After spending the last few months reviewing movies found only on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. I finally found myself within the four, dark walls of a cinema and compared to previous experiences, I must say I really enjoyed this one. The last time I sat in a movie theatre or cinema to watch a movie was far back in 2019 - when the world was still somewhat sane (no thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic) - and most times I would prefer the comforts of my chair and my 4K monitor, to the distractions (good or bad) offered by dark, strange faces and voices found in those massive halls.
Avoiding Nigerian cinemas is definitely my thing and that has nothing to do with the quality of the local movies in the country, but more to do with the type of people you come across. I've met people who came for reasons other than to watch the movie, there are those to come in to avoid the hustle & bustle Lagos traffic constantly provides, and my personal favourites are those who have seen the movie more times than they can remember but are there to run commentary to their friends or loved ones - God, I "love" you guys so much.
Enough about my love for the cinema and back to my experience with the King of Thieves movie. Before I delve properly into the review of the movie, I must commend the marketing team of this movie, as they generated so much hype and buzz around it that would make the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and The Avengers reel in envy. So, what makes "Agesinkole" special? And why is everyone talking about it?
The Good
From the word "go", viewers of ‘‘Agesinkole’’ are immediately attracted to the quality of production of the movie. I know the Nollywood industry struggles massively with funding and sponsorship but some movie directors have opted to carve a niche for themselves in lazy and seemingly uninspiring production by releasing sub-quality movies every fortnight. Directors, Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo's insistence in providing stunning visuals has to be commended and the superb use of visual effects - which I've never seen in any Yoruba movie up to this point - is also a massive plus. Cinematography is also to be massively commended in this movie, as I found myself constantly searching for the use of the "rule of thirds" and unnecessary negative spacing.
Set in the fictional or non-fictional (my history fails me at this point) village of Ajeromi, "Agesinkole" can boast of some of the very best set designs the Nigerian movie industry has provided to this point, with every scene carefully depicting the beauty and tradition of old Yoruba land. The use of costumes and some of the fight sequences were also major highlights of the movie. As the producers showed a real desire to describe and display the rich tradition of the Yoruba people.
For all its amazing aesthetics and stunning visuals, "Agesinkole" steals the movie scene with its impressive level of acting and intriguing storyline. It's easy to expect an ensemble cast of A-list Nigerian (Yoruba) actors to do well, however, recent movies like - Chief Daddy I & II - have shown us that it's one thing to bring these amazing actors together, it is another to ensure they deliver in grand style.
Shallow at first, "Agesinkole's" storyline is one of betrayal and vengeance, which initially had me wondering if I was watching Nigeria's very own version of Vikings - due to the somewhat baseless raids and killings. However, as the movie approaches its climax, I start to see why the movie's antagonist was indestructible and why his ruthless actions might have been justified. “Agesinkole” not only tells a good movie story but also reimburses the need for more movies of its kind. Nigeria is littered with a lot of stories about the old gods and this market seems untapped by a host of producers. The western world has told more stories about fictional gods - like Zeus, Hades, Thor, and Odin, to mention but a few- than can they bother to remember. So who says Nigerian producers and directors shouldn't do the same. Besides, I believe it could serve as an opportunity to educate the modern generation - Gen Z - about the rich history of Nigeria (Ibo, Hausa, and Yoruba).
The Bad
I hate this part of my reviews - because I genuinely believe no one sets out to make bad movies or mistakes - however, these things happen and it's only right we talk about them. Gaps, yes gaps. That was the biggest issue with King of Thieves. I understand that production can be very expensive, however, skipping major scenes or merely talking about them is not a good way to cut costs.
When the Oba of Ajeromi village loses his only child (son) - spoiler alert - there's no scene to show it happens or why it really happens. We initially see the prince talking to the queen (his mother), who refused to let him leave the palace due to the insecurity in the village, only for the movie to fast-forward to the scene of the king blaming the queen for the death of their only child. There was a scene of a raid by Ogundabede (Femi Adebayo)'s gang of thieves separating the two aforementioned scenes, however, there was no sight of the prince dying or how he died.
Another major gap has to be the lack of visuals or explanation of how Ogundabede and his second-in-command attained their powers before coming back to enact revenge on the people of Ajeromi. One minute they were both unfairly killed, the next minute we hear the narrator telling us they came back for vengeance. How did they come back? Who or what brought them back? These are questions I found myself asking over and over in my head.
The lack of origin story about the queen - who happened to be a powerful witch- was another blemish on this very good movie for me. And the obvious lack of chemistry between the king and queen is something I wished they would've paid more attention to. All-in-all, none of these three bad spots did enough to rain on my parade as I found myself enjoying every second of my being in the cinema.
The Ugly
Incantations and Ewi (poetry) are some of the beautiful aspects of the Yoruba language and tribe - just ask people who studied Yoruba in the university - but somehow the editors and producers of King of Thieves missed that point. Most scenes where these incantations and poetry happened to be on full display were disappointingly overshadowed by soundtracks - which made it difficult for me to appreciate the effort the actors had put in to master such wonderful poetry and incantations.
“Agesinkole” can boast of wonderful soundtracks, however, the editors missed a trick on when and how to use them.
So, there you've it, folks. Let me know what you think about the movie in the comments section, and for those who haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?
On About Nothing movie rating - 6.5/10
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