Big cat gets the cream BLACK PANTHER

Cert 12A Running time 134 minutes ★★★★

Marvel studios aren’t pussyfooting around with this big beast superhero adventure. First seen in 2015’s Captain America: Civil War, Chadwick Boseman returns as Prince T’Challa, aka Black Panther.

Back in his African homeland of Wakanda to inherit his father’s throne, T’Challa’s enhanced physical abilities and meteorite-powered suit are of little use against a political coup.

Action-packed and full of humour, this is a typical Marvel blockbuster.

What separates it from its comic book stablemates is its sweeping multigenerational family saga played out on the gorgeous plains of Africa. Bold colours dominate the African influenced design, the soundtrack is tribal and local languages are used, all combining to create an environment unique in the Marvel universe.

Providing an African-American cast and crew with a major Hollywood movie as a stage to strut their stuff is a huge shout for equality and demonstrates the depth of talent available.

Among the cast are Oscar winners Lupita Nyong’o and Forest Whitaker, and nominated Brit star, Daniel Kaluuya appears in a key role. However, it’s Letitia Wright who steals the film.

Ryan Coogler directed 2015’s excellent Rocky sequel, Creed. Michael B Jordan starred there and brings his muscular swagger to this film as the villainous Killmonger. Rather like the Amazons of Wonder Woman, the women are warriors but also scientists, and are funnier than the men.

There are witty riffs on Disney’s Lion King, while an early interlude in South Korea featuring a casino and a car chase cheekily presents T’Challa as a James Bond figure – it’s bound to wind up the 007 purists. It is politically unambiguous too, with Wakanda being a progressive vision of a wealthy united African state.

Unlike the recent reboot of Spider-Man which had Robert Downey Jr’s mega-popular Iron Man popping by to boost audience figures, Black Panther has to go it alone. But this cool cat more than earns his stripes.

There are witty riffs on Disney’s Lion King, while an interlude in South Korea cheekily presents T’Challa as a James Bond figure