Iyalode is an epic Nollywood movie that tells the story of Asabi Onile and her many battles and struggles to reclaim her position in society. Asabi is a strong female warrior who navigates politics and bloodshed, laced with betrayals, to find solid footing. Directed by Adebayo Tijani, the movie stars Toyin Abraham, Bukky Wright, Muyiwa Ademola, Kareem Adepoju, Toyosi Adesanya, Gabriel Afolayan, Kola Ajeyemi, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Chatta, Peter Fatomilola, Tanwa Hameed, Aisha Lawal, and Wale Ojo.
Costumes marred by minor flaws
The costumes in this movie are good. I like the use of Aso Oke and Adire, as they gave the movie an epic feel. Unfortunately, I thought the costumes worn by some of the lead warriors looked too poor, especially the shiny ones worn by Asabi. Additionally, the costumes worn by Kunle Ajeyemi and Kehinde Bankole when they were wooing each other appeared fake, weak and unsuitable for a warrior. Since the movie tells an epic tale, there is no time in Yoruba history when warriors wore shimmering clothes to battle. The clothes shimmered like Damask fabric. I believe Asian epic war movies inspired the idea of the shimmering costume. The makeup on the warriors was on point, making them look exactly like the warriors in old Yoruba movies.
Special effect
Iyalode displayed some impressive special effects, even though one can conclude that they were not entirely on point. We must, however, give the directors their credit for taking Nollywood out of its comfort zone. Iyalode displayed werewolf-like characters and also humans transforming into bees to attack enemy camps. I was impressed by the conjuring of spirits from the ground and the earthquake effects, even though I could still see some flaws.
The acting is good
The acting in this movie is good, even though I dislike the use of the same cast of actors in Yoruba movies. The dialogue between Kehinde Bankole and Kunle Ajeyemi’s character was really interesting. Kehinde Bankole displayed good acting in that scene. She portrayed a lady who had never experienced romance in her life, as war was her passion. That scene of theirs was pure cinema. Aside from the dialogue, I enjoyed the scene because of its location and the way the environment blended with the characters’ skin tones and costumes. The choreography of some of the battle scenes was weak, particularly the scene where Toyin Abraham fought Peter Fatomilola. The flaw was not with their acting but with the other warriors fighting in the background while they were conjuring and citing incantations at each other. At one point, I noticed two warriors in the background fighting each other. The one who had a sword dropped it to fight bare-handed with the one who had no weapon. That was ridiculous to me, especially when they didn’t know what else to do but resort to dancing.
Nice editing, sound design, but cheap colour grading
The editor of this movie did an amazing job, and the sound effects were on point in making the battles lively. However, this movie missed a chance to take Nollywood to the world of super colour grading, as seen in great series like Vikings and Game of Thrones, and other movies that transport viewers back in time due to their colour grading. Iyalode bears a striking resemblance to the world today. The colourist ought to have exercised the liberty to give the movie a Look that will make viewers think they were transported back to the 18th-century Yorubaland. Anyway, let me not bore you with too many technicalities.
In a nutshell, Iyalode is a recommendable movie that brings excitement, betrayal, quest, conquest and some romance. It is in the Yoruba language with good subtitles. I’ll rate it a 7.5/10.
