Tokunbo: Another Crime Thriller That is Far From Thrilling

When Tokunbo, the third directorial venture from Ramsey Nouah, came onto our radar, the gripping poster instantly captured our attention. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a movie from Ramsey Nouah, and given the success of his last two films—propelled by nostalgia—we were eager to see what he would deliver with an entirely original story.

Plot

The film follows an ex-car smuggler (Tokunbo) who has just three hours to deliver a government official’s daughter to her captor, or else his family will face dire consequences. The plot is straightforward, with the main threads revolving around Nike’s kidnapping, Tokunbo’s son’s health crisis, Shade’s cryptocurrency bill that’s stirring up trouble, and the connection between Raymond and Aziba.

Story

Based on its premise, Tokunbo ticks all the boxes for a high-stakes crime thriller. The opening scene was quite intriguing. Unfortunately, as soon as the story pulls you in, it doesn’t take long to figure out the major twists. Despite a runtime of an hour and fifty-two minutes, the film drags at certain points, possibly due to its predictability and plotholes., weak script, and poor dialogue.

The plot gave room for so many inconveniences. And we are left with numerous questions. For example, If Iya Mulika had the balls to kill Gaza why didn’t she wait till the big fight to do so? She had multiple opportunities to get rid of him after she was sexually assaulted but she chose to do it to save Tokunbo. What’s her real connection to Tokunbo? Why can’t Shade postpone her announcement to save her daughter? What exactly was Raymond up to? Where did the police get a studio picture of Tokunbo clad in his current clothes from? How Is Shade comfortable with Tokunbo as her driver, especially after endangering her life multiple times? and so many more.

Performances

Gideon Okeke delivers the best performance of his career so far as Tokunbo. Child actor, Darasimi Nadi excels as Nike. Funlola Aofiyebi as Shade performs as the “Iron Lady” that we’ve come to expect from her. While her estranged husband, Bankole appeared out of place. It was also a treat to see Ivie Okujaiye and Majid Michel back on screen as Aziba and Raymond, respectively but their characters are just another means to fill up some of the film’s loopholes.

Furthermore, Chidi Mokeme’s portrayal of Gaza, whilst commendable, is just a scar away from reprising the character of Scar in Shanty Town. Adunni Ade appeared way too posh for her character of Iya Mulika, her appearance (even with the makeup) and diction are a strong contrast to her character – “My restaurant day here” What kind of local Yoruba street food seller uses this diction?

Nobert Young seemed very uninterested in his role as the officer in charge of the investigation. Other extras do little or nothing to help the film

Technical Aspects

Kudos to the D.0.P and Editor for a well-executed film look that matches the film’s tone. The dark, gritty, and sweaty images also accentuate the film’s genre. The stunts and vfx employed in the film are apt. We also appreciated the thoughtful integration of music, such as the song “Living in Bondage” by Prettyboy D-O, which enhanced the montage scene following Tokunbo’s unsuccessful visit to Gaza.

However, there were too many quick cuts and jump cuts, especially in dialogue-driven scenes. The continuity in the film is extremely poor – from crew members taking bts pictures/videos to production equipment being visible on screen. This is not what we expect to see in a film of this scale.

The film had a large number of outdoor scenes and it is quite surprising that there were little or no sound bites, background sound, and sound effects. The Baritone voice-over for Raymond felt a bit cringy and off-putting, while we understand the intention, it doesn’t seem well executed.

The scene in which Shade announces her plans with her a cabinet is a letdown, as it appears visually and dramatically unrealistic – The practical lights appear to be off and the key light is from the open window (sun), this is abnormal for a Nigerian setting. There was no need for camera movement as it distracts the viewers from the dialogue. and the jump cut to other scenes made it seem like a montage.

Final Thoughts

For a thriller, Tokunbo makes a boring watch. It is riddled with continuity problems, bad acting, and unrealistic situations. Tokunbo as a character lacks a strong emotional connection with his family, and it was hard to root for him. There is nothing substantial about the conflict between Shade and Raymond.

Tokunbo is by far one of the most audacious Nollywood films we have seen this year. The film producers pushed so many interesting boundaries but they neglected the basic aspects of filmmaking. It is a shame that all the good work is tainted by avoidable rookie mistakes.

On a side note, We couldn’t help but notice that Tokunbo felt like a merged gritty version of the earlier-released 2024 movies Muri and Ko and Saving Onome.

Verdict

The film lacked the action and thrill needed for the genre. The death of Tokunbo’s son left us feeling like everything in the film was for nothing, which is never a good takeaway. The ending was too convenient, though it wasn’t surprising—Nollywood does love a happy ending. Overall, you will find this film enjoyable if you choose to ignore its flaws.

Rating: 3/5

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Uju Okosieme

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