Creed II
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Homecoming
Log in with Facebook
OR
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango.
Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password.
Critics Consensus: The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution offers a fascinating -- if somewhat rudimentary -- introduction to a movement, and an era, that remains soberingly relevant today.
Critic Consensus: The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution offers a fascinating -- if somewhat rudimentary -- introduction to a movement, and an era, that remains soberingly relevant today.
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (5)
"The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution" arrives on PBS stations early next year. I suggest not waiting.
The documentary connects the past and the present so forcefully that we see our own reflection in the struggle to bring power to the people.
Nelson understands the play of outsized personalities and unexpected events, and he's helped that enough time has passed for former Panthers to feel comfortable telling their stories, especially to someone of Nelson's stature in the documentary world.
[A] straightforward, liberal-minded history of the Black Panther Party.
If "The Black Panthers" has been designed to leave viewers outraged and energized in equal measure, it succeeds with admirable style. It counts both as essential history and a primer in making sense of how we live now.
A brisk, balanced mix of interviews, archival footage, and photos backed by a pointed soundtrack ...
Vanguard, sadly, spends much of its time describing the boring and irrelevant power struggles between the biggest egos in the organization.
If the names Huey Newton, Bobby Seale and Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver don't spark some recognition in you (and they should), Nelson's film acts as a smart, moving primer for anyone wanting a point of entry into the Black Panther origin story.
If you're doing general research on the Panthers and a need resource, or interested in learning more about their story (from a male perspective only), THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION is definitely for you.
Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution paints a full, nuanced portrait of the party, and what it meant to those involved.
Stick with this movie. It has a lot to say, a lot to reveal and is pertinent to today's testy police/civilian race relations.
The Panthers' confused manifesto included shades of Marxism, Leninism and the black nationalist theories of Malcolm X... But the movement's descent into violence and corruption was swift and fatal, as Mr. Nelson's fine film painstakingly demonstrates.
Nelson's historical account of the Panthers is really well put together. I had actually always wondered about the demise of the main Panther movement and a lot of questions were answered in this film. Well done.
Super Reviewer
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.
View All