Nollywood’s December 2024 cinema line-up has been marked by a curious trend: the return of familiar characters in films that lean heavily on nostalgia rather than innovation. From Jenifa in Everybody Loves Jenifa to Yetunde in Alakada: Bad and Boujee, and now Akpos in The Waiter, filmmakers have relied on the pre-existing love for these characters to draw audiences.

Directed by Toka McBaror and starring Ayo Makun, The Waiter attempts to blend comedy and action in a hostage thriller that brings back Akpos, the brash and loud “Warri” boy. However, much like its counterparts, this film struggles to polish or elevate its character’s relevance, raising the question: is nostalgia alone enough to carry a story to success?

Story

The Waiter sets up an ambitious clash between courage and self-interest, using a chaotic hostage situation to explore human behaviour under pressure. Akpos’s determination collides with Tonye Bright’s morally ambiguous quest for justice, contrasting comedic absurdity with the weighty themes of power, survival, and systemic poverty. The story occasionally lands its punches: Tonye’s sharp dialogue and psychology about poverty and corruption cuts through the chaos and provides moments of genuine resonance.

However, the story ultimately falters because it tries to do too much. The story struggles to find a clear focus, oscillating between comedic escapades and the weightier themes of heroism and societal justice. While the film hints at an exploration of systemic poverty and moral choices, these ideas remain underdeveloped, buried beneath Akpos’s antics. By failing to tie its themes into a cohesive narrative, the story loses the emotional resonance it could have achieved, leaving its commentary on courage and power feeling shallow.

Plot

The plot of The Waiter is an overstuffed, chaotic rush of events that barely connect, undermining its potential as a comedy thriller.

Akpos, a brash caterer, finds himself trapped in a hotel hijacked by Tonye Bright, a disgruntled ex-soldier demanding poverty alleviation funds. As Tonye holds government officials hostage, Akpos leaps into action with his signature bravado, overpowering goons and creating chaos, though his efforts barely impact the larger crisis.

Akpos’s antics and Tonye’s hostage situation exist in parallel rather than intersecting meaningfully, creating a disjointed narrative that leaves many threads unresolved. This lack of cohesion, combined with implausible scenarios and unnecessary subplots, drains the film of tension and reduces its high-stakes premise to a series of inconsequential set pieces. Moments of tension are quickly undercut by comedic detours or exaggerated performances. The film never lets its high-stakes premise breathe.

The ending is especially frustrating, leaning awkwardly into a cringey romance between Akpos and Idara, a character who feels wasted throughout the film. The Waiter tries to juggle action, comedy, romance, and social commentary but spreads itself too thin, leaving the audience both overwhelmed and underwhelmed. Despite moments of promise, the plot is ultimately unsatisfying, with too many loose threads and missed opportunities.

Performances

In The Waiter, the performances are a mixed bag, with some actors adding gravitas while others fall short due to uneven character direction.

Ayo Makun reprises his familiar role as Akpos, injecting the character with his trademark comedic energy and loud cries of “Warri!” While some may find his antics amusing, the performance often feels exaggerated to the point of caricature, which clashes with the film’s more serious moments. This over-the-top approach makes Akpos more of a disruptive force than a cohesive lead, failing to strike the right balance between humour and the story’s stakes.

Bucci Franklin’s portrayal of Tonye Bright, the ex-soldier turned terrorist, is a standout performance. He delivers sharp, socially relevant dialogue that often breaks the fourth wall, making his reflections on poverty and political corruption feel timely and impactful. Franklin’s cold intensity gives weight to Tonye’s radical motivations, though the shaky foundation of the character’s goals sometimes undercuts the effectiveness of his delivery.

Deyemi Okanlawon brings flair to the role of Femi Aina, the head of security at Krystal Valley Hotel. However, the overall character falters here, with Femi often acting illogically, undermining the stakes of the situation. Instead of checking through security footages, he instead goes on a fighting spree along with Akpors fighting unnamed gunmen. Okanlawon’s charisma feels wasted in a character whose actions lack coherence.

Regina Daniels as Idara. This character is a glaring example of missed potential. She drifts aimlessly through the narrative, her purpose is for one reason: Akpors’ love interest, and her character underwritten. The lack of direction makes her performance feel casual and out of place, further emphasising how wasted her role is in the overall story.

