Oga on Top

Do you remember when they used to end nollywood films with either ‘they all died’ or ‘it was all a dream’? Those days I could predict it because the writer would have usually written himself into a corner and there’d be nowhere else to go. I thought that post-2007 this stupid plot device will never be used again. Boy was I wrong. But spoiler alert, this movie ends with both. Both. A masterpiece (!) Everyone dies and it’s all a dream. Just inexplicably ends.

Moving on, the plot is kinda engaging. I mostly don’t review movies that are really bad because most of the time I cannot watch a bad film to the end and I don’t like reviewing movies that I don’t watch to the end. So this has some modicum of sense to it, they teased us with a mystery that didn’t pan out. Did they tell us why Bimbo was killing the whole family? No, they all died and it was a dream and she no longer had trouble speaking English. Hiss. At the end, after watching the whole movie, wasting almost two hours of my life, I was incensed. Forgetting that aspect, it wasn’t bad plot wise. There were some engaging moments, the battles were fraught and I felt sad when each character died or was about to die. It was suspenseful at some points so that kept me going.

The acting was not bad but looking at Nkem Owoh, I realized that while Nollywood is swarming with new actors and actresses, I haven’t been impressed with many. People, including nollywood stars, age and we need GOOD new talent. Comedic talents, actors that will take the place of Genevieve, Mercy Johnson (the poor man’s Genevieve) and Ramsey Noah in prominence and talent because very soon there will be some roles that they cannot play-please take the hint Mr Kenneth Okonkwo. It was a very good cast, with Uchenna Nnnana shining through.

Let’s talk about the effects, they were not good. Not at all, and I’m judging harshly because first, they didn’t need some of the effects that they used, and second I know Nigeria has really evolved in the art of sound effects. The soundtrack was forgettable and the costumes just as forgettable.

In conclusion, this film hearkens back to the 2006-7 period and repeats all of its mistakes. In fact the only thing that differentiates it is the picture quality. Watch if you are comfortable with the ending and are looking to watch a new movie that isn’t royalty based. By the way, the title of this has no bearing on the ‘Oga at the top’ scandal; it has no sane reason to be called this…none at all.