LetitiaWright – Credits Rolling

“For our friend Chadwick Boseman.”

The world lost a superhero when Boseman passed away from cancer in the summer of 2020. Many wondered how the Black Panther franchise would carry on without him. Would he be recasted? Would they use old footage or digitalize him? We all waited in bated breath until finally the film was released this week. I can officially say that the work Ryan Coogler and the cast have done is phenomenal. From the very opening of the film where we see how Shuri (Letitia Wright), Queen Romanda (Angela Bassett), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and M’Baku (Winston Duke) are dealing with T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) death and beyond, I knew that this movie was going to be something special.

Everything about Wakanda Forever was stunning. The incredible landscapes and cinematography was like something of a dream. The special effects and fight sequences were upped a notch and kept me on my toes. And on top of that, the plot was intricate and entertaining. The way in which it’s all built up after the initial tragedy was handled well. I also loved the introduction of antagonist Namor (Tenoch Huerta). His backstory was super interesting and also different than anything we’d seen before. The fact that he was multilayered was something I appreciated a lot.

The performances here are out of this world. Wright takes the lead and she does a brilliant job. You feel her pain and anguish in Shuri missing her brother just as you feel her determination in defending her country. Her chemistry was palpable with everyone she shared the screen with. Alternatively, Bassett was another standout. I was actually left breathless during a couple of her scenes. It was great having Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) back in the mix along with newcomers Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) and Aneka (Michaela Coel).

I don’t think I can ever properly describe my feelings about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The emotion hit me like a ton of bricks and it didn’t let up for one moment. Complete with outstanding acting chops and a phenomenal story, I do believe that this is one of the best additions in the MCU so far.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

When the wealthy Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) meets Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer), there’s no denying the sparks between them. Ending his engagement with Jackie Bellefort (Emma Mackey) so he and Linnet can tie the knot, they think they will go on to live happily ever after. Together with their friends, Linnet and Simon embark on their honeymoon where Jackie seems to be following them every step of the way. Feeling unsafe, they enlist the help of detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) to keep an eye out on things. But when the event turns deadly, everyone is a suspect.

After being delayed multiple times due to the pandemic (and the allegations made to a certain actor), Death on the Nile finally debuted in cinema this weekend. Boasting a stacked cast with the likes of Tom Bateman, Letitia Wright, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Rose Leslie and Sophie Okonedo, this was a must see on the big screen.

While I haven’t read the Agatha Christie novel and therefore cannot compare between the two, I have to say that I enjoyed the movie. The Egyptian backdrop was absolutely stunning and gave me major wanderlust. The storyline was intricate and kept me guessing throughout. The only downfall was the great amount of characters, some of which didn’t get nearly enough screen time or backstory as I would have liked. Additionally, I felt like the mystery took too long to get going and the runtime could have been cut down a bit.

Overall, Death on the Nile was well worth the wait. For two hours I was able to forget the outside world and become enveloped in what was unfolding around me. I can only hope that there is another Poirot story to come in the near future.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5