I wasn't sure why I hadn't watched this movie despite it getting so much praise and having it on my device for the longest time. I just kept on procrastinating, but finally, I decided to give it a watch, and I must say that I am glad that I did.
The Woman King is a 2022 Action adventure movie. It airs for about 2 hours 15 minutes. It has an IMDb rating of 6.9/10 which I think is just disrespectful. It is very loosely based on historical events.
PLOT
The people of Dahomey are peculiar people, in that they're the only set of people with female warriors, the Agojie. The Agojie are not just random female warriors however, they're the best of the best, trained intensively to fight any battle. At the time the people of Dahomey are contemplating severing their ties with the people of Oyo because they are tired of paying for their produce in exchange for peace. They are also trying to stop the slave trade which is very rampant at that time.
We are introduced to Nawi, a young lady who refuses to be betrothed to an old man with multiple wives, like most women of her tribe. Her father is fed up with her and offers her to the palace to be trained as an Agojie.
We are also introduced to Nanisca (my favourite character), she's a fierce warrior and the leader of the Agojie. We see her try to advise the king and steer him to cutting ties with the Oyo, and ending the slave trade, we're also informed of her ambition of becoming the first woman king. Will she do it?
MY THOUGHTS
Where do I start from? The storytelling. There's just something about the way the story is told. Right from the beginning, you're immersed in the world of Dahomey right from the beginning to the end. Then the acting. I especially loved Viola Davis's performance in this movie, she owned the role and played it to perfection, I already mentioned her character Nanisca was my favourite. Another standout actor for me was Jimmy Odukoya. He fit the role perfectly and was a very good villain in my opinion. All the actors did well, to be honest, though I'd say I didn't really find John Boyega a very convincing king.
The action scenes were really good, with great effects, although the blood was kept to a minimum surprisingly. Even in war, there wasn't too much splashing of blood.
Pacing was good, and at no point did it feel rushed. The producers did a good job with this one.
Then the fact that it's loosely based on real events from the past. Although the story is fictional it did make me go online to search and I realized that Dahomey was actually a real tribe (now modern day Benin) and the Agojie (and the concept of the woman king) were actually a real group of female warriors which at a time when women were treated as less than seems pretty cool. So yeah I guess learning history after watching a movie kind of adds to its thrill.
I will give the woman king an 8.5/10 rating. it's a very enjoyable movie and one I'd recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it. There's a little something In it for everyone.
THANKS FOR READING
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