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The Woman King 4K UHD Review

“The Woman King” is an empowering action film.

Based on a true story, the 1823 set “The Woman King” focuses on the West African Kingdom of Dahomey who are led by King Dhezo and his all female warrior women group known as the Agojie. Dahomey is at war with the Oyo who have been abducting and enslaving Dahomey. The Dana Stevens scripted story primarily focuses on two characters- General Nanisca (the leader of the Agojie) and Nawi (an Agojie trainee who begins to rise up the ranks).

“The Woman King” may be reminiscent of other films that have come before it ala “Black Panther,” “Gladiator,” “Braveheart,” and so forth, but that doesn’t lessen its impact. This Oscar contender has been acclaimed since its release and it’s not hard to see why as it works on so many levels. It’s an empowering story about brave badass black warrior women, it’s a fascinating epic cultural biodrama, and it’s an exciting action film filled with big battles, pulse pounding training sequences, and intense hand to hand combat scenes. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood continues to show versatility as a filmmaker having done a romantic sports drama (“Love And Basketball”), an underrated romantic music drama (“Beyond The Lights”) and now a historical action film with “The Woman King.” This film may not have the budget of say a Marvel movie, but there’s no question that Prince-Bythewood used every dollar to the fullest advantage on the big screen when it came to the production values.

Cast wise, there’s a wealth of talent here. Obviously, Viola Davis (who is also a producer here) is the one garnering the most attention with an Oscar nomination surely on the horizon. The actress easily gives one of her best performances and goes outside her usual comfort zones here with a very physically demanding role. Thuso Mbedu is a relative unknown but she’s sure to become a star after her performance as Nawi. Lashana Lynch (Izogie) continues her meteoric rise in a scene-stealing role and John Boyega also shines as King Ghezo.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1 2160p. How does it look? The rich bright colors (especially in the exterior location shooting) shine in 4K.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it look? A lively and layered audio experience. A big thumbs up.

Extras:
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy
* Commentary by director Gina Prince-Bythewood and editor Terilyn A. Shropshire.
* Thuso Mbedu auditions
* “Representation Matters”- A 10 minute featurette that runs down the film’s themes and story (and the true story), production design, representation, and more. Cast and crew interviews are included.
* “A Caterpillar’s Destruction: Viola Davis On Set”- A look at how the project came about and Viola’s experience in filming the movie.
* “Woman/Warrior” is about casting and the cast.
* “Storytellers” is all about the female creative team.

December 14, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Dahomey, Gina Price-Bythewood, John Boyega, The Woman King, The Woman King 4K UHD Review, Thuso Mbedu, Viola Davis