The Woman King - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Woman King



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
The Woman King was on my short list when I was deciding which movies to put on the top 20 films of the year for us, and for good reason. In a dearth of great theatrical movies we are STARVING for good content, and a whole bevy of great actors and actresses portraying the victory of the infamous Dahomey female warriors was a fun change of pace from the Oscar baits and generic MCU movies we had been getting. The film itself is a load of fun as long as you can over look some historical errors as well as a smattering of changing themes and tones to fit modern sensibilities. Viola Davis is on fire, and the entire 2 hour and 14 minute film just flies by.

In the African nation of Dahomey, King Gheza (John Boyega) is trying to figure out a way to get his people out from under the thumb of the Oyo Empire. There was a tentative peace where Gheza and the Dahomey people paid tribute to the Oyo Empire, but the Oyo had been raiding Dahomey villages and selling their captives to European slave traders to bring to the Americas. Finally, realizing enough was enough, Gheza employs the help of his elite all female fighting force known as the Agojie to defy the might of the Oyo.

The Woman King seems like a straight forward “Amazon style warriors take back their kingdom from oppressors” story on the surface, but it gets a lot more complicated. It was lambasted by some as being a bit overly “woke” due to the activism found throughout the movie, and I can sort of see why. There are major changes to the actual historical incidents (such as King Gheza wanting to altruistically abolish the slave trade, while the real King Gheza was extremely cruel, engaging in the slave trade of other tribes until the British forced him to stop. But even then he continued covert raids until he died), and also inserting modern sensibilities on the slave trade and feminist viewpoints into how the Agojie were run. I mean, huge portions of the story were altered to the point where the movie is really just a “based upon a sorta true real life story” situation, but if those historical inaccuracies can be ignored the movie itself is quite fun.

The film jumps from straight up action movie to a slow paced drama, introducing the leader of the Agojie, General Nanisca (Viola Davis) who is a hard bitten warrior who just wants the best for her people. Things change for the general when a precocious 19 year old is conscripted into the ranks, and changes her view points on how things should be done, and what true courage really is. Viola is in top notch form here, turning in probably the second best performance of the movie (while Nanisca is great, Lashana Lynch as her second in command Izogie absolutely stole the show. She had such incredible chemistry with young Nawi)

While the movie can be a bit uneven with plot points (the daughter one was just unnecessary) the acting itself is superb. Viola Davis was a power house as General Nanisca and the action scenes were amazing. The Dahomey warriors were made out to be an elite fighting force that reigned terror and destruction down on anyone they came across. Again, not a perfect movie, but filled with stunning performances all around (except for John Boyega who is just passable as King Gheza) and some awesome action.




Rating:

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




4K Video: Video:

The 2160p 2.39:1 framed encode is a rather large jump over the already great looking Blu-ray. The color grading from the HDR application is very sizable, adding tons of texture and richness to the brown African colors, and the dark red clothing of the Dahomey fighting force. It’s not going to be super bright and full of primaries, but the black levels are inky and superbly detailed, showing off the browns, ambers and various wood tones that the film dominates. Resolution increases are very impressive as well. Especially in the darker shots where the Blu-ray started to crush a bit. It’s just so crisp, clean and vibrant that I honestly was having a hard time finding anything wrong with it. Beads of sweat, blood wounds, and various clothing intricacies are visibly amazing, but I did notice a few bouts of softness when dealing with the Oyo village, as well as on the trip to the slave market. Overall, a very good looking 4K image.







Audio:

The Dolby Atmos track is actually really similar to the Blu-ray’s 5.1 DTS-HD MA track, just with overhead enhancements and a better sense of directionality. Otherwise the Blu-ray’s “meager” 5.1 DTS-HD MA track still sounds really superb. The sonic power of the movie is on full display, with a frenetic use of the surrounds during the battle sequences, and a more subtle approach with ambient noises (such as in the underground bath house where water is splashing and shifting in the background). Vocals are crisp and clear as usual, and the bass can be quite powerful when needed (usually action oriented scenes only, or with the pulsating tribal training beats). All around great mix.








Extras:

• A Caterpillar's Destruction: Viola Davis On Set
• Representation Matters (Featurette)
• Woman/Warrior (Featurette)
• Storytellers (Featurette)
• Thuso Mbedu Auditions
• Filmmakers' Commentary

Final Score: ​

The Woman King was better than expected, but also has some distinct tonal issues relating to modern sensibilities that can take one out of the story if you’re familiar with the ACTUAL history of the Dahomey people. That being said, treat the film as a piece of fiction unrelated to actual events (outside of generalities). The 4K UHD disc looks and sounds superb, giving a nice edge over the already great Blu-ray. Solid watch in my personal opinion.

Technical Specifications:

Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbdedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega, Jordan Bolger
Directed by: Gina Prince-Blythewood
Written by: Gina Prince-Blythewood
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1, Portuguese DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish
Studio: Sony Pictures
Rated: PG-13
Runtime:135 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: December 13th, 2022

Recommendation: Solid Watch

 

[Epoxy1]

Understatement of the year: "The film itself is a load of fun as long as you can over look some historical errors"

I loved the film as well, but it is NOT a history lesson. The only historically accurate figure is the King, but his portrayal is opposite of his actual actions in real life. Don't let that dissuade you from watching the film though...it's a blast (as a work of fiction). Mostly agree with your assessment Michael...I gave the video a perfect score. Regardless, great job!

The Woman King vs. the True Story of Dahomey's Female Warriors

We pit The Woman King vs. the true story of the Kingdom of Dahomey and their female warriors, the Agojie, also known as the Dahomey Amazons.

www.historyvshollywood.com

 

[Michael Scott]

Understatement of the year: "The film itself is a load of fun as long as you can over look some historical errors"

I loved the film as well, but it is NOT a history lesson. The only historically accurate figure is the King, but his portrayal is opposite of his actual actions in real life. Don't let that dissuade you from watching the film though...it's a blast (as a work of fiction). Mostly agree with your assessment Michael...I gave the video a perfect score. Regardless, great job!

The Woman King vs. the True Story of Dahomey's Female Warriors

We pit The Woman King vs. the true story of the Kingdom of Dahomey and their female warriors, the Agojie, also known as the Dahomey Amazons.

www.historyvshollywood.com

yeah, that was my take away. it's HORRIBLY inconsistent with the history of the Dahomey people, but it is most definitely a fun piece of fiction