Eyes of Wakanda (Disney+) — Review

Geek Culture

3 days ago

Wakanda's history runs rich and deep, yet audiences and writers have only scratched the surface with the secretive nation's handful of appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), ranging from an easter egg in 2010's Iron Man 2 , to its first spoken reference in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron . Through the late Chadwick Boseman's ( 21 Bridges ) regal portrayal of T'Challa, as the former Black Panther and King of Wakanda, and Letitia Wright's ( Black Mirror ) relatable take as his sister, Shuri, who took over the mantle as the new Black Panther, viewers have gotten glimpses of Wakanda as a hidden kingdom of marvellous technology and culture.
Thanks to the latest Eyes of Wakanda , the four-episode limited Disney+ animated series, viewers can now explore the history of the secret nation with greater depth. Helmed by director and executive producer Todd Harris, who previously worked as a prominent storyboard artist on Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), with co-executive producer Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), the show brings viewers through the ages following brave Wakandan warriors of the War Dogs, an elite division of agents who engage in espionage for Wakandan interests.
The War Dogs are not a new concept to the MCU, having been first featured in Black Panther , with T'Challa's uncle N'Jobu (Sterling K. Brown, Paradise ), Zuri (Forest Whitaker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ), and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o, Us ) carrying out their respective War Dog missions in the 2018 comic book outing. Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan, Sinners ) also later verbally addresses the War Dogs by title, commanding the agents scattered across the globe to carry out a mission for him after usurping the throne from T'Challa.
The War Dogs in Eyes of Wakanda are portrayed in a different context, with their primary mission to infiltrate other nations and retrieve stolen vibranium artefacts. Along the way, viewers are treated to bits of Wakandan lore, from its culture and hierarchy to the technological advancements sparked by the discovery of a powerful metal called vibranium, allowing the country to outpace the rest of the world for centuries.
Like many anthologies, the show's standalone format offers the flexibility to pick and choose episodes based on personal interests. Each episode takes place in a different land in a different time period, but unfolds in an chronological order, beginning from 1260 B.C. in Crete with the establishment of the War Dogs with Noni (Winnie Harlow, Monster High ) as the first agent, all the way to series finale which takes place in 1896, in the city of Adwa, Ethiopia. Given that the time skip between every episode spans centuries to even millennia, the characters do not overlap at all.
Although there is an overarching storyline of sorts, the individual narrative is loose and only mildly factors into the series finale. This ensures that viewers will have no issue watching each episode, which lasts between 27 and 30 minutes, as a standalone, with no need to catch up or do homework between episodes, making it a convenient watch.
However, the format can also lead viewers to become easily disengaged, as there is little to no investment to captivate them and retain their attention. This lack of interest, awareness, or investment may result in the unintentional skipping of otherwise engaging or enjoyable episodes, which is a pity.
Unlike other Marvel Animation series to date, the show is set in the MCU's Sacred Timeline, and shares some connections with the franchise films. While the tie-in to the main continuity won't affect general understanding or influence the current overarching narrative of the MCU's Phase 6 or Multiverse Saga, it does still provide an interesting look at the big picture of the Sacred Timeline, as well as a glimpse into how the Sacred Timeline maintains its integrity.
The compact and punchy episodes of Eyes of Wakanda deliver snappy and engaging action sequences, with the tight delivery of each self-contained adventure fleshing out the motivations and emotions of each character as they overcome the trials and tribulations of being a War Dog.
Episode 1, 'Into the Lion's Den', establishes the primary mission of the War Dogs and introduces an integral pioneering agent, Noni, in the War Dogs' history. With surety of her mission but uncertainty of her own identity, Noni will have to navigate her first foray into the outside world as she chases The Lion, voiced by Cress Williams ( Black Lightning ) and what it means for her and Wakanda.
