LABAKE OLODODO

LABAKE OLODODO:  AN ATTEMPT TO TELL THE FICTIONAL EPIC OF A TITULAR PROTAGONIST

Labake Olododo; she’s fearless, fearsome, mystical, and powerful but despite all these, she lacks one singular thing, we’ll get to that shortly. Well, Iyabo Ojo’s Labake Olododo has been making waves across the Nollywood industry with many cinemas receiving thousands of viewers trooping in to come see the movie. Let’s dive into why this could be.

Labake Olododo tells the story of Labake, a fearsome heroine who takes it upon herself to protect her kingdom from external oppressors, this garners her a Warrior Lord title from the King(Femi Adebayo). From a mystical family, she is entangled with a web of family secrets especially surrounding the death of a father, and a recurring pattern in her lineage, futhermore, this household tradition makes her unable to live like any other woman who finds love and starts a family, this becomes the Achilles’ heel for Labake who finds love in the arms of a man, Jaiyeoba( this becomes a taboo that boomerangs and causes a series of scary events. What happens?

Directed by Biodun Stephen, Labake Olododo positions itself as an epic tale of war, vengeance and justice. After opening with a few confusing scenes, the film lurches into a battlefield where booming gunfire, blades slicing through flesh, splattered blood, and falling bodies set the mood. In the middle of the bloodbath is Labake (Iyabo Ojo), an equestrian warrior wielding twin axes and a glare that could crack the sky. But beneath the surface of war cries, we find a distorted narrative struggling to stay true to itself.

Well, Labake Olododo is an interesting watch, we are left with an interesting plot garnished with interesting rich and cultural Yoruba dialogue. It was obvious the writer had a story to tell, and did well in executing the plot., however falls short in character development .

Well, while we praise the movie for having an interesting plot, we should however state that due to its jumbled plots and themes, the movie can’t quite decide what it wants to be. The marketed war drama shifts rapidly into comedy, romantic melodrama, and moral lecture, typical of Yoruba cinema. What should be a tight, compelling hero’s journey is reduced to a collection of chaotic scenes—some laughable, others emotionally inert. Overstretched scenes include the opening war sequence, meant to establish Labake’s legend, which is disappointingly hollow.

Also, Labake Olododo mistakes clutter for complexity in what is filled with convoluted, undeveloped scenes and characters. Character arcs start and vanish just as they begin. Subplots are sketched and abandoned. This isn’t helped by the presence of Broda Shaggi(Samuel A.Perry), Cute Abiola (AbdulGafar Abiola), and Kamo (Akinola Ayoola) as comic relief who dilute the gravity of war, rape, and communal collapse. These skitmakers, as youth leaders and activists, instead of being reshaped into voices of reasoning and bravery, are left to play their usual comic selves. Their moments of clownish acts weaken the emotional weight those scenes should carry. By the time the story circles back to its central conflict, its emotional impact has already bled out.

I also noticed Labake wearing orthodontic braces. In a traditional Yoruba movie? Okay

Also, well the film doesn’t clearly define its era, but portraying a traditional Yoruba monarch engaging in casual English dialogue with his son undermines the historical credibility of the setting.

Well, let’s not sore your interest in seeing the movie, Labake Olododo shows at cinemas nationwide, and it’s a good watch for you and yours.

The movie stars Iyabo Ojo, Femi Adebayo, Tayo Faniran, Muyiwa Ademola, Scarlet Gomez, Ibrahim Chatta, Yinka Quadri, Odunlade Adekola, Olumide Oworu, Bimbo Akintola and a few others.

The movie was released to cinema on March 28.

From All of Us at RealNollywood, we rate the movie a 66%