Witness Gospel Movie Reviews

ABEJOYE S5 E2 – My Thoughts

Hey folks! You’re welcome to my review of Abejoye Season 5 Episode 2. I like the leisurely pace it adopts, which makes it an episode you just sit back, put your feet up and enjoy. It has a few good laughs, especially from Baba’s retelling of the David and Goliath story to the “council of elders”.

The episode begins with the US scene from the trailer which is remarkably portrayed as a dream, due to the queer mannerisms of Dedun and Bamidele. When Laide tells Daddy Gboyega about it, he pauses before responding. That was a defining moment where he’d show us whether he’d learnt from his past mistakes. If he’d said something like: “Hmm…Actually dear, Dedun called me just a few minutes ago”, that would have been a wiser Dele. But, classic Dele said, “God forbid”. At that point, I knew he’d just taken a first class ticket to chaos island.

Episode 2 largely shows the audience challenges of long-distance marriages. It shows husbands the need to listen to their wives and to be more spiritually sensitive. While Dele kept scrutinizing his wife’s dreams, I wondered if he’d had even one dream from the Lord in the five seasons of this series. Wherever Dedun has been involved, Dele has always been elusive. If he doesn’t change that, we might yet revisit unpleasant memories from Season 1.

Damilare as well isn’t so much of an omo gidi gidi as Baba thinks. He calls his wife a business partner; imagine that! Lack of transparency in marriage thus, is a recipe for disaster. He also validates the saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his tummy; that’s why strange women keep bringing him food.

I’d like to commend the extra work done to translate the dialogue in two incantations-heavy scenes that might have caused some audiences to zone out.

Lastly, a statement that struck me in this episode, similar to another made by KKY last week, is (subtitled): I cannot eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus and still be eating trash and dirt. I saw this as, having tasted the goodness of God’s word and the power of the age to come, we shouldn’t then feed our hearts and minds with anything ungodly.

So, those are my thoughts on Abejoye Season 5 Episode 2. Have you seen it? What do you think a couple living apart can do to bridge the gap? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

You could watch the episode below:

Till the last article of 2021, stay blessed!

ABEJOYE S5 E1 – My Thoughts

Hey folks! You’re welcome to this article where I share with you my thoughts on the first episode of Abejoye Season 5. It was an hour-long episode which featured a few new things such as new logos for Flaming Sword Ministries International and Mount Zion Film Productions, a new theme song which has been playing in my head since I first heard it, and new characters played by familiar faces like the Aro Meta-esque trio of Dasola Bamidele, Tolulope Shoneye and Mojisola Ogunlana, Eric Amole-Adams from Games Season 1, and the Kembe Isonu ensemble of Yemi Akande, Dele Oguntola and Lere Adio.

For me, the most striking motifs in this episode are translation and repositioning. Kinkin-yinun’s old evil comrades searched for her in their meeting venues of darkness but did not find her there because she had been translated. Kabiyesi Ajibogun was invited to shrines of idolatry but he turned it down because he had been repositioned. On the other hand, Bro Henry, lured by an ungodly aspiration, doesn’t think twice before returning to his vomit. My prayer has thus been that, having being brought into the kingdom of light, I’ll never again be found in places of darkness.

I like what this season wants to do with what looked like happily-ever-after’s for Bamidele’s and Dedun’s families from previous seasons. It draws parallels of reality by showing that we’ll always need to work on our families and keep getting better; else, forces are constantly at hand to tear them apart. Perhaps, it’ll culminate in a USA scene from the trailer, where we’ll see how Bamidele deals with his returning demons.

It was good to once again see the Pastor whom I admire so much still pastoring his flock faithfully. Along with Baba Abejoye, it is clear that the role of a mediator could be a tough task as dynamics of the human nature are involved.

As should be expected, translation into the Light comes with a fair share of persecutions and Kabiyesi seems to have something coming for him. The soon-to-be Asipa appears quite brazenly dangerous, unlike the former one who was a snake in the grass.

In a scene that illustrates dreamy demonic activity through special effects, KKY makes a valid point that no child of God should feast with the devil anymore, after having eaten at the Lord’s table. I pray that only things that correctly reflect Christ will be found in our lives in Jesus name.

So, those are my thoughts on Abejoye Season 5 Episode 1. Have you seen it? What stuck with you the most? Please, let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

You could watch the episode below.

Till the next article, stay blessed!

“WAIT” REVIEW

Hey folks! You’re welcome to the review of Wait, YouTube-released from the platform of Fruit Bearers’ Films on October 4, 2021. It was written by Omolara Jinadu from a story by Foluke Ogbodo, while it was produced by Seun Adejumobi and directed by John Oguntuase. It brings us into the story of David who has suffered from workplace stagnation for a decade and is being pressured to seek promotion through satanic powers.

Wait encourages its viewers to stay with God as they anticipate answers to their prayers. A saying states that it’s always darkest before the dawn and a vision in the film shows how David lost out on his divine breakthrough due to impatience.

