If it weren’t for my job as a movie reviewer, I never would have gone to see “Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds” in theaters. In an attempt to draw attention to the movie, the producers staged a PR stunt in which they named transvestite Bobrisky the best-dressed woman at the film’s premiere.
This choice backfired, receiving strong criticism from Nigerians who felt that the action was inappropriate in a nation where there are laws against LGBT activity. The debates on the movie grew in strength as the criticism grew.
It seems that the producers are only trying to gain more attention and perhaps even make money off of the controversy by pretending to be sorry to Nigerians.
Why filmmakers use controversy to promote their films may be a question that many have. But after seeing “Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds,” I could see why these strategies are employed—it’s just not worth the effort.
The storyline of the movie reminds me of children’s books or the stories from “Tales By Moonlight,” which was a basic television series that ran on NTA 2 Channel 5 in the 1980s.
The main character of the story is King Towobola (Odunlade Adekola), who gets involved with evil ladies, including his wives and mother (Solia Sobowale).
Afraid that he may have to abdicate the kingdom since he has no male successor, he approaches an enigmatic woman into his life, only to attract further problems.
Which woman did King Towobola bring home with him? Eniola Ajao, who also serves as the film’s producer, plays Adaralewa. Driven by a desire for revenge over the deaths of her parents, Adaralewa represents the dichotomy of an antelope in the animal realm and a woman negotiating the challenges of the human world.
Let’s start by discussing the wardrobe department’s performance. They let me down right away, as was especially clear in the opening scene with the bearded King Towobola.
He looked like someone whose hair was seemingly taken straight from the floor of a barbershop. I couldn’t help but question why they chose to have a beard in that particular scene when he was shown to have none in later ones.
The fact that Murphy Afolabi, one of the priests, appeared to have black powder on his face was another problematic element that I found. If the idea was to make him seem older, I have to say that was a badly done and unneeded portrayal.
I seem to remember reading that Eniola Ajao used every resource at her disposal to produce this film. This assertion is similar to Femi Adebayo’s well-known story, in which she said he sold off assets to pay for his Netflix movie “Jagun Jagun.”
If Eniola Ajao did, in fact, contribute a significant amount of money to the film’s development, it begs the issue of why goats were chosen for the role of antelopes in a movie about antelopes. Are antelopes extinct in Nigeria’s Yankari Game Reserve or in other places throughout the world?
The funds allocated to hiring renowned actors would have been better utilized by embarking on a trip to a game reserve to authentically capture antelopes on film. What purpose did Lateef Dimeji and Yinka Quadri serve in the movie? I anticipated that Lateef Dimeji’s character would unfold into a significant subplot, only to see him vanish without contributing any meaningful narrative.
Roles originally given to Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Akintola, and Fathia Balogun could have been portrayed by talented, lesser-known actresses from theatre arts schools. This approach would have paved the way for a promising future in Nollywood, instead of perpetuating a cycle where a select group monopolizes roles, stifling creativity.
I assert that ‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ caters to a simplistic audience because of its potential to dumb down society, particularly evident in its conclusion.
Ajakaju was a shapeshifting antelope demon who caused havoc in King Towobola’s domain, killing many hunters in the process. The king was given orders by the oracles of the kingdom to confront and defeat the demon in the forest in an attempt to eliminate the menace.
But King Towobola made an agreement with Ajakaju, who promised to spare her life in return for a male heir. Ajakaju became Queen Adaralewa as a result.
After a string of weak storyline turns, the people of the kingdom realized that Adaralewa was, in fact, Ajakaju, the one responsible for their hunters’ deaths. The king accepted her return despite this terrifying discovery, and they had a happily ever after that was evocative of Disney movie endings.
A resolution like this raises the question of what kind of reasonable society accepts such behavior.
Before beginning production, Nollywood filmmakers have to think about evaluating their plots with psychiatrists. Adaralewa’s violent deeds would probably cause public indignation and maybe even mob violence in a reasonable society.
In a similar vein, the monarch would probably be deposed and humiliated for saving the life of a demon that the oracles had told him to murder. On the other hand, unlikely events appear to be accepted in the realm of Nollywood.
The success of Funke Akindele and Toyin Aimhaku in the film industry shows that others can do the same. This opinion seems to be in line with Eniola Ajao’s strategy, whose movie falls short of offering any significant insights.
To sum up, the soundtrack frequently overpowered the actors’ words, making their talks less interesting. This was a failure of the sound department.
Furthermore, the soundtrack’s attempts to elicit strong feelings were not able to balance out the lack of emotional nuance in the movie. I think the film is worth a five-star rating, although it might still use some work.
