“Lisabi: A Legend is Born” is a follow-up of “Lisabi: The Uprising,” which was released sometimes towards the end of last year. Lateef Adedimeji continues in the role of the eponymous Lisabi, who fought for the freedom of his people, the Egba people, from the tyranny of Oyo Empire.
Thus, in a way, the film is also a tribute to and remembrance of the Egba people’s past. Despite “Lisabi: The Uprising” being released towards the end of 2024, all I can remember is how melodramatic it was. I mean, what should anyone expect from Lateef Adedimeji in a leading role? Suffice to say that this second part isn’t short of melodrama either. So grab your popcorn or whatever it is you munch.
If “Lisabi: The Uprising” was about the Egba people’s fight for freedom from the oppression of the Oyo Empire and its tax collector, led by Lisabi, “Lisabi: A Legend is Born” is about the treachery, envy, and machinations against Lisabi. However, it picks up where it left off, with the Oyo Empire returning for retribution only to be completely destroyed by the Egba people once more. I wonder why Netflix chunked out this movie in two parts that could have been combined or possibly made into a television show. Whatever the reason behind Netflix doing that, we can only speculate.
Plot
Directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, “Lisabi: A Legend is Born” picks up where the last one left off, with the battles between Lisabi and his people against the Oyo Empire. The fight sequences are shown in Snyder-esque slow motion. The spear-wielding female warriors are very similar to those in Marvel’s Black Panther. Following their loss, the Alaafin demanded that the Egbas be completely destroyed, led by Aronimoja (Deyemi Okanlawon). However, the Egbas overcame them once more despite the fact that they were outnumbered. All of this takes place thirty minutes into the film, leaving you to wonder what else is left.
Like every story about great individual, they’re usually betrayed and maligned against by their own people. Lisabi is maligned, jealous, envied, and plotted against after their liberation from the Oyo Empire. Some of the men feel he’s taking all the glory for himself when they all fought together, hand in hand.
The battle sequences at the beginning of “Lisabi: A Legend is Born” are choreographically rote. These mechanical fight scenes were only aggravated by the Snyder-esque choice to shoot in slow motion, which achieved the opposite of its aim: a bald-faced, contrived fight scene of poor editing which made the fight scenes look robotic. Since the only method to kill an enemy in these fight sequences is to slit their throat theatrically, there is also a lack of inventiveness.
Niyi Akinmolayan continues to be one of the Nollywood directors at the forefront of computer-generated imagery (CGI). He doesn’t shy away from it in this film too. But some of the CGI in this movie is a tad gratuitous, while others look cheesy.
Even the sound effect in “Lisabi: A Legend is Born” is overly dramatic, and its banal use detracts from part of its impact. The film suffered from an overreliance on an eerie, artificially amplified dialogue style, creating an unsettling and ultimately fatiguing auditory experience. This unnatural vocal delivery was employed not only by the metaphysical entities but also by human characters like Aronimoja and Alaafin, despite their lack of immediate danger. This consistent and excessive use of this amplified style left viewers feeling bombarded and potentially overwhelmed, making it difficult to fully engage with the narrative after just 30 minutes.
“Lisabi: A Legend is Born” is an unnecessary movie with no material essence to it that shouldn’t have been made. The first one might have been expanded to include anything we eventually find out. But if the first part was about the Egbas war of liberation, and this second one more an intimate portrayal of the legendary Lisabi in the aftermath of the war, we know nothing about the man himself, except being betrayed and maligned by his own people. It’s a headless tale.
Character Analysis
Actors continue to be underutilised and commercialised in Nollywood recent movies. As we watched Odunlade Adekola bathe in a pool of blood at the start of “Lisabi: The Uprising,” we all assumed he would play a significant part as the Alaafin. Additionally, he appears in this film for less than two minutes. We saw Deyemi Okanlawon (the commercialisation part) in the movie’s teaser, but we were unaware that he would have such a little role—more of a lengthy cameo. The same is true with Gabriel Afolayan, who makes appearances in both films but doesn’t accomplish much. It’s unfortunate that these actors are so underutilised given their talent.
Critical Review
Written by Niyi Akinmolayan and Yinka Olaoye, “Lisabi: A Legend is Born,” is lightly written, has underdeveloped characters, and has no narrative. However, how can someone salvage a film that was never intended to be produced?
Some think Lisabi turned into an oppressor himself, while others think that, as the film implied at the conclusion, he was betrayed by his own people. Aside from talking about the emancipation of the Egba people, the film concludes on a fairly unclear note because it lacks any supporting evidence or narrative. Just as Lisabi’s demise was shrouded in mystery, the this second part should never have been made; let the audience ponder about it.
Rating: 4/10
