ShangLuda Admirable film.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

sergelamarche A Disney film that is close to perfection. More satisfying if it matches reality. This is really well done, with real chess moves to make you think, the slum is realistic although maybe too nice to be true, but maybe true, great acting and an incredible beauty for Phiona and her mom, and many others. The acting included the local language, adding another layer of veracity. Great rags to riches story, ideal for Disney. My only bemol: it ends at the riches. Somewhat anticlimactic.

bandw This is the story of Phiona Mutesi, an accomplished young Ugandan chess player. The story follows the standard script of inspiring sports story where the underdog meets competition and succeeds, but not without overcoming many obstacles. One of the biggest obstacles Phiona had to overcome, and what makes this a remarkable story, is her having been born and raised in Katwe, a slum in the City of Kampala.The dialog offers little by way of surprise. After Phiona loses a crucial match she expresses self-doubt and questions whether she should go on. Interacting with her coach after the loss, in a scene with a strong emotional buildup, her coach delivers the tired line, "You must never surrender." I appreciated this having been filmed on location in Uganda. The bright colors are a delight to the eye. The costumes make a vivid impression, from the women's dresses to the more subtle intricate designs and colors of the men's shirts. The little insight into what life looks like in a Kampala slum is something I would never otherwise have gotten. I would like to have seen more of the daily life in Katwe.Using non-professional actors for many of the roles worked two ways for me, it added authenticity at the expense of stilted acting.In all movies "based on a true story" I always have a question as to just how many liberties were taken for audience appeal. This movie may have pushed the envelop--it tries to extract every last drop of emotion. The overt attempt to manipulate drains the true emotional content. A little research reveals that Mutesi's chess playing is not of the prodigy caliber as portrayed; her ranking by the World Chess Federation among active players is around 90,000. Her apparent financial success, as represented by her buying a nice house for her mother, could not have come from her chess wins, since any major money from tournament wins is awarded only to the very top players. The celebration of her last win make it look like it was for a national holiday. Is chess really that popular in Uganda? All of the exaggeration is not to take away from Mutesi's achievements that are extraordinary given her background and living conditions.There are lots of chess-related movies out there (Google "chess movies") and, of the half dozen or so I have seen, my favorite is "Searching for Bobby Fischer."

Kenyae Kofi This movie was absolutely astonishing. I loved this movie it makes a stand for not only women, but black people as well. It shows that we can be intellectuals and champion's. I like how the movie shows the young character who was a great actress started from the slums but fought her way to a better life style even after losing her home. This movie made me emotional and wish I had their type of discipline and understand their struggles. I think this movie was great and everyone should have saw this movie.

hprofessor This was an amazing movie. Well acted, and beautiful cinematography. I found myself falling in love with the Ugandan people and cheering for the Queen as she struggled to climb out of the slums of Uganda and to overcome her perception that she was somehow unworthy of being part of the world outside. It's easy to put yourself into her place, to feel the struggle at each step of progress and feel the pain of her setbacks. Then it peaks at the heart-stopping moment when the coach pushes her to the top with "you belong here!" It's a message that will stay with me.This movie is for anyone who dreams of a better life. No matter who you are, you can achieve your goals if you try hard enough and you don't give up. Fantastic message.