THE WOMAN KING,BUILDS AN ACTION SPECTACLE AROUND ITS TRUE STORY OF FEMALE WARRIOR.

‘The Woman King’ builds an action spectacle around its true story of female warriors
Viola Davis stars as the warrior leader in 'The Woman King.'
Viola Davis stars as the warrior leader in 'The Woman King.'

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Although “inspired by true events,” “The Woman King” clearly isn’t tethered to them, using the underlying story of 19th-century female warriors in an African kingdom as the jumping-off point for a rousing action vehicle, augmented by plenty of melodrama. That combination yields a strong showcase for the stars, featuring a cast and backdrop that serves to refresh its old-school formula.

Regal as always, Viola Davis provides the movie with its rock-solid core as General Nanisca, the leader of the Agojie, known as the Dahomey Amazons, a unit of women who swear off marriage and motherhood to pursue martial arts and defend the kingdom. It’s an egalitarian streak within a society where the king (John Boyega) still possesses a sprawling harem.