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Boudica: Queen of War Review
Image Credit: Saban Films
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Olga Kurylenko– Boudica
Peter Franzen– Wolfgar
Clive Standen– Prasutagus
Nick Moran– Catus Decianus
Lucy Martin– Cartimanda
Leo Gregory– Ciaran
Lillibet Biutanaseva– Bre
Litiana Biutanaseva– Aife
Rachel Wilde– Rosmerta
Harry Kirton– Emperor Nero
Dominiquie Vandenberg– Wolfgar’s Bodyguard
(check out the rest of the cast here)
Directed by Jesse V. Johnson
Screenplay by Jesse V. Johnson
Distributed by Saban Films (United States) and Signature Entertainment (United Kingdom)
Rated R for graphic violence and language
Runtime– 101 minutes
Boudica: Queen of War is set to hit Video on Demand and select theaters starting October 27th, 2023 in the United States and October 30th, 2023 in the United Kingdom
Boudica: Queen of War, also known as Boudica and set to hit Video on Demand and select theaters starting October 27th, 2023 in the United States and October 30th, 2023 in the United Kingdom, is a thoroughly engaging, graphically violent historical epic about a female warrior hell bent on exacting revenge against the Roman Empire. Written and directed by Jesse V. Johnson, Boudica: Queen of War is nothing short of an astonishing achievement in low budget cinema, as the movie is filled with all sorts of period costuming and weaponry and comes off as looking more “authentic” than other movies with greater resources (like that movie The Eagle starring Channing Tatum that came out in 2011, as it takes place in the same sort of time and place). While I’d imagine that the specific plot and story of Boudica: Queen of War will likely mean more to audiences in the United Kingdom, there are universal elements to the plot that will translate to audiences all over the world, mainly the idea of scrappy natives taking it to a technologically advanced imperial power and eventually coming out on top.
Boudica: Queen of War stars Olga Kurylenko as Boudica, the queen of the Iceni people, which are native to the island of Britannia (the Iceni are one of many tribes on Britannia). When we first see Boudica she is a loving wife and mother, as her husband Prasutagus (Clive Standen) is a sort of pragmatic king trying to lead his people while also dealing with the conquering Roman Empire. After a meeting with the local Roman leader Catus Decianus (a brilliantly sleazy and thoroughly disgusting Nick Moran), Prasutagus is betrayed and murdered, leaving Boudica as the new head of the Iceni tribe. During her husband’s funeral, Decianus shows up to tell Boudica that, because of a rule created by the emperor to prevent female leaders, she is no longer the queen of the Iceni and the Iceni tribe’s realm is now the full property of the Romans. Left for dead after being beaten and branded by the Romans, Boudica is rescued by female warrior Cartimanda (Lucy Martin) and taken to a secluded area where she is then nursed back to health. During her convalescence, Boudica decides that she wants revenge for what the Romans did to her and the Iceni people, and so she trains in how to fight and kill Roman soldiers. With the help of grizzled mercenary fighter Wolfgar (Peter Franzen), Boudica creates an army and goes right at the Romans, cutting a swath of righteous, brutal violence against the Roman Empire.
The main story of Boudica: Queen of War takes a little bit to get going, as director Johnson spends just enough time establishing who Boudica is, what the Roman Empire is up to in relation to Boudica, Prasutagus, and the Iceni people. The actual movie starts out with a shockingly brutal massacre of druids by a contingent of Roman soldiers, which helps set the tone for the rest of the movie. After we get to know Boudica and see her as a wife and mother and then the Romans show up, it’s then full steam ahead with Boudica becoming a warrior leader, and then Boudica leading her army into battle against the Romans. The opening massacre is dark and moody, making it seem like what we’re about to watch is a horror movie. When Boudica becomes the warrior queen, the movie settles into a kind of historical epic war movie with hints of magical fantasy thrown in, as Boudica wields a special old sword made of bronze that, according to Wolfgar, shouldn’t be able to withstand modern fighting but somehow does. There’s also a hint of Boudica being considered “the chosen one” by some of her soldiers, which also gives the story a sort of mythical quality to it. It’s fascinating how Johnson handles the magical/fantasy/mythical aspects of the story, as he doesn’t make a big deal out of any of them. There’s a sequence where Boudica is able to make her bronze sword move as though she’s using some sort of magic (or maybe she’s moving it with her mind). Johnson just shows her doing it, doesn’t really focus on it happening, and then the story moves on. Wolfgar seems to think what Boudica is doing with the bronze sword is a simple trick, but it isn’t. Boudica seems to be able to do exactly what we all see her doing. It isn’t a big deal, though. It’s just something that she can do. There’s also something going on with Boudica’s daughters Bre and Aife (Lillibet Biutanaseva and Litiana Biutanaseva): are they still alive when Boudica becomes the warrior queen, or do they exist only in her head?
