THE ANTICIPATION surrounding Black Panther is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before – and with good reason.

How many other Marvel movies with a black superhero, a predominately all black cast, showing Africa in a position of power and influence have you seen?

Its rariety to say the least and the hype around it is 100% justifiable, as Black Panther totally lives up to expectations with a solid plot, amazing cinematography and explores themes which are rarely touched on in mainstream movies.

Stepping into the theatre and watching Black Panther was a surreal experience. Wakanda – a beacon of technological advancement, deep rooted in culture, tradition and beauty – is a sight to behold. Were introduced to T’Challa following the death of his father and his impending corrination as the new Black Panther.

Upon returning home following a mission (in which we meet Nakia a fierce spy and love interest played by Lupita N’yongo) we’re introduced to who I consider the stand out star to be – Letitica Wright who plays T’Challa sister, Suri.

Besides being the brains behind Wakanda’s advanced technology, Suri’s humour and brillance emit from the screen, bringing some laugh out loud moments to the flick.

What then ensues is a story of triumph and some tribulations as T’Challa finds himself facing touch challenges – both in the form of Erik Killmonger but also within his core beliefs, the truth about his father and the future of Wakanda’s place in the world.

Black Panther’s ability to touch on such themes like colonisation is subtle yet very clear to see – as T’Challa struggles to decide whether Wakanda should help the rest of the world with their technology, or remain hidden in the shadows due to the western world’s history of taking whats not there’s.

This is further enhanced by Eric Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan)- a young boy from LA, who was left in poverty despite knowing the wonder of Wakanda.

The hatred experienced by Killmonger isn’t without understanding or merit – after all he wants to share the power of Wakanda to help our ‘brothers and sisters around the world – linking to the divide often experienced by Africans and African Americans who lost an essence of the culture due to colonisation.

Nonetheless Killmonger’s intentions are poorly executed – resulting in some gripping fight scenes between himself and Black Panther and ultimately his timely death.

Without giving to much away, I really can’t fault Black Panther. The CGI was impressive to say the least, the soundtrack produced by Kendrick Lamar fit perfectly with the sleek scenes and it was equally poignant as it was entertaining.

Overall, Black Panther presents a representation that is relevant and real to its people. A place where brilliant women are not type casted or overtly sexualised but multi faceted and praised for their brains and skill as well as they’re beauty. A place where complex, layered characters blur the lines between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ making you sympathise with them and question what side you’re on. And a place where a superhero comes into his own and who I cant wait to see flourish.