Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the mighty Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of the death of their beloved King T’Challa. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) if they are to forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole and directed by Ryan Coogler.
For in-depth thoughts on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever offers a fantastic uptick in quality over the already gorgeous accompanying Blu-Ray. With the mesmerizing aesthetic of Wakanda on full display, you are grateful to have HDR to find the nuance within each locale and present it to its fullest effect. The HDR enriches every color in a way that a lesser format cannot replicate. Skin tones also appear more natural with crisp detail apparent on faces and very distinct makeup presenting with clarity.
The elements in the film taking place at night or in shadows are more distinct and finely delineated thanks to deep black levels. There is still some want for stronger shadow definition, but this seems to be a byproduct of the original cinematography. The highlights in the film are also more crisply defined with white levels pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even in the brightest sunlight. Fine detail in the dazzling costumes and inventive production design are more apparent than ever with this increased resolution. This 4K UHD presentation is a winner with gains in every conceivable category. The Blu-Ray is no slouch, but Disney has delivered greatness with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a Dolby Atmos presentation that delivers fairly effectively throughout. Environmental details are well dispersed in the rear and overhead channels to capture the various locales. The overhead channels take on a notable amount of information which adds a distinct sense of space to this action-packed tale. The soundtrack and score are a very important part of the film’s tone, and it permeates the room with purpose. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overshadowed by any of the competing sonic elements. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. The only meaningful criticism to this track is that the low end could use a bit more heft, but what we are given gets the job done. Most will feel pleased with this audio journey.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Ryan Coogler, Writer Joe Robert Cole, and Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw provides a really entertaining and informative commentary track in which they discuss the look of the film in depth including camera lenses, the shooting locations, developing the story for this one, the qualities of the performances, the struggles of the characters and much more that makes you appreciate the film even more.
- Envisioning Two Worlds: An 11-minute piece which focuses on the expansion of the universe, building new sets and how they relate to the characters, developing new costumes and technology, the world of Talokan, the eye of Ryan Coogler and more.
- Passing The Mantle: A six-minute look at the place of loss and grief in this next chapter, the journey that Shuri is on throughout these films, the mother-daughter relationship, the new characters that reflect T’Challa’s decisions from the first film and more.
- Gag Reel A nearly three-minute collection of flubbed and forgotten lines, goofing around on set, ruined takes and more that is quite delightful.
- Deleted Scenes: Four unused scenes totaling ten minutes are included here featuring Okoye coming face-to-face with her former team, Ross performing some espionage, Okoye having an important conversation with her uncle and more. There is some good stuff in here worth a look.
Final Thoughts
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was always going to be difficult to pull off perfectly thanks to the tragic real-world loss of the franchise’s star. With this in mind, the film largely threads the needle between honoring the legacy of what came before and trying to clear a path for the future. The film even has large portions which top its predecessor, but questionable narrative choices and Marvel’s general decline in aesthetic quality keep it from being a homerun. The themes and characters really make this one a rewarding watch overall, but Marvel needs to shape up in many key respects since goodwill from the fans is starting to dwindle precipitously. Disney Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. If you are a fan of the MCU, this is near the top of phase four. Recommended
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.