Review of Queen of Katwe (2016) by Jason M — 07 Oct 2016

Queen of Katwe.

Initial Reaction: Make your move.

Main Characters.

Phiona Mutesi: She's a gifted African girl played by Madina Nalwanga.

Robert Katende: He's a chess coach. He's played by David Oyelowo.

Plot Summary.

Life is really rough for Phiona in her village. Food is scarce, as is money for the rent of the place she resides in. In order to make ends meet, she sells maize.

But one day she comes across a center and sees a bunch of children play chess. The head of the center, Robert, invites her to play along with them.

And it becomes clear that she has a gift to play the game - she has the ability to understand how the pieces move and make simple strategies to win the game.

Robert sees the potential, and he is able to take Phiona as a student. There, he tutors her to become a great chess player - a grand master.

But life in her village just won't give her a break; she has to deal with other problems in her family including a sister who wants to run away with a wealthy man, and increasing bills.

SCORING.

Main Characters.

These two really make the film pop. Phiona shows us that she's got iron clad will in face of great adversity and Robert shows us he has the smarts to guide her on her journey to become grand master of chess. SCORE: 9.

Supporting Cast.

The rest of the cast is good because they show different sides of the conflict - some people in Phiona's village want her to pursue her dream wile others give reasons why she shouldn't. SCORE: 9.

Plot.

This film does a great job of showing just how rough life can be in an African village - and how vast the gap is between rich and poor.

But it falls for the same trap that most other films in the genre fall into: they put far too much emphasis on "Does she win the big match at the end of the film?" Guys, we already know the answer to that before the opening credits roll. SCORE: 7.

Originality.

This feels like a standard underdog sports film (even though chess is not really considered a sport). But it does give a slice of life at a place where few films do. SCORE: 7.

Violence Factor.

There's not a lot of violence in this film - maybe a few threats and an eviction or two. But the fighting between chess pieces, not people. SCORE: 8.

Other Moral Issues.

This film does a great job of showing how to overcome adversity - and yet it doesn't feel like it's sugar coated. SCORE: 9.

Final Score (out of 60): 49 % Score: 81.67%.

This is a great example on how to put together a sports film - more emphasis on character and not winning the big game.