It’s been awhile since I shared reviews of motion pictures but with this Anikulapo sequel on Netflix, I feel It’s important I chime in my views.
Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre is a well-written storyline. Personally, the moment I learnt there would be a sequel I had thought it would be a mess but what I saw proved me otherwise.
I doff my hat for the writers. I never knew they could achieve such a smooth link with the previous work without any form of lapses for critics like me, and considering the technicality of the storyline and how irrelevant and uninteresting it might seem to today’s reality.
For a writer like me, I would consider writing a sequel for such folklore particularly for the 21st Century viewers one of the tasking projects to embark upon.
But trust meticulous Kunle Afolayan (the Producer) and his knack for the tiniest details in his productions. He won’t settle for less.
Having said that, the power of inner creativity can only be harnessed with such tough projects. Without challenging projects and situations no creativity will ever be achieved in the first place.
One beautiful aspect of the Anikulapo blockbuster is the intergenerational involvement of all veteran actors across 5 generations. They all fit in perfectly for their roles, dialogue and contributions. That really shows how well-planned the project must have been for the Producer.
The series explores the importance of African spirituality as it relates to the law of sowing and reaping that controls human actions while on earth. It reechos the Yoruba spirituality of Orun (the eternity, where everyone will finally receive the judgement for their deeds here on earth.
It unearths the myths around the long debated issue of reincarnation, which most religions never believe exists except for African spirituality. The possibility that many reincarnated souls may be living amongst us for some reasons are all laid bare in the Anikulapo sequel.
The use of our indigenous language in the series, is like a breath of fresh air, a departure from the usual English epic storylines with badly presented dialogue from the actors. I think it’s Oscar worthy, if there would be a category for it.
Above all, the moral lessons in it, should never be ignored.
Kudos to all the cast and crew.