So after you’ve become an EGOT, what’s a Hollywood superstar to do? Viola Davis tries to answer that question in The Woman King, a historical action adventure romp by Gina Prince-Bythewood that features her in one of her more visceral roles. As warrior-general Nanisca, she stars in a pretty solid war/boot camp movie that also does a nice job of showing people adjusting with change and self-determination.
Personally, I like the fact we’re getting an influx of older action leads. If Sly Stallone at 70-something can still go, ageism shouldn’t prevent the middle-aged Davis from looking like a boss leading the all-women Agojie fighters against the empire of Oyo, rescuing captives meant to be sold into slavery. It’s this part of the plot that’s been generating some controversy, with many pointing out just how much the Agojie’s Dahomey tribe was rooted in the trade. Woman King doesn’t ignore this entirely, as it’s a source of conflict throughout the narrative.
Nawi is basically our viewpoint character, a teenage warrior trainee who’s refused to coexist with her sleazy chosen husband, and is now being built up for an oncoming war against the Oyos. Her evolving relationship with Nanisca is a key part of the storyline as she remains stubborn and risk-taking even as she develops her skills- almost like a gender-inverted Maverick Mitchell, if you will.
She also sparks up a kinship with Izogie, a veteran fighter played by Lashana Lynch who displays a good amount of charisma and depth. It’s quite a different turn from her performance in No Time To Die, because I thought about a third through “oh yeah, it’s that James Bond girl.”
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Davis has some good interaction with John Boyega’s King Ghezo, a preening monarch who is remarkably progressive for his time but can still be slower to progress than Nanisca, who feels it’s time for the tribe to move away from the slave trade, much to the disappointment of his Portuguese partner (Hero Fiennes Tiffin.) There’s simultaneously bits of humor and heart between her and Amenza (Sheila Atim), something of a seer who often annoys Nanisca when they have to consult “the nuts.”
Woman King at the least acknowledges that the trade was incredibly complicated as it was tragic, but rather than a sobering focus on those aspects, the movie has warriors storming through trying to free prisoners in these epic raids. Prince-Bythewood, judging by her previous Netflix action-fantasy The Old Guard, has a generally more serious vibe to her popcorn movies than most of her peers, but her newest entry is certainly more focused on being a crowd pleaser. She isn’t afraid to put her characters through hard ordeals, but also powering them up when the story progression calls for it.
Story-wise I don’t think it’s flawless, not specifically because of its inaccuracies but more because it treads on a few cliches. No spoilers, but some of the tropes around Nanisca fall into stuff that’s probably a bit overdone with female action leads by now. Still, those faults aren’t enough IMO to completely derail the film as a decent watch that doesn’t drag too often. Much like Dr. Strange and Batman earlier this year, the PG-13 rating here’s fairly hard with vividness to the combat that might make the audience wince at points, yet like those films it’s edited just enough not to fall into showing anything too over the line.
Basically, if you’re coming in here for a strictly accurate and detailed account of the Dahomey tribe, this movie’s probably gonna make your head hurt (there are reviewers and professors across the country being taken out by Woman King left and right in this regard). But I look at it as a period action-drama with Hollywood fantasy elements thrown in. It’s the kind of historical war movie that one may enjoy more if they don’t take it too seriously. The tone reminds me a good deal of 300, another balls-to-the-wall battle flick that took a bunch of creative liberties with its story (I know we all clown on Zack Snyder for a variety of reasons, I’m guilty of it too, but I’ll admit that’s maybe my favorite film from him).
I’d say there’s a nice emotive adventure film to be enjoyed with The Woman King so long as one understands it’s meant to be “old-fashioned Hollywood epic” entertainment and not exactly anything scholarly. It’s another good example of Viola Davis’s range, and with some nice cinematography on the part of Polly Morgan that makes everything look suitably majestic and a well-paced plot that doesn’t overstay its welcome, I think I can give it a decent recommendation. But what was your take on it? If you loved or hated it, let us know your thoughts on it at FAN’s social media hubs!