‘Black Panther’ thrills, empowers Essex County moviegoers

NEWARK, NJ — Hail to the king! In yet another wonderfully strange case of life imitating art, “Black Panther” is not only ruler of the fictional African nation of Wakanda; he is also the currently reigning box office champion. The latest superhero sensation from Marvel Studios stormed theaters everywhere this past weekend, easily conquering the competition and stunning many industry experts who openly doubted that the Afrocentric nature of the film would translate and appeal to a more mainstream audience. As of press time, “Black Panther” had been crowned as the highest grossing movie opening ever in the month of February, with reports of holiday weekend ticket sales surging past the $230 million mark. It is also the fifth most profitable movie debut weekend of all time, ranked comfortably between the inaugural installments of fellow Marvel Studios blockbusters, “The Avengers” and “Deadpool.”

The movie is widely credited with re-igniting interest in and passion for African culture, history and fashions at a troubling time in American history increasingly polarized by racial discord and political dysfunction. The seemingly instant popularity of “Black Panther” has been so galvanizing and inspiring that many moviegoers across the nation are attending screenings dressed in regal African-influenced garb as a proud salute to their cultural heritage. Starring Hollywood A-lister Chadwick Boseman as the heroic T’Challa and directed by African-American dynamo Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” has become nothing short of an international phenomenon.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 17, Newark Cityplex 12 was just one of countless theaters in America celebrating the movie’s opening weekend with Panther-related festivities. Cityplex 12 head of security Gene Ortiz is also in charge of organizing community-minded superhero events for the venue and he had a dream. Thus was born “Black Panther Day” which, judging by the Cityplex 12 crowd size and their receptive reaction, was a huge success for all involved.
“He’s just a great character. A strong and positive role model for boys and girls of any age, race or background. And the grownups love him too,” said Ortiz. “We have a fresh showtime of the film starting every thirty minutes and it’s still being sold out!”
The box office dominance by yet another Marvel Comics character was somewhat bittersweet to Ortiz, a retired Newark police detective who may be better known to local youth as The Dark Knight of Essex County. His gritty portrayal of DC Comics’ iconic Batman at countless DARE events has been helping youngsters steer clear of gangs, drugs and crime for almost 30 years. This time around, Ortiz recruited the help of a talented young costumer named Garnet Armstrong, who, having created his own Black Panther suit, mingled and interacted with the packed Cityplex 12 crowds. Within seconds of his lobby appearance, hundreds of all-ages ticket holders gravitated toward the fictional superhero for fun family photos and a brief moment to be in the presence of Wakandan royalty. Initially surprised by the overwhelmingly favorable response from the moviegoers, Armstrong joked, “It’s good to be king.”

Various other costumers volunteered their time and energy to bring other “Black Panther” and Marvel Universe characters to life, creating a colorful, real life comic book experience for those fortunate enough to be at Cityplex 12. Even the diehard DC Comics-only Ortiz admitted it was time to switch up his act just this once. Dressed as the classic Marvel vigilante known as The Punisher, Ortiz confessed, “I feel like a bit of a traitor not being in my Dark Knight Batman costume but today is all about celebrating the Panther.”

The vibrant and futuristic Wakandan world of the Black Panther originally exploded to life within two fabled 1966 issues of “The Fantastic Four,” created by legendary comic book gods Stan “The Man” Lee and Jack “King” Kirby. Subsequent creative teams continued to keep Black Panther’s adventures alive and exciting over the following decades inside the pages of his own title, as a frequent team-up guest star or as a recurring member of “The Avengers” comic books. Initially conceived at the height of America’s turbulent civil rights struggles as a symbol of hope, strength and change, Black Panther has finally ascended to the throne of superhero movies and global pop cultural consciousness. It’s been a long and difficult journey toward much-deserved recognition that would undoubtedly make his co-creator Stan Lee exclaim his trademark battle cry of victory, “Excelsior!”
Hail to The King, indeed.

David VanDeventer is a frequent provider of entertainment coverage for Worrall Media who can be reached at pics@thelocalsource.com.