Black Panther (2018)

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Black Panther is also doing these numbers with fewer theatres than The Avengers and The Dark Knight. It was released in 346 theatres less than The Dark Knight and 329 theatres less than The Avengers. Black Panther gained 64 theatres in its third week of release but it was still around 200 less than The Dark Knight and The Avengers.

Also, there are less theatres in predominately African American neighbourhoods in North America [1]. That means a lot of black people have to travel to certain theatres or just can’t make it to the cinema at all. Yet, on opening weekend 37% of the audience were African American compared to Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming which comprised approximately 15% of African Americans [2]. The second weekend the African American demographic only dropped slightly - 33%. The fact the it continues to have remarkably weekly holds speaks volume.


These, I think, are two significant factors in analyzing Black Panther's remarkable box office run. The adjusted inflation domestic gross is as misleading as the unadjusted inflation list.


Sources:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... superpower
[2] https://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads ... inal-1.pdf

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Undoubtedly there are always different circumstances which ultimately make such comparisons very difficult, for instance both The Dark Knight and The Avengers had better release dates in summer, however if we want to put all the factors into consideration then it's also worth noting that The Dark Knight was released in a very crowded time period where it had to face two other top grossing superhero movies in Hancock from two weeks before and Hellboy 2 from a week prior to its release, while Panther enjoyed a smooth run with barely anything in the way of competition. Not to mention the fact that The Dark Knight didn't benefit from 3D ticket surcharge.

By the end of this, Panther will certainly earn its place as one of the three most successful SH movies in NA market, but it would be hard to determine which one is dominantly the #1.£

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I personally don’t think it matters which one ends up being number 1. That was never what I said or what my post was about.

I think its arithmetically incorrect to have either metric as the barometer because it ignores the most basic concept of trends and contextual data. If you’re using one it should be done with a huge asterisk in mind.

But I guess you agreed with the crux of my post. So I don’t really have anything to add.

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2nd viewing and I liked it as much

One big nitpick is the creative decision to shoot in Atlanta in studios. There are way too much exterior scenes that are so obviously green screen, it makes the whole thing less immersive.

Everyone singles out the final tunnel scene but there's a lot of other really obvious CG backgrounds (the ritual scenes, the dream visions, etc.). They obviously shot in Oakland and Korea...so I'm really surprised Wakanda wasn't shot on location in Africa. Instead we have CG wide shots and green screens.

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Really wanted to love this but ,other than the interesting visual contrast to the other Marvel movies, I was rather underwhelmed by it all.
Also found Chadwick Boseman ,T'Challa/Black Panther, as a charming yet rather bland unconvincing lead.

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This one was for sure the best looking Marvel film after the first Guardians, thanks to Morrison.£

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Rian Johnson from that Variety piece on Black Panther:
With “Creed” and now “Black Panther,” Ryan Coogler has shown a singular ability to craft popular entertainments with no dilution of his personal voice or artistry.

Though they are very different animals, the personal vision that drove the focused fury of “Fruitvale Station” is no less present in “Black Panther.” Just as with his debut feature, on every single level Ryan has engaged the superhero genre and made it speak with his voice. I’m still in awe of the visual storytelling both in massive action scenes and small personal moments that are the film’s heart. The pathos and empathy Ryan works into Michael B. Jordan’s villain Killmonger makes the word “villain” reductive. To do all this and still deliver a grand entertainment that connects with audiences on such a scale is no small feat.

Big or small, his films are powerful because they are personal expressions that come straight from his heart. We’re very lucky to have Ryan Coogler making movies.

-Vader

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MBJ is the VIP in the movie, but I wish they had pulled it off as well as they acted like they were going to. He starts out being so compelling that you actually want to side with him and then he's like "...and then we'll take over the world!" and is a pretty generic MCU villain. Until the very end. And then he comes back and owns one of the most emotional moments in all the MCU.

They were so close to having a perfect villain here. He's still totally one of the best parts of the film. MBJ is a powerhouse.

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Historically, disenfranchised classes upturn the status quo and seize power all the time. Russian Revolution (both), Cuba, Iran, etc.

How is this different, Bacon?


-Vader

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I think it's because, iirc, there's literally a scene where he speaks like a generic villain and says they're going to take over the world with their technology. It's not just that Killmonger wants control of Wakanda, it's that he wants more. It makes sense, but they way he turns the audience against him when the filmmakers need you to root for Panther feels really contrived, rudimentary, and spelled out.

That's what bugged me most. They had an extremely complex character sandwiched between an extremely impressive set up and conclusion, but resorted to the same kind of climax one would expect when it came to the actual dismantling of the villain.

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