"Queen of Katwe" Review- Rook Takes the First Oscar Bait

“Queen of Katwe” is a pretty terrific piece of history in the making. I say “in the making” because the main subject this film is based on is only 20 years old this year. It’s one of the more recent stories to hit the screen in a long time, and a terrific true story to kick off the Oscar season.

Disney’s track record of original live action films (excludes Marvel, Lucasfilm, and remakes) hasn’t been that good for a while. There have been only three terrific live action of films of theirs, which include “The Muppets”, “Saving Mr. Banks”, and “Into the Woods”. All of those have some type of Disney mojo across their plot. And there’s no reason for Disney to have great real life films. Disney’s priority is animated masterpieces, and it’ll probably stay that way for a while. But this is the first one in a long time that I think is very Oscar worthy.

The stand-out stars are Lupita Nyongo and David Oyelowo. Even though they are not the star prodigy, their performances keep this film afloat and don’t seem campy at all. Along with that, the new girl who plays the lead, Madina Nalwanga, is also wonderful. Everything about how she showcases her determination and skill in the game of chess is something of another world.

I think though what makes the Queen stand out though is the courage of direction. Even though it has Disney all over it, it doesn’t shy away from the harsh conditions of what the people in Uganda have to deal with. The writing still showcases all the heartbreaking moments while still making us feel uplifted and inspired, and that’s pretty amazing considering this takes place in one of the most poorly developed countries in the world. Sure it has it’s silly moments, but the hilarity is not forced most of the time, and if shot by a brilliant tasteful director, these silly moments could possibly feel like how Lawrence was dancing on the trains in “Lawrence of Arabia”. The audience is able to enjoy the story of rising to the occasion, while also reminding everyone how lucky we are to be living in great conditions and how we need to help people in these kinds of communities. I commend team on this film for not being afraid to venture out to Africa to shoot this wonderful film and I commend Disney, for not forcing their kiddy hand onto it.

The only thing that angered me was the editing. It was so bad at some points that this is going to be my first 1/2 Nebs rating. Some scenes were just rushed way too much and some of the cuts were just unbearable. But all and all, with the acting, the settings, and the soulful writing, this is easily one of the best works Disney has put out.

Plus, you are basically learning about the current day Bobby Fischer. Wouldn’t you want to learn more?

1.5 Nebs Up!