Amina, la reina guerrera

I found this movie interesting on several levels. It had a strong female lead, and a good supporting cast. The villain was comical, and I was glad when he got his just desert: death at the hands of Queen Amina and her supporters. The epitaph of her reign was informative and made up for all the flaws in the storyline and direction. Watch and learn, you'll be glad you did.

It's almost funny that someone who really likes this (even says loves it), still only gives it 6 out of 10 stars. I reckon that is saying something, yes? On the other hand, as you can see by the rating of many, it plays along the general line of what most think of the movie.

Having said that, maybe you will more enticed and more engaged in the story than others. That is always tough to predict. Overall the story is not a bad one and there is even some action here. Still it did leave me quite cold and not caring too much about the main characters. The actors still do a good job - it is just tough for me to actually relate.

Have seen worse, have seen better too.

If you don't have a good script to start with, don't make the movie.

This is a historic drama. As one watches, the potential for the story is there. Some people will claim this has bad acting, but remember where this is filmed and don't expect Hollywood mannerisms from that part of the world. The acting is true to that culture.

The writing and story though... that was pretty poor, as was the directing and choreography. Fake fighting, punches being visibly pulled, swords slowly and barely connecting, the "sword to the side" trope, etc. Not that I care to see realistic battles, but there are non-gory ways to present battles that aren't obviously fake.

Some of the story is presented well. The pain and suffering of slavery. The subterfuge of betrayals. But surprisingly, the main character herself is about as two-dimensional as they come. The King was a more interesting presentation. It seems a great deal was left out of the story, but it's hard to tell what since I haven't studied that part of history. Basically, the story just falls flat with a really lazy ending.

I'm being generous in giving it 4 stars... and I do that mainly because of the unusual setting and the fact that it was moderately interesting all the way through. But when it comes to the end of the movie one realizes what a let-down the whole thing is. As far as a cinematic presentation and presentable story line goes, this fails to deliver.

After watching Amina, it's confirmed that Izu Ojukwu is a favorite! What a novel story and never-before-seen production! Will there be Amina 2?😃

DELICIOUS

---The idea to tell a story of this caliber was so phenomenal and out-of-the-box. Thank you for a virtual trip to the past

---Fantastic work on the set and costume designs, the teams paid close attention to details

---The storytelling was fluid, told in an interesting manner that we were just glued wanting to know and understand every character. No dull moments.

A significant lesson learned was the essence of being purpose-driven, extremely sober, and time-sensitive

---Kudos to all the actors: Lucy Ameh, Habiba Ummi Mohammed, Asabe Madaki, and little Amina (Ogunjiofor Jenevieve

---Fighting choreographers were very clever at masking their imperfections 😅

BLAND

---Little hiccups were found, notably in the color grading which wasn't consistent and adherent to the film's genre.

Amina would have been delivered in the Hausa language to accentuate the authenticity of the story. Cinematography could have been more dramatic to stress the fighting scenes

---Amina didn't really develop in terms of character. She wasn't seen as being in charge or owning her position as a princess. Her friend Aladi had even more vigor and courage

---For those who've read the true story of Queen Amina, they'll know that the movie far deviated from actual facts, which was a little disappointing.

Of course, it's not the best film ever, but it's best than many Hollywood films.

Landscapes are gorgeous, colors are beautiful, story is not that bad.

Worth seeing.