Rent The Woman King on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Dana Stevens (screenplay by), Maria Bello and Dana Stevens (story by)
Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega, Jordan Bolger
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Verdict
The fact this is based on history bolsters the narrative, but the major story beats are contrived and coincidental. This movie tries to link all of the main characters for a bigger payoff in the conclusion, but it's manipulative. This has a great story inspiration, but doesn't develop it into anything interesting. What we get is something clunky with little nuance.
Skip it.
Review
This establishes the all women warrior group early. They are brutal and efficient, freeing captives that are being held for slavery. That's a great introduction to the movie and subject.
Our insight into this group is through a new recruit, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu). She's outspoken and defiant, a classic cocky newcomer trope. Like most of these tropes, Nawi just needs the right mentor, which could be General Nanisca (Viola Davis). Nawi trains to become part of the elite Agojie unit. While even the bad guys of the movie mock this woman unit, the movie makes it clear these warriors are as tough as anyone.
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| Viola Davis plays Generan Nanisca |
There's trouble amongst the tribes, with the Oyo trying to subjugate the Dahomey. This movie isn't historically accurate. The Dahomey tribe is made to look better than the surrounding tribes, just to give this movie the typical good guy/bad guy split, but in reality they were all similar.
We're introduced to slavers, with Malik (Jordan Bolger) being descended from the tribe he's enslaving. The movie doesn't do much with that. While his business sets him up for a heroic moment later in the movie, it doesn't address the fact that he was still a slaver. His heroic moment is more convenience than anything else. It's all drama that feels scripted. It's the same with the link this movie gives Nawi and Nanisca. It just seems unlikely. It's the kind of coincidence that only happens in movies.
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| Thuso Mbedu plays Nawi |
This really is a war movie, and the final act is preceded by a battle. The Agojie win, but lose many warriors. Nanisca wants to save her warriors, the same warriors she told earlier in the movie that they should kill themselves to avoid imprisonment, as they would be treated harsher for being warriors. All of the characters come together at the end, though it feels like a rather incredible contrivance.
Despite the historical setting, this is a story that's relevant today. This is a culture where women were the warriors and credible. The problem with the movie is that it falls victim to coincidences. This movie wants everything linked, but it doesn't need to be. This links Malik with the tribe, Nanisca with Nawi, and Nanisca with the general of the opposition. The movie opts for a terrible scenario with the general that happened in the past in an effort to make the final showdown more emotional, but it's just emotionally manipulative.
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