Considering the fact that I had already seen a number of war/adventure movies such as ‘Troy’, ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Vikings’, etc., I went into watching ‘Jagun Jagun’ with low expectations. I must admit, I was proven wrong by the spectacular fight scenes as well as the great special effects work. The setting of the movie coupled with the cultural centered narrative style sends some feeling of belongness through your heart especially when you are a native.
With an opening scene that keeps you on the edge of your seat to the rich showcase of African cultural values, makes you appreciate the efforts put in by the crew in making the movie. Femi Adebayo an executive producer of ‘Jagun Jagun’ granted an interview, during which he revealed that, he had to sell some of his properties to fund the movie till completion. The multi-billion naira project stands out from the conventional Nollywood filmmaking style and embraces a more sophisticated yet revealing technique.
The movie follows the story of a blood thirsty warrior Ogundiji (played by Femi Adebayo) who will do everything to keep his power and control over the people. Ogundiji wages war on innocent kingdoms and will not hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way to get what he wants or defies his command. Kingdoms send their people to ‘The School of Warriors’ to be trained under the leadership of Ogundiji. These warriors are used by Ogundiji to perpetrate his evil acts against kingdoms. The show of African power, what people will call ‘juju’ is seen all over the movie. You can’t just succeed as a skilled warrior, you should also be fortified spiritually.
The cruelty of Ogundiji is aggravated when a warrior trainee Gbotija (played by Lateef Adedimeji) begins to gain some fame as he excels in his training. Gbotija stands for truth, he stands for his fellow trainees, and he also has the gods by his side. The tension goes a notch higher when Ogundiji vows to see to the elimination of his perceived threat Gbotija. Kingdoms are brought to their knees, legitimate rulers are replaced with illegitimate ones. Gbotija will have to survive all the plans of Ogundiji if he wants to end up with the love of his life.
‘Jagun Jagun’ was directed by Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani. The two directors exhibited some level of confident directing in a story that seems more challenging to execute. The use of a unique visual style, the blend of emotions in a tensed atmosphere and flashbacks were masterfully employed by the two directors. ‘Jagun Jagun’ is one of the best war/adventure films to come out from Nollywood. The fight scenes particularly the throat cutting scenes are visually pleasing to watch not to forget the gory nature.
The performances of the actors were great. Femi Adebayo really had a lot of fun playing the antagonist Ogundiji. His experiences were brought to bare, he embodied the character wholeheartedly. Though an antagonist, his performances make him a pleasing character to watch. Every other actor and actress brought in their A game, their performances are commendable. Lateef Adedimeji also represented his character Gbotija quite well. A more youthful Gbotija would have added a different touch to the character.
Despite the wonderful things about this movie, it is also worth noting that the characterization and backstories of the characters were limited. About one hour into the movie, you are tempted to ask the question; What propelled Gbotija to enroll in ‘The School of Warriors’? Yes, Ogundiji is a blood thirsty warrior, Kingdoms have to get ready for his attacks, agreed. But what is Gbotija actually after? What is driving his character do the things he is doing? The final act briefly addressed this, but considering the role Gbotija played in the movie, some of the prolonged scenes could have been used to develop the character to catch the attention of the audience.
The entire movie works perfectly together to cover some of the flaws stated above. ‘Jagun Jagun (The Warrior)’ is a great movie that reflects the culture of the African people. I will definitely recommend that you make the time to watch this amazing movie.
‘Jagun Jagun (The Warrior)’ is currently steaming on Netflix.
