Queen of Katwe

From a technical point of view, Queen of Katwe is not a resounding success. There is bad audio, continuity errors, hammy dialogue, some very bizarre choices in cinematography and the occasional scene of poor acting.

The story however (while following a fairly predictable family-friendly line) is totally engrossing. Chess may not be the most engaging spectator sport, but the journey of lead-character Phiona is a thorough one, and an intriguing side-step away from the usual Disney setting.

David Oyelowo is particularly worth looking out for. He (unsurprisingly) gives a fantastic performance.

Final rating: - I personally recommend you give it a go.

A life changing game.

I am not a big fan of Mira Nair. But I like some of her films, particularly 'Amelia'. Because she usually prefers India and Indian subjects and cast as what she's. Outside that circle, she was not that successful, until now. It was a sport film, that revolved around chess game. Inspired by an incredible true story from the dark continent. It all happened less than ten years ago. Disney and ESPN together produced it. So when these two productions come together, you would know what to expect.

Seeing the opening few minutes, it reminded me the recent New Zealand film 'The Dark Horse'. Kind of a similar film, but I was not that impressed with that. But this one was awesome. Simply a miracle. Like any fairy-tale f...

Excellent.

'Queen of Katwe' is another Disney sports biopic, but one made with a difference - it doesn't hit the exact same notes as the studio usually does in this genre, which is a positive. The film is shot lovely, with a terrific main cast.

Lupita Nyong'o is top notch in the role of Nakku, while Madina Nalwanga impresses in the lead as Phiona. David Oyelowo would be my personal standout, he's terrific as Robert, but all three add a great deal to the film to be fair. A few of the child actors give good support performances, also.

It does slightly suffer with the fact its story revolves around chess, which isn't the most exciting or massively interesting game/sport to watch across 124 minutes. However, it's about much more than j...