October 6, 2022
In 1823, Dahomey was a kingdom in West Africa under King Ghezo (John Boyega) who favored to engage in the slave trade, rather than the less-exploitative palm oil trade. The tough and battle-scarred General Nanisca (Viola Davis) led their major line of defense -- an all-female army of warriors called the Agojie. When the Agojie freed a number of Dahomey women captured by the slavers of the rival Oyo Empire, the brutish Oyo General Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya) declared war on the Dahomey.
Nawi (Thuso Mbude) was a spirited young woman who was not afraid of speaking her mind. She outright rejected the abusive older man arranged for her to marry, and was taken to be trained with the Agojie. She was impulsive and impetuous, which led to frequent upbraiding from Nanisca herself. One day, Nawi met and befriended half-Dahomean gentleman Malik (Jordan Bolger), who came with the European slavers conniving with the Oyo, led by Santo Ferrera (Hero Fiennes Tiffin).
As before, Viola Davis dominates this film with her powerful screen presence. The closest thing we have seen Davis in an action movie would probably be her recurring role as Amanda Waller in DCEU movies. But here in the title role of the fearless warrior Nanisca, a buffed Davis is in full-on action mode. However, the role, with Nanisca's bitter war experiences and delicate secrets, also gave her room to flex her acclaimed dramatic chops which we know so well. An Oscar nomination for Best Actress is inevitable.
Not eclipsed by Davis' star power was youthful-looking 31-year old South African actress Thuso Mbude. She had recently received critical praise for her intense portrayal of runaway slave Cora in "The Underground Railroad" (2021) and this is her feature film debut. Her Nawi (incidentally the name of the last known Agojie warrior who died in 1979) can come across as arrogant and belligerent, but she earns respect with her independent mind and spirit. An Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress is not a far-off possibility.
Aside from Davis and Mbude, strong performances were also given by Lashana Lynch (whom we knew as Maria Rambeau in "Captain Marvel") and Sheila Atim (whom we knew as Buddhakan in Halle Berry's MMA drama "Bruised") as veteran Agojie. As King Ghezo, John Boyega was regal and charismatic, looking very different from Finn in the Star Wars' films. As the only white actor in the cast, Hero Fiennes Tiffin also sports a different look here compared to his recent "After" young adult romance series of films.
The only African women warriors most modern movie fans know would likely be the Dora Milaje from "Black Panther" (2018). It is about time that their real-life inspiration -- the Agojie, who protected the Kingdom of Dahomey from the 17th to 19th century, were given a film of their own, as made by female filmmakers, writer Dana Stevens and director Gina Prince-Bythewood. The action sequences were well-choreographed and brutal without gore. The romance bit felt forced and out of place, and even dampened its powerful message. 7/10
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