Movie critic Efosa Aiyevbomwan says that, all things considered, Living in Bondage II is a good sequel worth a trip to a theatre to watch
While not perfect, Living in Bondage is easily Nollywood’s best outing in years. The movie does a great job of straddling eras – essentially creating a stand-alone movie that still functions as a sequel.
I would say that Living in Bondage II carries its legacy well – it is after all a follow up to an iconic title, one that birthed an industry.
Unlike other recent Nollywood titles, ‘Breaking Free’ really does tell a story of wealth – the lack of it, the desire for it, the power and control of it. The seamless transitions between locations keys into this narrative also and this makes the story that much more believable.
Efosa Aiyevbomwan
Acting in the movie is stellar – save for some over-acting by David Jones David .
Ramsey Noah puts in a career best performance as the charismatic, sinister and malevolent antagonist.
Lead actor, Swanky JKA, embodies his character to absolute perfection and the returning cast, though given limited screen time, do great jobs.
I would say that Living in Bondage II carries its legacy well – it is after all a follow up to an iconic title, one that birthed an industry.
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Wealth and its uses
Furthermore, unlike other recent Nollywood titles, ‘Breaking Free’ really does tell a story of wealth. The lack of it, the desire for it, the power and control of it. The seamless transitions between locations keys into this narrative also and this makes the story that much more believable.
The use of language is one of this movie’s best features. The seamless transition from English to Igbo (with great subtitling) makes this an even more enticing and realistic watch.
Production values are great and the one area where the movie seems to falter is its scare factor. The original Living in Bondage movie was so grim, gruffy and gloomy that you watched it with palpable fright. The sequel doesn’t quite convey these emotions even though it puts up a good fight.
To nitpick just a little, the movie would have done well to depict a brotherhood of people not restricted to a certain ethnic stock. It’d have been nice to show that greed and desperation knows no ethnic or lingusitic lines.
Other than that, this is a movie I fully recommend.
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