BLACK Panther is not the first big budget blockbuster or superhero movie to feature people of colour, but never before has there been a movie on this scale directed by, written by, acted by and designed by black talent.

With this monumental moment in cinema, comes huge levels of anticipation and hype and Marvel needed to ensure the final product could live up to it.

Happily, Marvel has done it again with a breath-taking yet powerful movie filled with excellent characters, a stunning new world realised in Wakanda and the best villain in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Taking place after the events of Civil War, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda following the death of his father so he can succeed him to the throne and become king.

However, once an American with an unusually high amount of Wakanda knowledge enters the scene, he sets his sights on the taking down the new King.

In only his third feature, writer/director Ryan Coogler has spun new life into the superhero genre using elements of both James Bond and Star Wars (I know it sounds weird but it totally works) whilst indulging us with influential moments of black power and characters who are all given great development and crowd-pleasing story arcs.

Whilst it never reaches the heights of the outstanding Creed or real life drama Fruitvale Station, Black Panther is still an unbelievable achievement and is the work of a true master. Coogler is now 3 for 3.

After the perfect introduction in Civil War, Boseman once again proves he’s the perfect choice as our titular hero.

He oozes swag throughout but also stays relatable and real, especially with his love for his father and the pressure of becoming king, which really connected with me.

What was such a pleasant surprise was the magnificent supporting cast.

Packed with talent, each character has plenty of moments to shine. One of Marvel’s weakest elements to date has been their female characters but here, they’re a revelation.

Letitia Wright is a delight as Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister and tech-wiz, paired with the lovely Lupita Nyong'o and the reliable Angela Bassett who also play their part in the proceedings, but are much less prominent.

Danai Gurira is a total bad-ass as Wakandan warrior Okoye and has plenty of huge moments for us to admire.

Also, the always consistent Forest Whitaker and Martin Freeman, as well as huge up and coming talents like Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) and Sterling K Brown (This Is Us), all put in stellar and gripping performances. Andy Serkis looks to be having fun too (out of his usual motion-capture work) as the villainous Klaue in a gloriously over the top performance.

But the star of the show is by far Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger.

A frequent criticism that Marvel receive is their lacklustre villains.

Besides Loki, Vulture and a handful of others, they have failed to make them interesting, developed or truly dangerous yet here with Jordan’s Killmonger, we not only have Marvel’s best villain to date but one of the finest antiheroes of the 21st Century.

It’s a bold statement, but it is totally deserved as it’s a tour de force turn from the 31 year old.

He adds emotion I had not previously felt from an antagonist and I just couldn’t take my eyes off him on screen.

His motives for his actions make sense, he’s given great depth and he is a physical threat to our hero. The stakes are real.

Despite conquering new ground in so many areas, the movie is still crammed with humour which, for me, mostly didn’t work.

A couple of one-liners and quips worked a treat but the majority felt really forced.

The movie is very politically charged which was a smart risk to take in a superhero movie, however it became overbearing at times and people’s actions don’t always necessarily make sense or are justified. Although the scenery is always striking and beautiful, the first half did tend to drag with some tiresome scenes, aimed only to portray the importance of the nation of Wakanda.

The story and characters are great, but can the action deliver too? You bet. We have rescue missions, robberies, brawls and one of the best car chases in recent memory.

After creating some beautiful boxing duels in Creed, Coogler has upped the ante here featuring magnificent one shots and tightly constructed fight sequences.

Black Panther sadly doesn’t reach the stupidly high levels of expectation I placed upon it, but is still a ridiculously entertaining movie which will grow on repeated viewings.

A real game-changer for the genre.

Verdict: With incredible action sequences, great characters and an even better villain means Marvel have another classic in the making. Though there are some flaws, this is a significant moment in cinema and a fine film to match.

Best Moment: The whole middle section with T’Challa against Serkis’ Klaue was downright epic.

Rating: 8.5/10