Black Panther Movie Review: Is This The Finest Marvel Film Of All Time?

Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira

Director: Ryan Coogler

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

"You'll believe a man can fly." When the first Superman film came out in 1978, we'd never seen anything like it. Our relationship with cinema, heroes and telephone booths was instantly, irrevocably altered. An exceptionally handsome man made a beloved character come alive and literally spun our world around. We were enthralled, overwhelmed and - perhaps most importantly - comforted. Here was a hero to save us all. He'd got us. And the line on the poster was no lie.

With a superhero movie out every other month, it's easy to forget how much of an event these films once were when they dwarfed us every dozen or so years. That Superman, the first Batman in 1990, the second Spider-Man in 2004, they struck us like meteor-sized shots of dopamine, filling us with exultation and wonder, reducing grown-ups to kids and making kids believe in grown-ups. I didn't think I'd ever feel that way for a superhero film again. This week I learnt I was wrong.

I've loved some of the recent Marvel movies - positively loved them - because they've amused and tickled and been gloriously bonkers, but this is something else. This is awe.