Don't get why this movie was so popular, it had so many problems! The main one being they have a futuristic afro society (awesome!), but it's a monarchy (oh), and one that is determined by single combat (what?). It's not even fair single combat, the panther tribe gets to take performance enhancing drugs. Then the king loses and there is a coup because they don't like the new guy. Are they not smart enough to have a modern democracy? Did they learn their lesson after the coup? Nope!

Let's put aside that vibranium makes no sense and just say they have super technology - flying cars, lasers, etc. Yet they are running around with swords, spears and war rhinos! They put a lot of lip service towards helping people world-wide yet their own people are still living in huts! Why do they have a segregated military, when is that ever good?

Killmonger was a decent villain though, I'll give them that, mostly because most superhero villains are one dimensional mindlessly evil fools.

jimnms, having seen the movie, I can see why people are reacting this positively to it. Have you seen it? Where you have or havent, consider the following.

You are right that this isn't the first black superhero movie. If you ignore comedies starring goofy concept heros, the list of movies narrows. Then, consider movies with black super heros who are not anti-heroes (Spawn, Blade). Why this distinction? Anti-heroes are great, but they aren't characters for a general young audience to aspire to. To notice that the majority of main character superheroes in movies are either partially a joke or a dark/brooding/scary/threatening/antisocial hero might be a drag. especially when you compare it to the pool of white super heroes who aren't (most of them). That's important.

First movie with a mostly black cast? No, but how many such movies arent about slavery, inner city gangs, extreme poverty, surviving racism, genocide or third world conflict. How many are almost purely optimistic blend of science fiction and the beauty of African culture? How many imagine what an African country unmolested by colonialism might look like in the future, where its citizens were allowed to reach their highest potential in terms of culture, government and technology? This is in part what the Afro-futurism science fiction genre is about and its a very rare genre to make it to film.

Especially a film that has a budget of $ 200 million dollars. That budget is important. It says that at this point in history, the largest (maybe?) movie studio recognizes that the public wants to see black characters in this light. That's a big deal too.

And considering how well this movie is doing at the box office, Black Panther is a signal of whats to come. More stories about inspirational black characters told at this kind of block buster scale.

Does that make a bit more sense? I'm sure there are other reasons; one being its a really good movie! Hope this helps.

I... I think I like this?
It was equal parts Michael Jackson and Baz Luhrmann (I fucking love that motorcycle chariot).
Plus, the great cameos from stars like: "can't-lipsync-in-sync", "only-has-one-dance-move-or-his-legs-keep-breaking", and "afro on the stairs".

I feel his afro.

*livemusic *latenight *isdupe

Ha, my Africa American friend says I (asian) have an "afro" and likes to touch it.

Thanks man ... I too loved the plant afro

I like the plant afro in the first seconds.

Fuck this guys political viewpoint. He was shilling for Obama before the obamabots finally discovered he's just another piece of shit politician. He thought the government was just fine 6 months ago. He was on the Tavis Smiley show saying we need to stop asking so many questions an give a little more of ourselves to the glorious Republic. Now the guy thinks we need to tear down government structures. If you thought USA was fanFUCKINGtastic before Snowden then you have no standing to talk about the future of American Government. I have drawn more inspiration from a hangover induced diarrhea shit. He should just start wearing a rainbow afro wig and some big red shoes so that no one will be confused that this guy is a fucking joke of a human being.

Also, stop your god damned celebrity worship its a disgusting trait that should only be reserved for 12 year old girls.

Read some more Chompsky, drink your 12 pack, and go back to sleep.

Agreed, Payback. The shell-shock of newsspeak and race-baiting, media manipulation and fear-mongering caused this woman to go into shock while in the presence of a black man, probably because she lives insulated from their culture in some all-white sanctuary. She's no more developmentally-disabled that 85-90% of the entire Population of America.

Part of her initial association-reaction may have come from having seen zombie after zombie in film with dirt all over their faces or that deep-blue hue of necrotic flesh.

OR, her 1st zombie film (like mine) was George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, in which the first zombie of the film to take a heinous bite out of that persons shoulder, was a blackman zombie with a giant afro. That shit fucked me UP when I was 12!
I will never forget that brother....best zombie film still, ever made.


To cry "racist" from the utterance of one word is quite a stretch and usually denotes a lack of critical thinking capability of the user. Racism is a convenient label for assholes who think their shit does not stink, ESPECIALLY coming from an American.
Not accusing you of being an American or an asshole Gunter, but that kind of quip reminds me of the type of shit dick-berries from UC Berkeley would say, the ones who can find racism in a bowl of clam chowder.

Awww... How about an Afro?

Nice afro!

That's not an afro. That's an ego.

She's equally as groovy with an upright-Hooray for the youngsters carrying ion the tradition...and to see young sisters proud of their Afros-

upvote for"Afro to Mullet".