Black Panther is highly anticipated and we are 10 days away from it opening in theaters. It has gotten tremendous buzz for it’s representation of Black excellence, it’s record breaking presales and is slated to open for at least $120 million. Embargo on reviews has been lifted and the first reviews are trickling in. On Rotten Tomatoes, of the 46 reviews posted from Times magazine and Associated Press to the Toronto Sun and Shadow and Act, all have been positive. This gives Black Panther a rare 100% on the Tomatometer.
To add to its accolades, this initial 100% RT score could make Black Panther the highest reviewed Marvel Cinematic Universe film, toppling the likes of the first Iron Man film (which holds the number 1 spot at 94%) and Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Marvel’s The Avengers (tied at 2nd place all scored at 92 percent). This perfect is not guaranteed to stay once hundreds of other reviews pour in but it has the potential to remain very high.
There have been some unfortunate reports of planned sabotage with bad reviews by a 2,000 member group of DC Fans as reported by Marvelous Realm. This is not representative of all DC fans, as some are fans on both sides. This minor setback is unlikely to slow the popularity of the film. Reviewers are awestruck at the film, like David Ehrlich from IndieWire says, “You believe in T’Challa, you believe in Wakanda, and you believe – maybe for the first time – that the MCU actually matters.”
Ryan Coogler’s Marvel directorial debut will land in theaters and IMAX for the rest of us to see on February 16. But honestly, if you don’t have your ticket now, you might have to wait a few days after the opening.