When the action scenes and battles start, Boudica and her army show no mercy on the Romans, and neither does Johnson. We see the Romans get beaten, bashed, stabbed, slashed, decapitated, and dismembered, with copious amounts of blood flowing everywhere. Johnson films these sequences up close and personal and we see just about everything. Some of these sequences are thrilling, some are insane, and some are grotesque (but in a good way). Most of Johnson’s movies feature brutal, graphic violence, but he outdoes himself with Boudica: Queen of War. The violence helps amplify the sense of outrage and need for revenge by Boudica and the Iceni and the other Britannia tribes. They are going to do whatever it takes to kill as many Romans as they can and, man, they kill lots and lots of Romans.
The costumes, both on the Iceni side and the Roman side, look nothing short of amazing. How the heck did Johnson and company manage to put together the period costumes and not spend tens of millions of dollars on them? There are big deal period Hollywood movies that don’t look half as good as Boudica: Queen of War (I’m going to bring up The Eagle again because Boudica: Queen of War just puts that movie to shame. The costumes in Boudica: Queen of War look functional and worn by actual people, especially the Roman soldier armor. Cieranne Kennedy Bell, the costume designer on Boudica: Queen of War, deserves all sorts of kudos, as well as everyone else involved in making the period costumes). The movie also manages to use its outdoor locations wisely, making every environment seem new, even when it looks like just some random forest area. The CGI enhanced environments, like in the big cities Boudica and her army attack, never looks awkward and out of place. Great work everyone.
Olga Kurylenko does a fantastic job as Boudica. She has to play Boudica first as a warm and loving mother and wife, someone who radiates love, and then when her husband is killed and she has to become a warrior queen Kurylenko has to unleash the badass killer within while also showing a kind of charisma that one would need in order to lead an army into battle. It helps that Kurylenko is just a natural screen star (you take one look at her and you can tell that she is a star), but she’s also a great actor and pulls the whole thing off brilliantly. Kurylenko also manages to pull of the metal teeth appliance she has to wear once she becomes the warrior queen. That thing looked annoying to have in your mouth.
Peter Franzen is very cool as Wolfgar. He makes Wolfgar a sort of world weary soldier who will fight for a cause, sure, but he also isn’t necessarily above fighting for money (or treasure or recognition or whatever it is mercenaries fought for back in the Iceni day). Wolfgar also has a cynicism that other people/fighters just don’t seem to have, mostly because they haven’t experienced what he’s experienced on the battlefield. Franzen also has chemistry with Kurylenko that makes them easy to see as friends/comrades in battle. The little moment where you think there’s going to be a sudden romantic relationship between the two is hilarious, mostly because Franzen is slightly freaked out by maybe having to engage in it (Boudica shuts him down because she isn’t interested). Franzen also has terrific bro chemistry with frequent Johnson collaborator Dominiquie Vandenberg, who shows up as Wolfgar’s battlefield friend. Vandenberg is just coolness personified and he shows that off here in a few brief scenes. Great stuff (be sure to seek out Johnson’s excellent action flick The Mercenary starring Vandenberg and Louis Mandylor. Check out my review of The Mercenary here).
Nick Moran is just sleaze personified as local Roman scumbag Catus Decianus. It’s disturbing how, at first, Decianus seems like he’s going to be charming and almost a nice guy, but then he starts talking about how the Iceni and other tribes from Britannia are “barbarians” and how Roman culture is the only civilized way and you want someone, anyone, to beat his ass. He can get away with this garbage because he’s surrounded by heavily armed Roman soldiers and he has the backing of Rome. Moran becomes evil personified when he tells Boudica that she can no longer be queen and orders his men to beat her. You will adore what Boudica gets to do to him. I know I did. Moran makes Decianus just the worst kind of person. Just an amazing performance.
Lucy Martin does a nice as Cartimanda, the badass warrior that is the first person to tell Boudica that she is the chosen one/is going to be a warrior queen. She knows how to come off as a loyal soldier and someone who has a goal to get rid of the Romans by any means necessary but she’s also just a human being trying to survive in a harsh world. Martin also comes off as legit in her multiple fight sequences, which is always a plus. Martin has a future in the action movie world if she chooses to go that way.
And Clive Standen is regal as hell as Iceni king Prasutagus. Standen, just by his mere presence, gives off the “he’s a leader” vibe and you can tell immediately why he’s the king. Standen also gives Prasutagus an approachability that makes him seem like a nice guy, which is what you want with a king you want to follow. It’s a damn shame what happens to him. A damn, damn shame.
