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Black Panther Review: Critics Tweet Reactions From Movie Screening

The power of Wakanda is strong.

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The world has finally started to see Black Panther, the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That means the first reactions to the movie have started to arrive on social media. While full reviews are still under embargo, critics and those in attendance at Black Panther's premiere have plenty to say about it that should give you some indication of how the movie was received.

GameSpot's own Michael Rougeau sums up the most people's feelings about the film with a simple GIF. Others, including LA Times writer Jen Yamato, praised the world the movie built and the representation it gives black viewers who often don't get to see people like them on the big screen. "Black Panther is incredible, kinetic, purposeful," she writes. "A superhero movie about why representation & identity matters, and how tragic it is when those things are denied to people."

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Representation is something many who were able to view the film see as the most important aspect of what director Ryan Coogler has crafted. "[The] representation of Black women in [Black Panther] made me feel seen. Seen in a way other superhero movies have not done well," journalist ReBecca Theodore-Vacon writes. Natasha Alford, deputy editor at The Grio, adds, "If you don't understand the power of representation, imagine growing up never seeing a superhero who looks like you. When American Girl dolls came out I always picked Addy who had to escape slavery. But now kids have [Black Panther's] Nakia, Shuri, and Okoye."

Beyond the importance of who the movie portrayed, it is also being praised for how well its story is told. "[Black Panther] is exceptional--the James Bond of the MCU. You've seen nothing like this in a superhero movie--it's bold, beautiful & intense, but there's a depth & spiritualness that is unlike anything Marvel has ever done.," Fandango's Erik Davis says. Adds Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta, "Black Panther looks, feels and sounds unlike any Marvel film to date. A visual feast. Wakanda is amazingly realized, the antagonist actually has an arc with emotional motivations. Marvel's most political movie. So good."

Whether it's the plot, the design, the cast, or the messages it's sending, the reaction to the movie was universally positive. While reviews will certainly go into more detail about Black Panther, these reactions bode well for how many viewers will see the film when it finally hits theaters.

It's not just critics that loved the film. The red carpet premiere also means many directors and actors, including those responsible for other MCU movies, were able to take in the movie and share their thoughts.

By this point, you should be ready to see Black Panther. Thankfully, you only have a couple of weeks left to wait. The movie hits theaters on February 16.

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