Movie Review: ‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ is copy of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ gone awry
The movie’s narrative seems to be culled straight from the pages of fairy tales, or better yet, Yoruba folklore where the classic story of “Beauty and the Beast” takes a confusing twist.
Title: Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds
Run time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Date released: 29 March 2024
Directors: Odunlade Adekola and Adebayo Tijan
Casts:Odunlade Adekola, Eniola Ajao, Sola Sobowale, Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Akintola, Fathia Balogun, and Ibrahim Chatta.
The film, ‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ set out with grand ambitions but ultimately fell short of its mark, failing to live up to its potential.
Despite brimming with A-list actors and a budget that could rival a small state’s GDP, the movie fell flat, clinging to nothing but wide controversy.
Little wonder, the producer, sensing the looming disaster, attempted a publicity stunt that came crashing even before it even took flight.
However, as the backlash grew more substantial, talks about the movie grew bigger. It’s probably a well-calculated move. But does that make the movie itself any better? Let’s delve into what the movie offers.
Let’s unpack what ‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ brings.
The movie’s narrative seems plucked straight from the pages of fairy tales, or better yet, Yoruba folklore where the classic story of “Beauty and the Beast” takes a confusing twist.
Here, however, the beauty is the male (in this case, the king), while a woman of mysterious origins is the beast.
‘Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds’ is about King Towobola (Odunlade Adekola), surrounded by diabolic women, from his wives to his mother (Sola Sobowale).
Faced with the threat of abdicating the throne for not having a male heir, he brought home a strange woman who spelt more trouble for him.
Plot
The movie narrates the story of a king, Towobola, whose reign was threatened because he had no heir to his throne despite being married to three wives.
Although the king’s three wives are all pregnant, everyone is intrigued and anticipates a son among the king’s three wives. Even the king’s mother, IyaOba, has warned the three pregnant wives to ensure they give the king an heir.
To bring joy to the king, Oyenihun (one of the king’s wives) meets her mother, who gives her a concussion with severe instructions that the mixture must not be touched. However, Oyenihun fails to keep this instruction.
The king’s wife tried all sorts of magic to make him happy and bear him a son, but this was almost impossible, and the sons were far coming, as they all bore daughters.
One night, the king surprised the kingdom with a strange woman, Adaralewa, without a trace of her family. He married this new woman he became fond of, and there was so much joy in the kingdom. But this joy was short-lived. Strife soon began among the wives, and it didn’t end there!
Something seemed pretty off about this woman; she spoke to the king with no reverence.
Adaralewa was able to conceive and bear the King a son, but immediately after giving birth, she threw the child into the fire. This upset the king, but he forgave her and gave her a second chance. She conceived and bore the king another son, but again, when she delivered her child, she threw him into the water.
Outraged, the king unveiled Adaralewa’s secret: she was an Antelope beast! And as secrets unfurled, the palace held darker truths than the king ever imagined.
Character Analysis
The movie parades familiar faces, bringing with them their star power, intensity, and linguistic prowess in a noble quest to immerse viewers in the unfolding narratives.
The cast for the movie includes Odunlade Adekola, Eniola Ajao, Sola Sobowale, Femi Adebayo, Lateef Adedimeji, Mercy Aigbe, Bimbo Akintola, Fathia Balogun, Ibrahim Chatta, amongst others.
The performances span a spectrum from commendable to excessive, with some actors delivering captivating portrayals while others fell short.
Odunlade and Eniola shine as the leads, infusing their roles with strength and conviction. Despite a reduced presence in the latter part of the film, the trio of Fathia, Mercy, and Bimbo left their mark.
Odunlade’s depiction of the conflicted king balances authority and vulnerability, echoing his previous roles in “King of Thieves” and “Orisa.” However, there are instances where Odunlade’s performance leans towards melodrama, diluting the complexity of his character.
Sola brings emotional depth to her portrayal of the king’s mother and a witch, yet at times, her delivery teeters on the edge of overacting.
