that many had also criticized about.
All I can say is that is not some random suit that put in to the movie, that is from the comics.
It was introduced first in TaNehisi coates's run.
In the comics, 2 former Dora Milaje couple who wore it is Ayo and Aneka. (Both were also appearing in the movie...and also hinted mildly as a couple, too).
