I feel like I gave too much away already. No more spoilers.
If you haven't seen the movie however, I'll wait… go see it on Netflix. Come back when done, I'm going nowhere, or maybe just a little chat with a Miss Sunshine.
So you're back! Let's do this then.
There was a lot of noise about the movie within my circle and I had to go see the movie. So you can say I was intimidated into seeing the movie; but it was a beautiful watch. Those that know me know that I am not exactly a big fan of Lateef Adedimeji (Gbotija) and I wouldn't say he was exactly spectacular in the movie but he delivered. I could say the talents around him may have helped with that too, but he looked like he gave his best. And no one should ask more than that from anyone really. Thumbs up Lateef.
Let's talk Epic
Jagun Jagun is the first time I saw a Nollywood movie and I smiled afterwards. I smiled for the story. It’s what a good story should be. If you have a problem with it… 💣
The execution may not have been perfect but the story setup by Femi Adebayo is a perfect Hero's Journey: a protagonist up against an insurmountable odd; and as always, lady lucky will have a part to play until our hero is ready to become the villain himself. You get gist! The movie also has the extra pleasure of playing to the rich Yoruba's cultural history. While the story may not have any historical relevance, for a people that is fast losing her culture and heritage among the present generation, which most likely will grow worse with the next generation, Jagun Jagun is a perfect premise to preserving that culture. I mean literally.
I have been an advocate for epic tales for as long as I can remember and Ogbori Elemosho has been the benchmark. Don’t blame me, movies like these are what I saw growing up and it’s nice the current crop of filmmakers are retracing those steps as we’ve seen in the last two or three years. It’s a surge and I’m convinced more people will join the bandwagon. (As long as it’s good, please keep it coming.)
The Hero's Journey
Gbotija, (Lateef) enrolled himself into an elite army to learn the art of war. And every single step of that journey, he had to prove to himself, asking the core question: if he was man enough? I would say Jagun Jagun is a story of courage and determination. Gbotija is from the lineage of Lagbayi, a settlement of people who are wood masons; having in-depth understanding of all kinds of forest woods; by name, properties, origin, and even the creator's original name for these trees. It is a resource that allows him, them, to identify and wield any tree to their advantage, using such as protection. or as weapon, on need-to-need basis; a strategy he employed through out the movie. Something everyone else seemed to ignore.
The movie has a subtheme of ‘revenge’, a motivation that pushed Gbotija to the warrior ground in the first place. Personally, I enjoyed how the story puts the audience in a superior position of a knowing in creative ways without exactly robbing it in our faces.
By the way… Jagun Jagun is a Yoruba translation for Warrior in the English language.
The Warlord
Aaaah! What more can I say about the resourceful Femi Adebayo. He has been there and done it all, and here he is again. If I could picture what a mediaeval warlord should be, this is it. Proud! Menacing! Villainous! Timeless! Tributary! Ruthless! Savior! Femi, playing Ogundiji, was these and more. I think his aesthetics was great too and kudos to the Art department for that. I see a plothole(s) with how his character arc was crafted but I'll rather just enjoy the movie. No more spoilers and definitely nothing on Femi Adebayo. If you haven't seen the movie and you're reading this, Femi is a valid reason to see it.
The Story
The story was told from an observer's perspective, more like an audience + observer's perspective. You get the point. Voiceover filled us in with some missing detail which was perfected toned. In my opinion, I think it would have been nice to have a physical presence of the observer in the film. Frankly, veteran Adebayo Salami was such presence, like a third-eye view of the story and it would have been nice to have him do the voiceover narration too. A friend seem to disagree that Salami will pull it off as good as the Jimi Sholanke (movie's VO narrator) did. If that was to be the case, without having to choose a side, Jimi Sholanke could have been brought-in in place of Salami Adebayo and have him play both roles. Similar approach can be seen in Saworo-ide back in the day.
At the end of the day, our hero won against all odds. The villain is defeated. But it turned out our villain belongs to a coven of warlords and Ibrahim Chatta is beckoned following the defeated of Ogundiji. Your guess is as good as mine; revenge is brewing. But should that be the story for a potential sequel?
I disagree. I don't want to see that. At least not yet.
We met who and what Ogundiji is. I would want to see who Ogundiji was and how he amassed such power and influence. Perhaps we can get a parallel story of how he forged Kiitan (Bukunmi Oluwasina) into Agemo. The story revealed the sacrifice made between Ogundiji and his wife, Fatia Balogun, to become who he is, but I am interested in how they both came to that decision. Can I, we, have that Femi Adebayo?
Culture and Aesthetic
The movie isn't the most glamorous in terms of the art direction but it suffice and didn't make the mistake of Elesin Oba where virtually every costume was fresh out of the tailoring shop. The costumes borrowed from the 17th - early-19th century era and it was graceful. The SFX too was great; I mean we should not expect any less from Hakeem Effect by now. The VFX wasn't flawless but it complimented the narrative and was spot on. No one rivals Niyi Akinmolayan in that department anyways.
We didn't get the ‘gege’ effect with the establishing shots of the warriors' campground but we had enough to piece the pieces together. I think the gladiator-like arena too was pretty intuitive on the filmmakers' part. Though a tidbit too small but we get the point.
Standout Performer(s)
Ibrahim Yekini, in the role of Gbogunmi, was really exceptional. I don't think there's a better performer among the actors than him. He brought the axe, the guns and the dynamites to the game and he wielded them all. He doesn't look his age and he was absolutely phenomenal, even for a supposedly older role. Did you notice the scar on his forehead? It was surreal.
Mr Macaroni was not as exceptional but this had to be his best outing yet. I always thought there had to be more about him and he's showing that with each project. He's not there yet but there's an undeniable growth about him.
The Wrap
The story was the highpoint for me. The cinematography could obviously be better but I admire the fact both the director and cinematographer chose to ground the visual in reality, depicting the region, time-setting and era as closely as they can. The narrative was compelling enough to retain viewers' attention; at the very least, it got mine… 😁
Lastly, there's no reason to tell a sequel. Yet! Rather a prequel should be prioritized. Else, the makers are likely to water down their great job on Jagun Jagun.
Now lastly, can someone please do a remake of Ogbori Elemosho and kindly let the great Lere Paimo be a literal observer in the movie. Tanku!!
