Jenifa is back and in this sequel, she has to deal with a new neighbour who threatens to outshine her charity organization.
Everybody Loves Jenifa but unfortunately, I’m not one of them. And yes, before you remind me, I know that Funke Akindele has already made her money and my opinion does not make a difference. Very valid. Which is why I am going to quickly share it anyway.
First, credit where it’s due: Everybody Loves Jenifa grossed over ₦1 billion at the box office last year, becoming Nollywood’s highest-grossing film ever. That’s a massive achievement, and Funke deserves her flowers. However, just because a movie makes a lot of money at the box office, does not mean that it is GOOD. Watching this was a very tedious experience for me.
Why did people like it?
ELJ did not become a massive financial successes because of b its brilliant plot twists, compelling characters, or a groundbreaking story. It became a hit because it was based on an extremely popular movie and character that Nigerians loved at some point. Nostalgia is the biggest reason why so many people would love this because watching this reminds you of a time when Jenifa was fresh and it inspired genuine laughter.
Then there’s the celebrity parade. From Vickie James to Hilda Baci, Lagbaja, and D’banj, the film was giving “Guess Who’s Coming Next?” Every new cameo probably had the cinema audience screaming, “Ah-ah, this person too?!” Clever move, even if it added nothing to the plot. Add aggressive marketing, strategic release timing, and of course, Funke’s loyal fan base, and you have a guaranteed hit.
What Worked?
The production scale was undeniably impressive. The Eko Fest scene was big, bold, and colorful. Cinematography, costumes, and settings worked to a large extent. Acting-wise, Funke remains the only person who can play Jenifa the way she does (even though I need her to let it go already) , Falz was fun, and Layi Wasabi had his moments. The rest of the cast? Not terrible, not necessary.
Why did I not like it?
The story was very thin, things were really disjointed, they just jumped from one sub plots to another, and character development was nonexistent. It was 2hours 16mins of
watching characters speaking in CAPITAL LETTERS, 2 hours 16mins of my life that I would never get back. It was painful to watch and I could not wait for it to be over.
ELJ is heartbreakingly lazy, it does not give you reasons to like it and root for the characters, it just expects you to like it because you watched Jenifa in the past. I mean there was a character who was there to just chew gum.
I was going to go into even more detail, explaining specific pain points, pointing out loopholes, and telling you about the cringe-fest that was most of the scenes in this movie. But honestly, thinking about it just made me upset. So there was no point.
Year after year, even though Funke clearly has the capacity and resources to tell compelling stories, she keeps putting out the same type of films. Films that feel more like compilations of Instagram skits than the multi-million naira productions they actually are. She assembles a star-studded cast for no discernible purpose (whether they can act or not), sprinkles in a few moral lessons, hypes the hell out of it, and makes her money. If this is the kind of film being churned out by Nollywood’s history-making director and producer and everyone is applauding it, then what is the way forward for this industry?
I completely respect that filmmaking is a business, and Funke Akindele is a brilliant businesswoman who knows the playbook for raking in money annually. But it’s disappointing that the formula always seems to be lazy comedies, recycled tropes, and jokes that aren’t even funny anymore.
Overall, Everybody Loves Jenifa was not a good watch for me. It’s a tired, tiring comedy from a franchise that has run out of steam and should really be laid to rest.
My Rating: 3/10
Have you seen the movie, please share your thoughts with us in the comments below
Read the review of Ms Kanyin here.
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