User reviews

King of Thieves is said to be inspired by Yoruba mythology, but the epic is more or less a retelling as opposed to an accurate portrayal of folklore. The screenplay, written by Yinka Laoye from a story by Femi Adebayo, wields its creative licence with wisdom, weaving a story that is identifiable and believable, while avoiding unnecessary grandness and complexities. The result is a direct and coherent tale that impresses without trying too hard.

Where the screenplay suffers is in its inability to use its characters collectively to further the purpose of the story. Characters in King of Thieves are often easily disposable or created for the purpose of executing some errand, after which they all but disappear. Oba Adegbite appears onscreen from time to time usually for the sole purpose of expressing worry or pain, but he rarely gets involved in handling crucial matters of state, like dealing with the band of robbers that have plunged his kingdom into chaos. Oguntade's father shows up as a messenger to send his son on a mission but is nowhere to be seen for the rest of the movie, not even when the mission leads to dire consequences. Even a prince appears midway into the film just so that he can be used as a plot device.

But while the characters may be underutilised, the actors are not. Femi Adebayo leads a mostly strong and starry cast with an energetic portrayal of Agesinkole, the man and the myth. His character does not say much, neither do his missing eyeballs, but Adebayo carries the character with staunchness. When he does speak, sound effects are often added to imbue his voice with some power. But those effects are barely needed; without them, Adebayo's voice still commands. Most of the time, however, he speaks through his right-hand man, played by Ibrahim Yekini who portrays his character's wickedness with finesse and subtlety.

The king might not play as much of a role as he deserves, but Odunlade Adekola delivers on the available worry and pain with sufficient nuance. Toyin Abraham, playing Mobonuola, the wife of the Oba, never goes out of character even when the supporting actors around her forget that cameras are trained on them as well, and not just on Agesinkole. And whenever Adedimeji Lateef appears onscreen as Abegunde, the famed Lafongido masquerade (just saying the name "Lafongido" makes me want to break out into his praise song), it is as difficult to not take him seriously as it is to not laugh.

King of Thieves is the movie Amina tried but failed to be. It's not that Adebayo's movie is perfect. It's not. The visual effects, especially, leave a lot to be desired. But if this is the minimum standard for the coming big-budget epic movies from Anthill Studios and Euphoria 360, and even from other filmmakers in the country, it is probably safe to say that we are in for a breezy ride.

Ageshinkólé (King of thieves) is a hit in Nollywood (cinema industry of Nigeria), the seventh highest-grossing Nigerian film so far. It is a fantasy epic inspired in Yoruba mysticism, full of magic, portraying the menace the powerful bandit Ageshinkólé means to the king Oba Adegbite Tadenikaro. The ruler will need all the help he can to restist the enemy. What kind of magic will be enough? The fictional kingdom of Ajeromi is divided in different factions - hunters, wizards, witches, Shàngó oracles, the spiritual forces, and the heavenly beings called masqueraders -, each one worshipping a god-Orisha: Ogun, Shàngó... It had been stable for a long time, punishing violently and mercilessly with death penalty any stealing, but things changed dramatically as a seemingly undefeatable danger rose. Why did it happen? What may give it and end? For a foreigner, watching a big African production with native elements such as Ageshinkólé is interesting by itself - particularly for a spectator from Brazil, as those Yoruba elements also impacted deeply on Brazilian culture. I loved mostly the costumes, makeup and art direction. However, there are also some drawbacks, such as irregular acting (good moments alternate with quite unconvincing ones), a loose script, and a few cheesy edition choices. Despite those sins, it worth watching. Besides the amusing setting, the ending of the story is quite nice.

We're clapping, shouting, and screaming of joy, we're just in awe 🙌🏾🤓

To be honest, we didn't expect much from King of Thieves, and the best movies, like they say, are the ones you don't watch with expectations.

Fantastic production, fantastic cast, fantastic story!

DELICIOUS

-The scenery was the most striking element, i.e. The breathtaking view of the village, the people, clothing, dances, trees, mountains, etc

On top of that, the set design team worked very hard to deliver an antique atmosphere

-The traditional music😍😍

-We have too many additional great things to say about the production: wonderful costume design, make-up design, sound effects, special effects, CGI, visual effects, etc. Well done!!

-The film carried a vital message by criminalizing the harsh treatment of thieves

-The character Agesinkole was well crafted through his costume, voice, eyes, and gestures

-The narrator's voice throughout the scenario helped make the story engaging rather than scary. A big shout out to the character Oguntade!

BLAND

-Color grading was stunning for the major part; just a few times, the temperature would suddenly change within the same scenes

-It would have made more impact to see the killing process of some characters as opposed to hiding it.