Source: Disney / Marvel Studios
Black Panther opened up China this past weekend and had a very strong showing. The record-breaking film hauled in $63 million which helped the film pass the billion dollar mark putting it in some very elite company. The movie definitely did bring moviegoers out in China, but it didn’t get the rave reviews it enjoyed here in the states.
One of the main complaints was the movie was just “too black” or “too dark” for some Chinese viewers.
Blinks in Wakandan. They also seemed to hone in on the Lion King equivalences a lot.
On the Chinese equivalent to IMDB called Douban, Black Panther is holding a very modest 6.8 out of 10 rating. Half of science-fiction and action movies on the site have been rated higher by users. In the reviews (which have been translated), some Chinese viewers accused the film of “trying too hard to be politically correct”. One viewer even said “Maybe the Chinese are still not used to a film full of black people,” and claimed he had had to pinch himself to stay awake because “blackness made him drowsy”.
Here are some of the reviews posted on the site:
“The villain has its own skills: intense phobia attacks! This can be said to be a black movie with no black soul, because there is no sense of rhythm. This race setting is a bit reminiscent of the mystical race Nox where the dragons in the interplanetary stare are not seen. Ending egg: Jesus in the winter. The front seems to say that after the Oscars in the water, someone asked Nolan what the Oscars will be next year, and Nolan said that the next time the Oscars will probably be Panthers. It feels a bit dark.”
“There was no preview of the film’s good looks. The entire essence of the game was a small part of it. The story was simple and cliched. The latter part was boring and almost impossible to see.”
“Even if the screen with the highest brightness is selected, the movie still looks “dark”.”
“It feels really visual fatigue on Marvel, and the old-fashioned story of “Prince’s Revenge” infuses the politically correct theme of black equality. There is of course a great ambition, but the limitations of creative vision are still obvious. The other is Disney’s garbage transfer. 3D technology should really be used to criticize it. Night shows and blacks are all too special to see! ! ! !”
“Marvel’s success lies in the fact that it will not be because the story is inferred and the drama sets the first half of the movie. It is so stunning that the tribal culture world it created has a solemn and complete thickness that can stand the scrutiny, but the second half is too far away from the sky. After playing from South Korea, it became a lame Lion King to catch the circus. It was not fun to play. The extension did not delay disappointment. Male coach but the performance needs to improve and why do you think that all blackheads are a bit longer?”
Now there were some positive reviews as well but some a good number of them posted to the site were damn near racist. China still has some work to do when it comes to race, just recently a Chinese actress donned blackface during the annual Lunar New Year TV gala. They also cast a black actor to play a monkey.
Black Panther might be the first taste of black culture for the Chinese, hopefully, by the time Black Panther 2 rolls around they will have a better understanding and will be used to the “blackness”, it’s not going anywhere. They not alone in their hate though even White folks here in the States tried their best to hate the greatness that is Black Panther.
––
Photo: Disney/Marvel Studios
