LIFE IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
(A Review on Jagun Jagun Movie)
There is a saying that is often used by the elderly and wise when confronted with certain ambiguous situations, you hear them say “… there is more to this matter than meets the eyes”
Perhaps, perspective to life like this is what carved out notions that some things or situations have a hidden part and some persons can altruistically evaluate life matters on a deeper level in such a way that they are termed to have ‘a third eye’.
But really, is Life not deeper than what we see?
Things are believed not to be usually what they look like, what is apparent may not always be true and what is obvious may just be a mirage!
The truth is life is not skin deep, the reality of situations can lie farther concealed than imagined.
Each and every one of us finds ourselves in that web of mysteries searching for answers and meaning in a conglomerate of destiny matters.
It is same with the trending, charts tripping movie; Jagun Jagun, a Yoruba epic movie cast with several notable Yoruba veteran and uprising actors.
The casting of Bukunmi Adesina as ‘Agemo’, the most dreaded evil monster unleashed by the warrior lord, vilain & dark hearted machiavellian Ogundiji {Femi Adebayo] is a classic twist hidden to many of Ogundiji followers.
Agemo was the Monstrous spirit that Ogundiji releases as last arsenal from his weaponry whenever a battle gets irrevocably out of hand.
In a rave of envy mixed with jealousy, Ogunjimi had sent Gbotija [Lateef Adedimeji], who happens to be one of his young aspiring learner warriors on impossible missions just to eliminate him.
This was a cumulation of about 2 deadly life-threatening assignments, which to the disappointment of the villain warlord, Ogundiji, the young Gbotija passed excellently well, without being badly wounded or dying in battle.
The last test he put the young man through failed again because as usual, Gbotija came out victorious.
On the way back from the battle field, from the third deadly assignment that his master Ogundiji sent him to, Gbotija was accosted on the way by his masters last weapon of war.
Ogundiji sent the monster spirit, Agemo against Gbotija, since it seems that young man had defied all odds, the wicked warlord resorted to his last arsenal.
Gbotija pleaded and pleaded with the monstrous spirit, explaining he had done no wrong to Ogundiji but all his pleas fell on deaf ears.
In his own last line of defense, Gbotija cried out to the spirit of the woods [which happen to be his ancestral patron spirit] for safety.
The patron spirits of the woods answered Gbotija’s cry for help and helped kill Agemo.
In pure curiosity, Gbotija unmasked the face of the deadly spirit only to realize sadly that the deadly spirit was his beloved ‘Iroyinogunkitan’, the lady assumed to be Ogundiji’s daughter, who he was madly in-love with.
The unmasking of ‘Agemo’ by Gbotija only to realize that it was all along his beloved bride-to-be, who against her wish was turned into an evil mercenary of war by their villain master, marked a turning point & heart wrenching inconsolable experience in the soul of the young aspiring warrior lad ‘Gbotija’ and this all in a cascade of emotional and brave events, led to the death of their villain master, ‘Ogundiji’.
Now here is the point, this movie is more of a Master- Servant envy twist, so similar to the biblical King Saul & David saga.
And its sad end accentuates how a young brave lad knew so little about the young princess he was so much in love with…
Had he known her story which was only revealed at the point of death, he would have rescued her and probably saved himself as well as other lives from loads of attacks from Ogundiji.
Gbotija’s knowledge of Ogundiji, his master or of his beloved bride-to-be ‘iroyinogunkitan’ was just vague, skin deep!
Never stay with surface information, search, ask questions, enquire and as holistically as you can, always seek to find out the truth. There is more to Life than meets the Eyes… Jagun Jagun is a classic to watch, if you are yet to see the movie, you are missing a great deal. It is rated 9/10.
From the awesome Yoruba live stage shows of Herbert Ogunde, to the mid 90’s Sango epic cast by Duro Ladipo; this classic has once again brought the Yoruba theater to global admiration that it always had.
Jagun Jagun is a great movie to watch!
Staring the creme de la creme of the Yoruba film industry, it cast a mix of veteran actors like Oga Bello, Fathia Balogun, Yinka Quadri and uprising stars like Bimbo Ademoye, Lateef Adedimeji, Bukunmi Adesina to mention a few, in a beautiful symphony of relentless acting at its core.
Presently trending at top 1 most grossed movie in Nigeria and top 3 in the United States, also trending massively on Netflix.
Go, sit, grab a pop-corn and enjoy the classic Yoruba epic movie, Jagun Jagun.
Fasehun Oyetolani
Asst. GM Operations & Presenter
Union Television, LiDa Broadcasting Systems, LBS, Lagos.
Proof-read by Babatomiwa Ojo
HOD Productions Dept. Union Television, LBS, Lagos.
