I saw it Friday night in IMAX 3D and absolutely loved it. I would have posted my thoughts sooner, but I've had a busy weekend.
I want to begin by saying that the audience in my theater was probably the best I've ever been with. The energy in the room was excited and positive all the way until the lights came back on, which was really fun.
As for the movie itself, I thought it was great. I have a few gripes here and there, but overall it's a damn fine addition to the MCU and a very special moment in cinema as a whole. The first half felt very similar to a Bond film, which was really cool. The visuals and art design of Wakanda and their tech was extremely impressive, although it did feel a little odd that the Wakandan culture is still so primitive/traditional in dress and rituals, yet their technology is literally out of this world. However, this primitive, ritual driven society was actually super interesting and beautiful to watch on screen, so it's not even a big deal.
Story/Characters - I thought that the story was intriguing and well thought out. It takes a while for this story to focus in, but once it does it really delivers. It's character-driven, and rightfully so, because there are a boat load of amazing characters to explore in this universe. Chadwick Boseman doesn't disappoint as the cool and level-headed T'Challa, but the real standouts to me are Shuri, Killmonger, Okoye/Nakia, and Klaue. Shuri is easily the greatest character in this movie...she's so charming and has such a fun relationship with her older brother. Michael B. Jordan kills it as Killmonger (no pun intended). It's been said many times before, but Killmonger is by far one of the best MCU villains to date. You can actually understand where his objectives and perspectives come from, although I could have done with a bit less of the heavy-handed comments he makes throughout the film. It's not necessarily that I found them to be upsetting, it's just that they didn't feel like they fit entirely within the context of the film itself. Also, I'm bummed that he dies at the end. Moving on to the incredible women in this movie...Okoye and Nakia. It was so nice to see such well written, strong, and beautiful women kick serious ass alongside our hero. Both characters were a favorite part of the film for me. Finally, Ulysses Klaue (RIP). Andy Serkis finally gets to show his actual face, and he is absolutely hilarious. His over-the-top goofiness helps even out the mostly serious tone of the movie. Also bummed he's killed off too as I would have loved to have him pop up again down the road as the annoying enemy of Black Panther.
Tone - Speaking of the serious tone of the movie, the humor is much more subdued than the other MCU movies. That's not to say that it isn't funny, because it certainly has its moments, but overall it's much stronger because it focuses more on the drama between the characters and the nation itself.
Music - The music is phenomenal. Maybe the MCU movie with the most personality in terms of music in my opinion. I do wish they'd included a few more songs from Black Panther: The Album though (which I'm obsessed with btw. If you haven't listened to it yet, do yourself a favor). There were some great moments they could have added some more songs in. I particularly liked how they differentiated T'Challa and Killmonger with music - T'Challa with the traditional Wakandan sound and Kilmonger with the modern hip-hop/R&B beats.
Gripes - My first complaint is the fact that vibranium is essentially the magic answer to any problem. It seems like a bit of a stretch, but I assume that's just how it is in the comics as well. My second complaint is that some of the action scenes felt too over-the-top for me. Namely the South Korea car chase scene. Overall, the choreography of the fights scenes could have been improved greatly, specifically during the casino brawl and the end battle between T'Challa and Killmonger. They weren't bad, they just could have been better. Finally, I thought that the CGI work was lacking throughout the film. The car chase scene, the Warrior Falls scenes, and the T'Challa/Killmonger battle on the train platform come to mind. I guess I just expected a little better from a Marvel Studios movie in 2018.
I loved this movie though and enjoyed it a lot more than Thor: Ragnarok. I'm really looking forward to seeing it again soon and spending more time in Wakanda in future installments. Wakanda Forever!