Niyi Akinmolayan Delivers Another Epic
Yet another historical epic drama from Nollywood, Lisabi the Uprising is written and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and features familiar Nollywood faces like Lateef Adedimeji, Odunlade Adekola, Adebimpe Oyebade, Ibrahim Chatta, Gabriel Afolayan, Olumide Oworu and many more. Lisabi is an Anthill production, a media production studio founded by Niyi Akinmolayan.
A Riveting Tale of Resistance
Chaos reigns in Ẹgba land as an egotistical ruler lords them all. The Historical movie opens with a parade as a public spectacle made of a ruler who despite being under the Aláàfin refuses to do his bidding.
Sangodeyi, one of Aláàfin’s loyal muscles, is rewarded for bringing Oba Olodan to the palace for retribution by making him the head Ilari of Ẹgba ( Head tribute collector).
Sangodeyi does his job a little too well. He proves himself to truly be the devil’s spun with all the chaos and injustice he brings to Ẹgba for his amusement. His tyranny soon affects the lives of a young farmer and his loved ones. Lisabi, a humble Ẹgba farmer, has to drop his hoe, cutlass, and sickle and pick up the sword for the honor of his people. Sangodeyi sowed a seed of war by spilling the blood of the innocent and this humble farmer reaps the products of this harvest with his sickle.
Let us Get Into The Details Of The Epic Movie.
Like every other Yoruba epic Netflix movie, Lísàbí the Uprising has had its fair share of publicity and the first part of the movie is finally out but is it worth the hype?
Ibrahim Chatta needs to retire from Nollywood and give other actors a level playing field already with the way he shines in his roles. His interpretation of the role of “Sangodeyi”, the ruthless tribute collector, is one to be studied. He sprinkles a bit of humor to the character despite his cynical nature. From his facial expressions to language and vocabulary, he captures the crudeness of a merciless tyrant.
The protagonist, Lisabi, interpreted by Lateef Adedimeji is also a pretty decent character. His grief, the relationship he had with his best friend “ Osokenu” and his pure burn for freedom shine through the screen.
The soundtracks do a great job of effectively capturing and amplifying the emotions of each scene. The mix of epic music, traditional drums, and instruments is seamless. The fighting scenes were also realistic and powerful with only a few hiccups that one could easily dismiss in the heat of battle.
The old map of the Oyo kingdom we see on our screen at the beginning of the movie also adds to the element of mysticism and adventure. Anthill Studios being a part of this production does a good job at leaving its mark in this production.
One can easily relate this movie to the biopic of Olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti. She earns the title “lioness of Lisabi” after Lisabi of Egba. It makes a lot of sense now as both Funmilayo Kuti and Lisabi were historically famous for fighting against the unfair taxation of the masses.
The movie also tallies with the original story of Lisabi, the hero of Egba Land. There could have been additions here and there to build the plot but overall, when you read about the old legend, the historical epic doesn’t derail too far from its origin.
“Lisabi: The Uprising” checks the educational box of storytelling as it gives us a good look into Yoruba history, proverbs, and important Yoruba practices like igbeyawo and Aró.
A Few Hiccups Here And There...
While the movie is enthralling and entertaining, there are a couple of downsides and room for improvement for upcoming projects of similar genres. The first and very obvious one is the language spoken by the characters. The Ẹgba language spoken in the movie isn’t quite… right. Only a few actors could accurately capture the accent and inflections of the Egba Yoruba dialect.
Not a lot is expected from Nollywood but it is refreshing to see the industry grow, however, SFX animation is still undergoing evolution. All there is to say is the animations, especially the magical beasts the soldiers transform into, the beheading of Sangodeyi and a few other effects just aren’t there yet. The scene where tree vines barely wrap around the leg of a soldier as it pulls him into the unknown?! It still needs a bit of work.
The beginning of the movie does a great job of pulling the Audience in but the ending of the movie feels rushed. There were only fifteen minutes left yet a lot hadn’t been resolved. It could be because the movie’s second part is yet to be released but the falling action collapsed a bit too quickly.
Also, does anybody know how Lisabi suddenly got powers? Is there a backstory we should be expecting in the second part?
A lot is expected from the second part of the movie which is meant to be available for streaming on Netflix from January 2025.
The movie is a decent watch but it’s lacking in a few areas like the special effects and language. The sudden association of the protagonist with witchcraft creates a plot hole and further adds to the urgency of the writer to give the story an ending.
On a scale of 1 through 10, Lisabi the uprising deserves a 7/10.
Mediapeephole Approves
You Should Read: Tokunbo: A Gritty Tale of Crime, Sacrifice, Loss, and Redemption.
