It’s hard to unpack all of the complexities that surround this movie. I was nervous when I heard they were making a second Black Panther movie, after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman. And even after seeing the trailer, there were so many things to consider that would have been too easy to screw up. A clunky plot, not giving a proper homage to T’Challa, going too hard into weird “girl power” territory—Hollywood isn’t well known for sleek transitions when it comes to things like this. And with such an important franchise like Black Panther, there were so many ways for it to go wrong.

But thankfully, it didn’t.

And this is why Marvel has some of the best performing films in Hollywood today. They handled everything perfectly. Let’s talk plot.

The film wastes no time dancing around T’Challa’s death. The first scene sees Shuri trying to find a cure for her brother, and shortly after, we see his Wakandan funeral. In the year following, Shuri plunges into despair, and Queen Ramonda is faced with carrying a grieving nation on her shoulders and dealing with new political dissonance. Wakanda is facing the consequences of sharing their technology with the world—and things are getting a little tense. Suspicious of everything they don’t know about Wakanda, global powers are trying to find ways to up their defenses to compete with the formidable country, even going as far as looking for vibranium in the deep sea. And while Ramonda is trying to teach Shuri how to get past her grief, and Wakanda deals with being a pariah, a new figure enters the scene.

Growing nervous about what global powers will do with the power of vibranium, Namor, king of an underwater metropolis, visits Ramonda and Shuri and gives them an impossible ultimatum. As Shuri tries to get to the bottom of Namor’s agenda, we get a new adventure that includes a fascinating oceanic city, what makes a great leader, lessons about grief, and when to let go.

Whew! Okay, lot’s to untangle here. Let’s start with our new main character: Shuri, masterfully played by Letitia Wright.

The playful anti-traditional character from the first movie is transformed by her brother’s death. The Shuri who used to make fun of her country’s traditions has been replaced by a Shuri who is unable to understand or believe in the spiritual side that brings her mother so much comfort. But her cynicism eaves her in a perpetual state of grief, unable to find a logic or science to the death of her brother. When she meets the powerful Namor, she finds a kindred spirit, someone who does not trust easily and who will do anything for his people. They bond over the loss of loved ones. But as the movie progresses, Shuri is faced with having to decide what kind of leader she will be, and the shadow of Killmonger is never far away.

They really do Shuri’s journey justice. This is not a cheap afterthought character who can put on a costume and get back into the crime-fighting anything with a sneer. Shuri is deeply conflicted and trying to make sense of her view on the world—a crucial step in her preparing to become the leader of a powerful nation. And they really give that journey justice.

The choice in antagonist in this film is also extremely well done. Namor isn’t a villain per se, despite his extreme views, and his wish to protect his own people at all costs makes a lot of sense when you hear his backstory. Also, I had never heard of Tenoch Huerta but I was insanely impressed by his performance; his intensity fits right into the high-stakes narrative and he does a great job as a new character. Far from an afterthought here too. (Related note: would love to see this part of the movie get a film of its own…)

I was also worried in seeing the trailer that this new world might make the movie seem cobbled together, but it doesn’t. In many ways, Talokan and Wakanda are extremely similar, and the movie plays this up several times. We’re all just people, and the leaders in the movie are just trying to protect their own.

Small shoutout to Martin Freeman, who makes another appearance as Everett Ross, and to Julia Louis-Dreyfus who plays his boss. Very funny, though the ONLY THING that I wasn’t wild about in this one was how they kind of playfully tiptoe around the idea of treason. This is not the time. Thank you.

All in all, the studio handled what many others would have no doubt bungled. Excellent follow-up film that honors the memory of both the character of T’Challa and the very real man who played him, Chadwick Boseman, while giving equal due measure to the next Black Panther, Shuri.

Ten outa ten.