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The New York Times has ranked "Black Panther" at #96 on its list of The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century, making it the second highest-ranked superhero movie (out of just two) on the list. (i.postimg.cc)
submitted 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) by TheImpressiveX@lemmy.today to c/marvelstudios@lemmy.world
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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-21st-century.html

96. Black Panther (Ryan Coogler, 2018)

There’s so much to love. It’s a superhero spectacle that actually has something important to say, about how identity, history and responsibility intersect. Wakanda, the Afrofuturistic world where the story takes place, is a visual wonder. The women (played by Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright — all excellent) aren’t just sidekicks or love interests. Michael B. Jordan, as the tragically villainous Killmonger, has never been more swoon worthy. And, of course, Chadwick Boseman shines in the title role, sadly one of his last before dying of cancer.

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[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 44 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

For me, the awful fight at the end tanked it for me. Other than that, it was the typical Marvel formula, nothing really remarkable other than being set in Africa.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was a better movie, so was Into The Spider-Verse for that matter.

Oh, shit, Logan doesn't rank?

[-] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I think it was notable for being the first instance of Afrofuturism to make it to the American mass market. So much of American media has the average salt of the earth type thinking Africa is made entirely of mud huts that just throwing that out as an option even in fiction can be eye opening.

On the other hand... Yeah Logan and Spiderverse are obviously better.

[-] mineralfellow@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

District 9 and Chappie were both before it.

[-] jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

District 9 was so good too. Chappie less so...

We've been waiting for the "3 Years Later..." sequel now for 16 years now. :(

[-] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 23 points 4 weeks ago

The Dark Knight at 55 is the other one I think

[-] TheImpressiveX@lemmy.today 26 points 4 weeks ago
[-] aim_at_me@lemmy.nz 4 points 4 weeks ago

Honestly hasn't been much to write home about since the dark night tbh.

[-] falidorn@lemmy.world 10 points 4 weeks ago

It’s not even the best Coogler film of the 21st century….

[-] Grass@sh.itjust.works 7 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

there's not a whole lot truly different between most of the superhero movies though. I guess hot warrior ladies and the man in the skinsuit is cat themed?

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 1 points 4 weeks ago

This just isn't true. Each film has a different story to tell beyond just the action.

[-] Coldcell@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 weeks ago

Uh huh. The same story. In the same ways. With the same lines, beats, set pieces, and token nods to source or prior films. It's formulaic as fuck, intentionally so by the mass surveying audience tested averaging out of studios. This is a machine that repackages your childhood into consumable, repeatable, manufacturable content, not art.

I'm not saying don't enjoy it, but saying any superhero film from the last 20 years hasn't had studio's by-the-book vogler story in a can approach is consuming with blinkers on.

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

For most people under 30, they didn't read the original comics, so I would hardly call it "repackaging their childhood". And no, it's not the same story. I'll use the Guardians of the Galaxy films as an example:

  • GotG 1 is a pretty standard story about the unlikely group of heroes learning to work together, mixed with Peter learning to confront his problems rather than run away from them
  • GotG 2 deals with the disillusionment of meeting your heroes and Peter must make a choice to give up literal godhood for moral reasons, choosing his adopted father over his birth one
  • GotG 3 is about Rocket confronting his past and accepting who he is, which he had struggled with for both previous films

These stories aren't unique from every other story ever told. But they are different from each other. And art is very subjective; you don't have the authority to declare something not art without a good argument.

[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 6 points 4 weeks ago

Woah, that’s gonna piss off Americans.

[-] Pronell@lemmy.world 18 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

'More like DEI Panther, amirite?' (/s)

I honestly don't see why that's better than some other Marvel properties, but I don't mind it's inclusion in the list. Maybe that it touches on actual world problems instead of just fake ones made up for the movie. And yeah, I'm American but a dissenting one.

[-] platypode@sh.itjust.works 13 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

I object to its inclusion because it cashes in on the lack of good black representation in modern media while perpetuating the very stereotypes it purportedly challenges. If this list wants to platform representation, it can do way better.

[-] ByteMe@lemmy.world 3 points 4 weeks ago

Maybe it's the complete world stuff and that gives. And the music

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 6 points 4 weeks ago

That's there take. I think context and audience makes a huge difference, so I'd rank it higher.

I remember the experience. I watched it at the Rave Cinema at the Baldwin-Crenshaw mall, in Leimert Park. And let me tell you: the theater was so fucking amped. This theater was built by Magic Johnson in a part of LA that hadn't had a nice theater, and it's held up well. The neighborhood has really come up around it, too, so when Black Panther played, it was filled with folks dressed to the nines. There was LA street fashion, Panafrican garb, kids grown-ups, elders... The movie was good to start with, but it was just hard not to get caught up in the energy in the air. It truly was an event.

[-] lime@feddit.nu 3 points 3 weeks ago

that says nothing about the movie, which is what the list is about.

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 weeks ago

I'm just reminiscing, man.

[-] Eyck_of_denesle@lemmy.zip 6 points 4 weeks ago

No Spider Man 2? This list is a joke.

this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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