On the other hand, Eniola’s portrayal of Adaralewa and the vengeful beast, Ajakaju, fails to impress. As both an actor and the film’s producer, she lacked the fierceness required to embody a creature seeking retribution.
Movie Analysis
Recently, Yoruba filmmakers have embraced a formula that draws heavily from the culture’s abundant folklore and ancient literary traditions.
This approach attempts to immerse viewers in familiar Yoruba settings.
While this formula has yielded a few standout productions that successfully merge tradition with a modern perspective, there have also been adaptations that grapple with finding the perfect equilibrium; one such is Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds.
Narratively, as “Ajakaju” unfolds, it strays from its initial storyline of a king’s quest for an heir, veering into an abrupt and disjointed flashback.
This sudden shift reveals the new wife’s past as an antelope and later as the vengeful beast, Ajakaju, who terrorised the village after her parents’ demise at the hands of a greedy hunter.
The revelation of her true identity as a beast seeking vengeance for past atrocities slightly intensifies the plot, culminating in a clash between the supernatural and mortal worlds.
While the revelation adds a layer of intensity to the plot, it lacks foreshadowing or context, disrupting the narrative’s flow and coherence.
The sudden introduction of the flashback without prior groundwork raises significant issues with the storytelling approach.
Flops
The sudden flashback in “Ajakaju” lacks the necessary buildup or hints throughout the film, making it feel out of place and disrupting our connection to the main plot. This narrative shift creates a sense of disjointedness, pulling viewers out of the story.
Furthermore, the story within the flashback, detailing the new wife’s transformation into a vengeful beast, feels overly sensationalised.
It seems like a contrived attempt to add depth to a character that hasn’t been fully developed or justify her actions without properly exploring her motivations in the present timeline.
A tighter integration of the past with present-day events could have improved the flow of the entire film; sadly, this was not done.
Also, the subplot in which Lateef Adedimeji portrays a man yearning for a daughter despite his wife consistently giving birth to sons is intended to inject irony and humour into the storyline.
However, Lateef’s exaggerated acting fails to capture the emotional depth needed to entertain or advance the plot genuinely. Instead of enriching the narrative, his character fell shallow. This leads to missed opportunities for significant character growth.
Moreover, the abrupt disappearance of his character without any reasonable explanation leaves viewers puzzled and underscores a narrative inconsistency that only the filmmaker can clarify.
Technically, while the cinematography effectively captures the essence of the story, it lacks innovation and fails to explore creative angles or visual metaphors that could have elevated the storytelling.
The soundtrack of “Ajakaju” consists of traditional Yoruba music that effectively sets an evocative tone, particularly during pivotal moments.
Moreover, the special effects and makeup teams could use some fine-tuning.
The unpolished animations and artificial beard on Odunlade Adekola stand out as noticeable flaws, taking away from the film’s overall impact. What also was not justified was the use of a goat when the movie speaks about an Antelope.
Logical Inchorence
The primary pitfall of this movie is the lack of logical coherence; it leaves many unanswered questions. Consider the following instances:
The simultaneous pregnancies and births of the king’s three wives on the same day may be an exaggeration or symbolic representation rather than a literal occurrence.
As for Adaralewa, her nature is left ambiguous in the film, leading to confusion about whether she is part demon, part supernatural, or fully human and supernatural.
The lack of clarity on her identity ends up complicating matters.
Ajakaju’s return to the palace raises concerns about her safety and that of her children, especially considering her past actions.
The film fails to address whether the palace is now safe for her and her family, leaving this aspect unresolved.
The plot of Ajakaju indeed raises many questions, including why her first child was kept near such a dangerous element as fire. Additionally, clarity is needed on the timeline regarding the children and the king’s remaining time on the throne to provide a coherent understanding of events.
The fate of the king’s other three wives is left unexplored in the film, leaving viewers wondering what happened to them.
Verdict
5/10