Today’s quick review: Ashanti. David Linderby (Michael Caine) and his wife Anansa (Beverly Johnson) are doctors for the W.H.O. While on an aid trip to West Africa, Anansa is kidnapped by Suleiman (Peter Ustinov), a notorious slaver, and taken across the continent to be sold. David travels across jungles and desert to get her back. But to reach his goal, he will need the help of Malik (Kabir Bedi), a vengeful man who lost his family to Suleiman.
Ashanti is a dramatic adventure about a doctor who journeys across Africa to rescue his wife. The movie follows the winding route of a slave caravan as it travels 3000 miles to the Red Sea, with David Linderby in hot pursuit. Ashanti draws its strength from its supporting cast. Anansa’s tribulations, Malik’s hunt for revenge, and Suleiman’s misfortunes as a slaver all contribute to a rich dramatic tapestry held together by a solid plot progression.
Ashanti’s weak point is its protagonist. David Linderby has no real knowledge of Africa, no skills that help him on his journey, and no opportunity to grow. Instead, he relies on helpful strangers to do most of the heavy lifting, especially Malik. As such, David gets overshadowed in his own movie. The story moves along fine without him, and whatever character development or emotional arc he could have had is largely skipped over.
Ashanti has something to offer with its story and setting, but it struggles to follow up on them. The supporting cast’s plot threads are interesting on their own, but David’s is lacking. The journey to catch Suleiman sets up some solid drama, but there’s not much action to serve as payoff. And while the movie showcases several regions of Africa in passing, it treats them as stopovers on the way to catch Suleiman.
The end result is a decent movie that struggles to find an audience. Ashanti has the setup of an action movie, the setting of an adventure, and the barest hints of a political drama with its depiction of the modern slave trade. But its limitations are such that fans of each genre will be somewhat disappointed. Those curious should give Ashanti a shot, but it is best approached with tempered expectations.
For a darker political thriller about a British diplomat in Africa, try The Constant Gardener. For an action thriller about modern-day slavery, try Rambo, Skin Trade, or Taken. For an action drama about an attempt to rescue an American doctor from a war-torn region of Africa, check out Tears of the Sun.
[5.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078801/). I give it a 6.5 for a decent story and an interesting journey, hurt by a weak protagonist and mediocre action.