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They say to risk nothing is to risk everything, and actor/filmmaker, Femi Adebayo-Salami clearly understood the risk of producing an epic movie in an industry dominated by dramas and weak attempts at thrillers. Hence the impeccable casting, excellent acting, fitting soundtrack, top-grade cinematography, and brilliant plot that characterised his new epic movie Jagun Jagun.
Jagun Jagun is rooted in historical fiction. The main characters include Femi Adebayo Salami, Lateef Adedimeji, Fathia Balogun, Bukunmi Oluwashina, Muyiwa Ademola, Odunlade Adekola, Adebayo Salami, Yinka Quadri, Bimbo Ademoye, İbrahim Yekini Itele, Debo Adebayo, Kunle Afod, Dayo Amusa, Ayo Ajewole (Woli Agba), and others.
Jagun Jagun which premiered on Netflix on August 10, 2023, was created and produced by Femi Adebayo-Salami and written by Adebayo Tijani, the iconic duo that gave us the 2022 movie King of Thieves.
The Story
Jagun Jagun was set during the precolonial era in the Southwestern part of Nigeria known as Yorubaland.
The plot combines gripping stories of wars in various kingdoms spearheaded and won by a rich and powerful warlord, Ogundiji (Femi Adebayo Salami). Ogundiji possesses a large army and a school where men from diverse villages across Yorubaland come to train and become warriors for their respective villages. One of these men will be Gbotija (Lateef Adedimeji), an indigene of the village of Iwon with the power to talk to trees; the man with whom the story begins.
Gbotija undergoes the general military training along with the other men, but he is soon distinguished from among them when he begins to get close to Ogundiji’s family by rescuing his wife (Fathia Balogun) from some spirits sent by his enemies and falling in love with his only daughter, Iroyinogunkitan (Bukunmi Oluwashina).
Ogundiji is threatened and upset by this and decides to set Gbotija on a path of destruction by giving him three deadly tests under the guise of testing him for promotion. The final test is a fight to the death with Agemo, the masked-demon whom Ogundiji summons whenever he appears to be losing a war. Gbotija defeats Agemo and takes off its mask to see who is behind it and is shocked beyond words when he sees the face of his lover and Ogundiji’s only daughter, Iroyinogunkitan.
The Production Quality
The cinematic apparatus, that is the construction and mechanics deployed in the making of Jagun Jagun, gave the film a clean and almost spotless production that will grip anyone. It will not be out of place to say the production crew paid close attention to detail. The use of native Yoruba language as against the ‘westernised’ Yoruba (if there’s anything like that) was a great touch to the movie. The costume directors and makeup artists deserve accolades for a job well done. The sound, lighting, and camera angles and other not so little details that most filmmakers ignore, were also well taken care of.
On the part of delivery, every single member of the cast executed their roles in the best possible way, especially the protagonist, Lateef Adedimeji, the villain, Femi Adebayo Salami, and the collateral damage, Bukunmi Oluwashina.
The fight scenes were quite gory, but not exaggerated or done excessively, and the special effects were handled expertly.
The soundtrack consisted of ballads and eulogies that properly aligned with the scenes and stories.
However, the number one high point of the movie is the plot. Though linear, it consists of various stories and yet gradually ties them all together as the movie unfolds.
On behalf of all the viewers, I say well done to the production crew.
The Embedded Message
The heartbreaking plot twist reveals the true motives and character of Ogundiji and unveils the core of the plot at large; Ogundiji uses the youths to satisfy his bloodlust. This is demonstrated primarily in his turning Iroyinogunkitan into the masked demon and using her to annihilate his enemies, most of which were innocent people.
The school of war appears to be a scheme to keep the youths of Yorubaland under his control and further manipulate them into killing one another, seeing that there were quite a number of unnecessary deaths among the warriors.
Ogundiji also played the godfather role in the prominent kingdoms in Yorubaland and this is discovered in the scene where the rulers gather to prepare for a ceremony. They playfully mock each other by saying they all took kingdoms that were not entitled to them with Ogundiji’s help. This is a reflection of the greed and thirst for power that is going in Nigeria and the world at large.
All in all, Jagun Jagun is a production that is sure to wow you with theatrics, amaze you with the story, and stir your conscience to action with the message embedded in the core of the story. Mr Femi Adebayo Salami created this movie with a mission; to change the narrative, and clearly, he accomplished it.
All that being said, it would not be a stretch to describe Jagun Jagun as a 5-star body of work and we look forward to more stellar films from the producers.
Ogun yá!!!
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