Labake Olododo, a Yoruba-language epic, brings together a dynamic mix of both contemporary and legendary actors, including Bimbo Akintola, Iyabo Ojo, Toyin Abraham, Broda Shaggi, Femi Adebayo, Muyiwa Ademola, Ibrahim Chatta, and Fathia Balogun. Directed by Biodun Stephen, the film primarily uses Yoruba but includes a few English-speaking scenes and comes with English subtitles, making it accessible to non-Yoruba speakers.
Before planning a family outing to see this film, it’s important to note that Labake Olododo is rated 18+ due to scenes containing nudity and violence, making it unsuitable for younger audiences.
The movie showcases elaborate costumes, detailed set designs, striking makeup, and a rich soundtrack. However, these elements occasionally come off as excessive. While the visuals are solid, they don’t break new ground and feel familiar to what’s been seen in recent Nigerian cinema. The computer graphics and audio editing are hit-or-miss — some scenes boast impressive special effects, while others feel rushed and unnecessary.
I have to commend the directors for their casting choices in this film. It’s always a delight when Nollywood blends industry legends with rising stars in a single project. In Labake Olododo, the actors truly owned their roles and delivered strong performances. That said, Iyabo Ojo as the lead character, Labake, didn’t entirely convince me. At times, her performance felt exaggerated and strayed from realism. However, she excelled in the emotional scenes, pouring so much of herself into the role that it felt like I was watching the real Iyabo Ojo come through the character.
Whoever wrote this movie should note that Nigerians aren’t ready for a superhero female warlord character like Labake. Our history hardly contained such. The narrative also finds it hard to stay connected. On one hand, Labake is portrayed as a warlord seeking to protect with honesty. However, she was later revealed to be vengeful against those who killed her father. I was also expecting a movie full of many war battles, as revealed in the trailer. Sadly, I was just met with romance, betrayals, village politics and wrong judgment. It also contains comedy, leaving me to wonder what I signed up for: an action film, a comedy or a romcom. The movie is an attempt to roll everything in one pot. The first hour of this movie might leave you scratching your head, hoping for clarity as it introduces side plots and character decisions that don’t always add up. The battle scenes were too poor. Sometimes the battlefield seemed too scanty, perhaps because the directors didn’t know how to choreograph such scenes.
I strongly believe that the reason why Labake Olododo is not getting hyped is because it lacks what it takes, compared to Lakatabu and also Ajakaju. At some point, I felt Iyabo Ojo put the movie together just to join the league of Nollywood actors who have released epic movies about the defunct Oyo Empire. The movie doesn’t deliver anything new that we haven’t seen before. Nothing makes it memorable. It gets a 6/10.