The Woman King - Review

 

There might not be an actor currently working as legendary as Viola Davis (“Doubt,” “How to Get Away with Murder”). Even other actresses of her caliber like Meryl Streep have fallen off somewhat in recent years or have just disappeared from regular acting roles. But Davis is still putting her entire being into each new role, and she can now add badass action warrior to her list of accolades.

“The Woman King” stars Davis as General Nanisca, the leader of a group known as the Agojie, an all-female unit of warriors who protected the King Ghezo, played by John Boyega (“Attack the Block,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), of the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th century. It follows Nanisca dealing with both the training of a new batch of warriors, including Nawi, played by Thuso Mbedu (“The Underground Railroad (2021),” “Generations: The Legacy”), as well as fending off the encroaching Oyo empire and their European trade partners with her warriors including Izogie, played by Lashana Lynch (“Captain Marvel,” “No Time to Die”) and Amenza, played by Sheila Atim (“The Underground Railroad (2021),” “Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness”).

From an emotional standpoint, its easy to see a film like this get swept up in the strength and action of its plot, disregarding its characters in the process. However, that absolutely doesn’t happen here as director Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball,” “The Old Guard”) and writers Dana Stevens (“For the Love of the Game,” “Safe Haven”) and Maria Bello have made sure that the emotion and dramatic moments of the film compliment the action sequences and vice versa.

Davis is just incredible, taking what could easily have been a hardened role with little emotion and emoting and crafting Nanisca into a truly fascinating and rich portrait of a general determined to protect her people and her warriors. Mbedu, in her film debut, absolutely holds her own against the Oscar winner and delivers a rich and badass performance as Nawi. Really, everyone is excellent; Atim is a hardened badass who still manages to be Nanisca’s emotional confidant and Boyega plays King Ghezo with a trusting but still commanding presence. Lynch though, might be giving an even better performance than Davis, truly bringing Izogie to life in a way that inspires admiration for this exceptionally deadly and charming warrior.

The action choreography is exceptional. There’s not a lot of flair or fantastical camerawork here, instead implementing a fairly straightforward look to everything. It allows cinematographer Polly Morgan (“Legion (2017),” “A Quiet Place Part II”) to capture the raw skill on display with ease and makes sure that, no matter who’s onscreen, the strength and talent of these warriors is always communicated clearly. Each action sequence feels like an elaborate diorama of precision, with just enough blood and violence to intimidate without overwhelming, infused with a thumping and epic score from Terence Blanchard (“Malcom X,” “BlacKkKlansman”).

It’s a very deliberately paced film, taking as much time as it needs to clearly establish each element so that they can all come together in a flurry of blows and satisfying moments in the end. This is not the kind of action film where every other moment involves a trading of blows, but its also not the kind of drama that tricks its audience by promising action and not delivering it. It, like the Agojie, bides its time so that the perfect moment to strike is, indeed, perfect.

While just about everything here works and works exceptionally well, the film’s romantic subplot involving Nawi and Malik, played by Jordan Bolger (“Peaky Blinders,” “The Book of Boba Fett”), a half-Dahomey, half-Portuguese trader from Europe, feels out of place considering the rest of the film. It’s not bad, and it eventually concludes in a way that emboldens the rest of the film’s themes and allows it to fit into place, but for basically eighty percent of the subplot it feels out of place.

But that’s a minor problem at best, a nitpick at worst, as this is a film that truly provides the best of multiple worlds. A strong dramatic story, an exciting action film, and a showcase for multiple excellent performances from many extremely talented actors, “The Woman King” is just good old-fashioned movie making at its finest. Like the myriad of women in its story, it, quite simply, kicks ass. 4.5/5