Boudica: Queen of War is a great, super violent historical action flick. It moves quickly, features a top star performance from Olga Kurylenko, and is clearly a labor of love for writer/director Jesse V. Johnson. The movie might end up meaning more for people who are familiar with the Boudica story beforehand or British, but it’s accessible enough for general audiences. It’s chock full of bloody, gory action, and that’s usually always entertaining.
See Boudica: Queen of War. See it, see it, see it. Boudica: Queen of War is set to hit Video on Demand and select theaters starting October 27th, 2023, and in the UK starting October 30th, 2023.
So what do we have here?
Dead bodies: Lots. Lots and lots and lots.
Explosions: None.
Nudity?: None.
Doobage: Opening on screen narration, Roman soldiers marching out of the shadows, throat slitting, stabbing, geysers of blood everywhere, multiple decapitations, a pregnant woman is dead and potentially sliced open (that’s what it seems like to me), Rome, a Roman declaration, a family that all sleeps together in the same bed, attempted morning sex when the kids are away, food eating, off screen Roman education, shopping, eyebrow waxing, crucifixion, flute playing, bloody arm removal, another decapitation, people fucking around with fake swords, a bronze sword, wooden ole slicing, ring kissing, racism, an attempted “culture” argument, a funeral, public flogging, off screen teeth breaking, face branding, more throat slitting, wound fixing, a dental appliance, sword fighting practice, a gleaming magical sword, bronze sword breaking, bronze sword fixing, a golden neck ring thing, a big speech, magical sword moving, bloody penis removal, more disemboweling, multiple arrows to the throat and face, up close and personal hand-to-hand fighting, serious groin stabbing, dead body policing, a revenge stabbing, drinking from the skull of a very dead guy, druid psychic bullshit, a complete massacre, a quick “burning down the city” montage, more face branding, more battles with copious amounts of graphic violence, side of the neck biting, a destroyed human eye, even more decapitations, suicide via throat slitting, maggots, attempted rest, multiple Roman war machines, another big speech, horn blowing, an ambush, spear attack, more battling, another massacre, the spirit world (maybe?), and then we see a statue in modern day London.
Kim Richards? Implied off screen?
Gratuitous: brief on screen history lesson explaining what the heck is going on, Roman soldiers, graphic violence, farmers, Olga Kurylenko, kids fucking around, ancient cosmetics, wildlife, crucifixion, a scumbag fat guy, more graphic violence, wooden sword play, racism and ethnocentrism, Olga Kurylenko smelling a weed, a public flogging, face branding, Olga Kurylenko wearing a dental appliance, a bronze sword, Olga Kurylenko using magic to move her sword, Olga Kurylenko giving a big speech, a snake with an ant on its head, bloody penis removal, disemboweling, a funny moment, druid psychic bullshit, Olga Kurylenko walking around with a severed head, spoils of war, Cambridge Forest, Dominiquie Vandenberg, Dominiquie Vandenberg sort of looking like a video game character, Roman war machines, the spirit world (maybe?), and then we see a statue in modern London.
Best lines: “They must not find their savior,” “Curious little girls. They’re awake, aren’t they?,” “My offspring have the savage spirits of the ancients,” “Little savages, The Romans are everywhere. Look at what they do to thieves,” “Boudica. This is Boudica,” “So I finally find my three fiercest warriors,” “That’s what you get for fighting a king!,” “The Romans are here!,” “How long do you intend to grace us with your presence? A year. Maybe two,” “You are a wise man, my lord,” “You must promise me that you’ll always stay by your mother’s side. Promise,” “Hail Nero,” “Do not die here! We have to keep moving!,” “We are your children, Boudica!,” “Neck, under the arm, under the armor,” “Who is using my training area?,” “I’m just Boudica,” “Is that what you’re going to challenge the Romans with?,” “What? What? I did you a favor!,” “I was happy being a collaborator and a wife. Now, those two girls are the only trace of the old me,” “I am Boudica! You are my people!,” “We must plan a war!,” “Give me my sword!,” “Who the fuck are you talking to? You, peasant,” “Boudica, my queen, it’s over. It’s not over until every Roman is gone,” “War favors the possessed,” “The council supports your cause,” “Twenty years of mercenary work and no druid ever blessed me,” “We are here with you, mother. You must get ready. It’s time,” “Fuck them. That’s my queen,” “Boudica. I met the Roman governor. He was a man ahead of his time,” “Beautiful retribution,” “I shall give Rome the victory you could not,” “Nero is dead. Paulinus wants to make a name for himself by destroying us,” “I cast no judgement,” “Kill them all, Boudica! Kill them all, Boudica!,” and “Boudica! Boudica! You are and always will be my queen!”