The film is peppered with guest appearances from Kunle Remi, Dino Melaye, Nasboi, Brainjotter, and others. While their presence adds star power, most of these cameos feel disconnected and irrelevant to the main plot. That said, Kunle Remi’s brief appearance delivers a genuinely funny performance, showcasing his versatility and standing out amidst the chaos.

The overall acting direction often clashes with the stakes of the story. Some performances are exaggerated to the point of absurdity, while others are so casual that they fail to match the tension of the plot. Despite moments of brilliance, such as Franklin’s charged dialogue and Remi’s comedic timing, the film struggles to use its talented cast effectively.

Technical Aspects

This aspect reveal a mix of competence and missed opportunities, with certain elements standing out positively while others fall short of their potential.

The cinematography occasionally shines, particularly in the action sequences, where tight framing and dynamic angles amplify the tension. Scenes like the hotel standoff and the chaotic skirmishes are visually engaging, with some shots effectively capturing the adrenaline of the moment. However, the frenetic editing undermines these moments, rushing through sequences and failing to let key scenes breathe. Transitions between scenes are jarring at times, further contributing to the film’s disjointed pacing.

The fight choreography, while ambitious, lands somewhere between engaging and implausible. The hand-to-hand combat sequences are stylised, with Akpos frequently overpowering armed opponents through exaggerated displays of bravado. While these moments provide entertainment, their lack of relevance detracts from the stakes. You keep asking yourself, “Why are they fighting?” The explosion scene, though visually striking, feels unnecessary and overly ambitious, eliciting more cringe than awe.

These moments showcase the film’s tendency to prioritise spectacle over substance.

In terms of sound design and music, The Waiter fares better. The soundtrack, particularly the track singing about “Hunger Dey” at the end credits resonates with the film’s themes, adding emotional weight where the narrative struggles to deliver. The sound effects during action scenes are well-executed, heightening the tension and grounding the chaos. However, the overuse of comedic cues in inappropriate moments undermines the seriousness of certain scenes, creating tonal inconsistencies.

The set design and production value reflect a fair effort, with the Krystal Valley Hotel serving as a believable and interesting setting for the hostage crisis.

Overall, while The Waiter demonstrates technical competence in certain areas, these efforts are often overshadowed by rushed editing, implausible sequences, and inconsistent tonal execution. The result is a film that feels chaotic not just narratively, but technically as well, leaving the audience both entertained and frustrated.

Final Thoughts

The Waiter embodies many of the recurring challenges in Nollywood storytelling: ambitious concepts that are let down by unpolished execution. While the film offers moments of levity, spectacle, and sharp commentary on societal issues, it ultimately falters due to its chaotic narrative, rushed pacing, and inconsistent character development. Akpos, like Jenifa in Everybody Loves Jenifa or Yetunde in Alakada: Bad and Boujee, is a character built on past audience familiarity.

However, much like those films, The Waiter leans heavily on familiarity without meaningful refinement and relevance. The result is a story that feels like an afterthought, with little effort to deepen or improve the character’s appeal.

December 2024’s cinema line-up has exposed a troubling trend: the reliance on reprising beloved characters without the polish or complexity needed to elevate their stories. Instead of offering growth and even introducing new stories, films like The Waiter rely on previous love, leaving viewers with narratives that feel stuck in the past. This lack of progression isn’t just a disservice to these characters but to Nollywood’s audience, who increasingly crave innovation and higher standards.

In the end, this film is a frustrating blend of ambition and mediocrity. The narrative would have performed better without the inclusion of the “waiter” beat. 

highlights the potential of Nollywood to tell engaging, socially relevant stories but also underscores the industry’s persistent struggle to deliver polished, cohesive narratives. As audiences continue to demand more, Nollywood must move beyond relying on old formulas and invest in refining its storytelling craft.

Verdict

The Waiter fails to justify a cinema outing, offering a disjointed story, an implausible plot, and uneven performances that struggle to balance its comedic and serious tones. While the production quality is well suited for a big screen experience, and shows flashes of competence, the rushed pacing, tonal inconsistencies, and over-reliance on nostalgia for Akpos’s character undermine the film’s potential. Nollywood’s longest serving character is dire need for retirement.

Rating: 2.5/5