'Woman King’ a rousing, exhilarating epic film

‘The Woman King’ is a remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Inspired by true events, this powerful film follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and prepares them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

Some things are worth fighting for...

‘The Woman King’ is an amazingly inspiring film that delivers incredible performances and really amazingly shot action sequences. There are numerous moments in this film that shows you what these strong-willed warriors went through. The film shows some of the tense, rigorous training these women warriors completed and a lot of those scenes are really compelling to watch.

The action shown throughout ‘The Woman King’ is simply amazing and is incredibly shot. There are some very captivating battle sequences that blend with the incredible African scenery that makes the scenes even better. One thing the film shows that is very intriguing are the scenes that show some of the African culture.

Another thing that makes this film work extremely well are the amazing performances from all the actors involved - especially Viola Davis. This talented actress gives it her all in every role she plays, including this one. The performances from everyone who played the warriors makes the character-driven moments very effective and makes you feel for the characters. And, honestly, I can see Viola Davis receive numerous nominations for her performance.

Overall, ‘The Woman King’ is an amazing feature that delivers some breath-taking action, strong performances and an entrancing musical score that helps give the film life. So, make sure to check out this powerful film on the big screen right at the Dietrich.

The cast: Viola Davis as Nanisca; Thuso Mbedu as Nawi; Lashana Lynch as Izogie; Shelia Atm as Amenza; Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Santo Ferreira; Jimmy Odukoya as Oba Ade; Masali Baduza as Fumbe; Jayme Lawson as Shante; Sivuyile Ngesi as The Migan and John Boyega as King Ghezo.

‘The Woman King’ is written by Dana Stevens (Netflix’s Fatherhood; Safe Haven; For Love of the Game; City of Angels) and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Netflix’s The Old Guard; The Secret Life of Bees; Love & Basketball). ‘The Woman King’ has been in development since 2015 when actress/producer Maria Bello (who helped create the story and produce the film) went to the West African nation of Benin to learn the history of the Abojie. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood referenced epic films like ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Braveheart,’ and ‘Gladiator,’ and athleticism as influences. You can find more interesting tidbits for the film on my Examiner Reviews Facebook page.

‘The Woman King’ is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing material, thematic content, brief language and partial nudity and has a running time of 135 minutes.