The Woman King

As long as you’re not too finicky about historical accuracy, The Woman King spotlights a worthwhile true-life tale of bravery and determination in the face of oppression and corruption.

A fresh female perspective and a rich cultural texture boost this otherwise formulaic war epic from director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love and Basketball), highlighted by a deeply felt portrayal from Oscar winner Viola Davis in the title role.

Davis plays Nanisca, leader of the Agojie, a group of all-female warriors tasked with protecting the West African kingdom of Dahomey (now known as Benin) from threats of colonialization and hostile invasion during the 19th century.

Tough-minded yet sympathetic, Nanisca can still hold her own wielding a machete on the front lines, but also play a matriarchal role while training the next generation of Agojie recruits. They include Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a headstrong teenager adamant about making her mark.

Although the backstory remains cloudy, tension arises over the general’s disagreement with King Ghezo (John Boyega) over ensuring Dahomey’s economic prosperity by essentially brokering deals with a neighboring kingdom to sell its people to rich Europeans such as a visiting Portuguese slave trader (Hero Fiennes Tiffin).

Ghezo isn’t the enemy, by any means, but the internal friction fuels a military uprising with Nanisca and Nawi at its center and Dahomey’s future in the balance.

Davis commands the screen as a steady leader whose personal struggle supplies the film with its emotional anchor. Nanisca must balance ruthlessness and compassion as her resilience and fortitude are tested.

The film generally lacks broader sociopolitical context outside of an opening text crawl, yet as the screenplay by Dana Stevens (For Love of the Game) heightens the stakes, it also delves into the moral complexity within its central conflict. Along the way, it waters down some historical details to shape the story for mainstream taste.

Along with the resulting cliches and melodramatic contrivances — complete with a subplot about forbidden love and some rousing speeches to rally the underdog troops — the script suffers from stilted dialogue and thinly sketched villains.

Still, even if they’re predictable and perhaps too sanitized, the battlefield sequences convey a visceral intensity. Plus, the technical proficiency carries over to some splendid hairstyling and costume design. But beneath the stylish surface, The Woman King succeeds most by mixing heroism and humanity.

Rated PG-13, 134 minutes.