MOVIE REVIEW: THE WOMAN KING

 

The Woman King is a 2022 American historical epic film about the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries. Set in the 1820s, the film stars Viola Davis as a general who trains the next generation of warriors to fight their enemies.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Cast: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega

Release Date: September 16, 2022

Genre: Action, Drama, History

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing material, thematic content, brief language and partial nudity.

Runtime: 2h 15m

Review:

The Woman King is a bit of a throwback to old fashion historical epics.  Gina Prince-Bythewood's film hits the standard beats by delivering a handful of well done action set pieces in between quieter moments that make up the larger part of the actual film. She keeps a keen focus on the characters and she gives the audience time to get to know a handful of them.  Viola Davis's General Nanisca gets the lion share of the attention and for good reason. Davis's world-weary façade and imposing physicality make her tailormade for the role.  She's the perfect actress to capture the ferocity of the role while balancing the quieter more vulnerable moments.  Lashana Lynch and Sheila Atim both deliver solid supporting roles as warrior and confidants to Nanisca with each getting plenty of screen time to leave a memorable impression. John Boyega isn't asked do much outside of sound and look regal which he accomplishes with general ease. Thuso Mbedu plays a young woman given to the female troop with her sub plot increasing in importance as the film moves on.  Mbedu does her best, but she feels miscast since she's never able to believably exude the strength her character is supposed to have.  It doesn't help that the script is thin on characterization, giving each character a few traits but very little else in terms of depth. Additionally, there are pacing issues that pop up especially in the final act where the film noticeably drags in spots making it feel much longer than its 2 hour and 15 minute runtime.  Even with its faults The Woman King is a solid addition to the genre anchored by a strong central performance.

B

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Old Guard

With local cinemas still struggling to get by on a diet of classics and films whose theatrical releases were interrupted by Covid_19, this week I again threw myself on the mercy of streaming services. I really wanted to watch the Tom Hanks movie, but I don't have Apple+ and I *do* have Netflix, so...the Old Guard it was.

Spoiler level here will be moderate, likely nothing a trailer wouldn’t have revealed if you saw one, which I did not.

A team of immortal mercenaries struggles to keep its existence secret while unexpectedly finding another of their kind.

I have to admit, dear reader(s), that the Old Guard couldn't quite hold my attention for its duration, though, in fairness, little does these days. The world as it stands is difficult to keep at bay, and it's tough to avoid distractions and interruptions outside the cinema. That aside, the movie does try a bit too hard at times, and some of the dialogue is awkwardly written or awkwardly delivered, or maybe both. It probably could have used at least a small trim as well.

Despite those few small quibbles, the Old Guard gets it mostly right. Characters who have lived for hundreds of years have volumes of backstory, and the movie provides enough, but never bogs down with explaining itself. Its action is well spaced and well paced, and the fight choreography is really good. Characters and those portraying them, faces familiar and not, are engaging; there isn't one of the principals I didn't want to learn more about. Charlize Theron is fantastic, as always, in the lead, and the supporting cast is pitch perfect, too. The Old Guard is beautifully diverse, but never for the sake of it. Everything feels organic; the movie doesn't beat its audience over the head to make a point. The story winds to a nice finish, but definitely leaves plenty of room for prequels or sequels if the demand is there.

The Old Guard clocks in at 125 minutes, and is rated R for "sequences of graphic violence and language."

The Old Guard is a smart, solid action flick that wouldn't have felt out of place in a normal summer of blockbuster superhero fare.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Old Guard gets seven and a half. Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE OLD GUARD

A group of mercenaries, all centuries-old immortals with the ablity to heal themselves, discover someone is onto their secret, and they must fight to protect their freedom.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Cast: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Release Date: July 10, 2020

Genres: Action, Fantasy

Rated R for sequences of graphic violence, and language.

Runtime: 2h 5min

Review:

Charlize Theron is one of those actresses that make pretty much any production better simply by taking part in it.  She’s the type of performer that’s always interesting especially when she has a role that’s meaty enough for her talents.  The Old Guard offers an intriguing and fun role for her even if it doesn’t take full advantage of her talents.  Gina Prince-Bythewood directs the film with an impressive bit of energy even if the story covers some well worn tropes in the comic book genre.  The film’s action sequences are impressively choreographed with some of them being particularly brutal ballets of destructions.  The quieter moments have varying levels of effectiveness with some feeling like genuine character building moments while others feel like they could have been left on the cutting room floor.  The cast plays well off each other even if KiKi Layne comes off as a bit stiff in here and there but for the most part the ensemble make for an engaging group.  Sadly, Chiwetel Ejiofor isn’t used nearly enough which seems like a major misstep and the villain played by Harry Melling is about as stereotypical as they come.  The story does suffer from being a franchise starter with the finale leave a massive open door for future installments.  As a result, it feels like the film doesn’t explore the story to its fullest potential with a handful of story threads left unexplored. 

B-