THE KUJUS AGAIN

THE KUJU CLAN IS BACK AGAIN

When I saw the poster of “The Kujus Again”, I wouldn’t deny feeling enthusiastic about what Biodun Stephen had up her sleeves again, well, not because of the mixed reactions that trailed the released prequel in 2020, but this time, the poster and thriller had some seeming poise for our visual consumption.

Well, “The Kujus Again” is a beacon of hope that makes it possible to believe that sequels can be better. They can overshadow and make up for the mistakes of the original.

With the addition of famous musical icon Don Jazzy, “The Kujus Again” follows everyone’s favourite problematic yet loving family, the Kujus. Last time, we watched them unleash drama at a five-year memorial for the family’s matriarch, but this time, they struggled to organise a traditional wedding ceremony.

In Introducing The Kujus, Mausi (Bisola Aiyeola) and Maugbe (Timini Egbuson) devise a plan to trick their other siblings into attending their mother’s fifth memorial, creating a whole lot of drama as they explored and examined their relationships. In The Kujus Again, Mauyan (Kunle Remi) and his girlfriend Lily (Sophie Alakija) announce their engagement at a family get together, an announcement that doesn’t move the group because of the couple’s previous shenanigans. Lily had intended for the wedding to take place at the Kujus family house but little did she know that the family house no longer existed. A disappointed Lily comes up with a solution: they are going to have an intimate destination wedding with a limited number of family and friends. Every member of the Kuju family is given a role to play in the wedding preparations. Maugbe and his friend Chuks (Folaremi Agunbiade) are tasked with handling the logistics of the wedding. Living up to their reputation, they almost ruin the wedding with their carelessness, creating the conflicts that the plot revolves around.

Now, this doesn’t negate the sequel’s good quality. Compared to the first, there is a noticeable growth in scripting, cinematography, and, most significantly, acting performances.

Well, frankly, everyone brought their A-game, which is expected as many of the actors have gone on to feature in several movies after introducing Kuju. There was noticeable growth, especially in Sophie Alakjia, as she sells the character of Lily to the viewers.

The jokes in the film also achieved their goal; they were funny. The scriptwriter does a great job with the dialogues; they are comedic and leave us wanting more. Also, based on the captivating cinematography, Kujus Again optimises its resources to create a world that makes viewers want to be a part of it so badly. It felt like it dragged on a lot. And by “it”, we mean the movie. There are pretty several scenes that exceed their purpose. For example, the reception scene went on too long; it even had one or two characters repeating dialogue.

Then the unrealism of some events is another issue with the sequel, as several gaps exist in the plot. In the beginning, we are made to believe that Maugbe and Chuks have no memory of what happened the previous night, but there is no logical reason to prove why that happened. In the flashback, we saw they were neither drunk nor drugged when betting.

Generally, The Kujus Again was a good watch, I left the cinema feeling entertained and satisfied with a sense of having value for money.

I’d recommend it watched with family, friends and loved ones.

Star Performer(s)– Hard to pick out a stand out performer, all did well.

Can-do-better Performer(s)- It’s Don Jazzy’s debut, we wait for another featuring