I posted the trailer here, stating how impressed I was with it, albeit with a prayer that the movie itself matched the verve the trailer depicted.
Alas, my prayer wasn’t answered.
The movie, Jagun Jagun, produced by Femi Adebayo, was quite bland and unnecessarily noisy. Unnecessarily chaotic. Too many filler-scenes to unsuccessfully compensate for the lack a truly enchanting storytelling. Also, poor film scores for a movie as an epic.
The rave reviews I’m seeing everywhere is making me feel somehow, because I’m not sure if we all saw the same movie. I mean, great movies irrespective of genre, whether epics [period pieces] or even comics, have gone beyond merely shouting “haaa, haaa, haaa” and knowing “how to cry”, or even beyond merely portraying a lesson.
The plot they ATTEMPTED to depict in Jagun Jagun didn’t live up to its intended potential one bit, and I can hinge that on possible industry arrogance.
I say this because of the questionable amount of research and inspiration that probably preceded this movie. I mean, for example, you should watch Jagun Jagun and get truly afraid of the Ogundiji guy, but for over two hours of film, all I saw, all you saw, was a guy in different immoderate regalia and repeatedly twitching his neck….it looked ridiculous at some point.
Guys, filmmaking is now a whole lot more to be termed great.
Great movie making is now unarrogant, ample and no-stone-left-unturned kind of a research.
It is now seeking rich inspiration to weave unpredictable storytelling to define the movie’s theme beyond the mereness of one or two plot-twists.
It is now actual story-elevating cinematography [not some well-framed drone shots you people are calling cinematography in this movie m. I’ve seen better from Instagram videographers].
It is now witty writing and gripping dialogue [not like the one with overused Yoruba proverbs in this Jagun Jagun…it became a tedium at some point]. There is definitely a better way to elevate and celebrate language without necessarily dipping it the candy of “deep” proverbs per speech.
The lack of a truly great story also caused this.
It is now unforgettable acting.
I have said in some circles that acting isn’t great when you know it is acting. That was all I saw in this particular movie…acting.
It is now intentionally composed and professionally arranged scores to convey key emotions in a film beyond applying slow-motion.
Guys, great movie making is now a whooole lot more.
However, for spending time in some hinterland and rocky terrain to shoot this, I give the Jagun Jagun ‘E’ for effort.
Bar raised, but still unfortunately low.
I wish them well.