The second, 'Legends and Lies', a standout episode, demonstrates the emotional turbulence that the job demands of Memnon / B'kai (Larry Herron, Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Raven Brooks ), who's forced to infiltrate another nation for a number of years. Here, Herron perfectly encapsulates the raw emotions of the character in his voice acting, supplementing a well-written episode that does a stellar job of capturing the poignancy and sacrifices involved in being a spy, compounding the internal struggles for B'Kai.
Taking place further down the timeline, 'Lost and Found' follows Basha (Jacques Colimon, The Sky is Everywhere ), a War Dog who has to thwart the Iron First / Jorani (Jona Xiao, Raya and the Last Dragon ), while retrieving a vibranium artefact. It depicts the protocols, equipment and hierarchies in place, while showcasing the sheer scale of the War Dogs' operations and how these peripheral systems support the field agents to successfully carry out their jobs.
The series finale, 'The Last Panther', ties up the entire series into a loose overarching narrative, but also establishes the importance of the War Dogs in Wakanda's history and in the Sacred Timeline. With Zeke Alton ( The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib ) portraying Prince Tafari, a War Dog field agent in training, who stumbles along under the guidance of Steve Toussaint's ( House of the Dragon ) Kuda, the duo will rediscover what it means to protect Wakanda's security. This episode also cements the importance of the War Dogs as protectors of Wakanda, and to an extent, their role in safeguarding the world, often at great personal cost and without credit.
Together, the four-episode adventure not only paints a comprehensive view of the War Dogs and their understated importance in Wakandan history, but also explores the different emotional facets that are unique to each War Dog, whether it's identity, guilt, humility or self-sacrifice, serving as a parallel to the progress of their missions. This nuance humanises the War Dogs, fleshing them out in a way that elevates the short series to more than just a collection of exciting and beautifully animated action sequences or an anthropological study of Wakanda, turning it into something more.
Still, there are some chinks in the armour. While it's understandable that the short runtime only allows for limited character exploration, certain characters could have enjoyed more care. The latter two episodes of Eyes of Wakanda , in particular, feel abrupt when it comes to the turnaround of certain characters, who seemingly make a great deal of growth in a brief period, with Episode 3 subjecting its protagonist to stunted development. On top of that, the much-anticipated introduction of Xiao's Iron Fist falls rather flat as she winds up being a rather two-dimensional character who seemingly only serves the purpose of plot advancement.
The show's animation and artwork are also beautiful, furnished in a style that's more nuanced than that of What If…?. The artistic flair is steeped in texture, deep illustrations, and a hand-drawn approach, as opposed to the cel-shaded animation of its counterpart. Alongside a stylistic flair and dynamism, the brushwork visual style is reminiscent of modern African-American artists such as Ernie Barnes and illustrator Dean Cornwell, complete with sleek animation and visually striking effects used to display the energy-displacing abilities of vibranium technology.
The action sequences are seamless and thrilling, with a particular sequence, echoing the team-up of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes against Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War , done particularly well. It may lack the visceral impact that comes with omnidirectional point-of-view switches used in other animations, but that ultimately is a stylistic choice, and it works to great effect in Eyes of Wakanda .
Is the show necessary? Perhaps not. Although it ties into the Sacred Timeline and provides some additional contextual information for existing properties in the MCU, Eyes of Wakanda is first and foremost a self-contained adventure, and fans could theoretically opt to skip this show and still not lack any knowledge when watching future projects. However, between the gorgeous visuals and the heart it brings, this anthology is certainly still worth a watch, and fans will certainly enjoy the ride.
Summary
Eyes of Wakanda may be an anthology, but it also examines emotional themes that elevate the series beyond a mere collection of short stories. While a standalone series that has no bearing on the MCU, fans who opt in for the ride will certainly be in for an eye-opening and thrilling ride. Story - 7.5/10
Direction - 7/10
Characterisation - 7/10
Geek Satisfaction - 8/10
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he's not sleeping, he's highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it's honestly pretty close. Disney+ Eyes of Wakanda Marvel Review