Generally speaking, the movie would have profited more from its rich story with better characterization. After an initial stance against Bode in the opening scenes, David makes a sharp U-turn into doubting God for most of the film. He suddenly becomes frustrated, suspicious, unreasonable, impatient and angry, all in the same breath; this happens rather too fast for the little of the movie we’d seen. Similarly, David’s colleague at work, Bode, played by John Oguntuase, is the one sent to lure David into the devil’s trap. It seems like he has a personal stake in David’s choice but Wait does not treat this subplot.

Nonetheless, it was refreshing to see someone counselling a character to seek pastoral insight very early in Wait. The pastor then places emphasis on the need for the woman of the house to be prayerful. I’d like to see more movies that stress the need for prayerful husbands as well. I think the pastor ought to have spoken with David though, and not only to Kemi, David’s wife. It was even from him that Kemi got to know the cookie jar her husband had dipped his hands into, as God had revealed it to him. If the pastor had done this, David might have resisted following the broad way.

The strange thing about David’s eventual promotion for me is that there is no appreciable improvement in his social status before the devil starts getting on his case. With the fervent prayers of righteous men however, he is thankfully able to make it through.

Alright, we’ve come to the end of this review? Have you seen Wait? What did you learn from it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

You could watch the movie below:

Till the next article, stay blessed!

“THE KEEPER” REVIEW

Hey folks! You’re welcome to the review of The Keeper, from PREM Film Production International. It was written by Femi Adebile and directed by Adeoye Omoniyi. It tells the story of Daniel, a Christian whose covetousness and association with a dubious fellow in Francis, leads to a chain of negative consequences for his family.

On a technical plane, I was impressed with the sychronisation of the title display with the opening sequence action and credits song which was quite nice as well. I would like to see, maybe in the coming year by God’s grace, a new ministry name display, because I’ve kind of associated the current one with the Kembe Isonu series which seems to have launched it. Similarly, the opening credits were a bit lengthy in my opinion.

Though Daniel is arguably the protagonist of this story, the eponymous character, played by Adeoye Omoniyi, is an entity not to be overlooked as he’s an agent the devil uses to ensure evil covenants continue from generation to generation. The strength of The Keeper for me is the way it vividly demonstrates how children of God could have their teeth set on edge from their parents’ ill choice of sour grapes.

While Daniel, played by Moses Korede Are, ought to have seen Francis’ wrong mentality about churching as a sign that he was in the seat of the scornful, his eventual deception cannot be attributed to ignorance. To me, children of God are no more like the devil than when they engage in deceit, and this is what shows Daniel up as a carnal Christian. Unfortunately, deceit will always keep help away, and so, his wife is unable to help him either. Their covetous attitude teaches me that as much as we hope for miracles, we have to be wary of what might really be in our hearts, which the devil can easily capitalise on.

One of my favourite scenes in The Keeper is where Daniel expresses his zeal for God by shouting “All power belongs to Jesus” with his hand raised to the heavens, in one of his meetings with Francis; it’s quite sad that he did this, conveniently turning a blind eye to the fact that he was living a lie. The only stake the devil might have in the life of a child of God is that which you give to him.

Whenever I see movies in which people of God have tough challenges, I’m usually on the lookout for the authority or pastoral figure in their lives. No such pastor is present in Daniel’s life and it’s unfortunate that the obstacle overwhelms him. With proper pastoral guidance, things might just have turned out differently for him.

The dialogue in The Keeper merits a mention as it quite aptly conveys nuggets of wisdom. The need for spiritual sensitivity is also emphasized here.

Summarily, The Keeper is a powerful dramatic ministration that enlightens us on the need to destroy every negative ancestral yoke, and urges us to embrace all that the New Covenant in Jesus promises us. I strongly recommend it for your viewing blessedness.

Alright, we’ve come to the end of this review. Have you seen The Keeper? How did it impact you? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Click below for the link to the movie.

Till the next article, stay blessed!

“ALARIWO” REVIEW

Hey folks! You’re welcome to the review of Alariwo, an Ijinle TV production which was YouTube-released on September 25, 2021. It is a crime-genre movie about the kidnap of Mr Ayorinde’s wife and younger brother.

Alariwo chronicles a bit of the dangers faced by victims of kidnapping. It was heart-wrenching for me to imagine that some people actually go through ordeals like those portrayed here. This film treats its theme with the seriousness it deserves and does well to have adopted an educative approach. It shows the audience some of the gimmicks kidnappers employ, as well as tools the police could use to resolve such cases, with the mention of coordinates and IP addresses, and other terms that suggest forensics investigation. The professionalism of cops portrayed here is commendable.

The movie also has social connotations as it reflects the state of events in the nation where kidnapping has sadly become a viable get-rich-quick scheme. Alariwo brilliantly shows the close calls, and frustrations of the parties involved in this criminal case. The actors here were also very practical in their presentations as the different moods in the movie required. Sam Odusolu and Gbenga Awoyemi were very effective in this regard.

Remarkable also, is that this movie focuses on giving the audience a suspenseful, thrilling story to follow; this enabled it convey its message seamlessly. I’d like to see more Christian and gospel movies do this more often.

Trying not to give away any spoilers, I’ll say I wish more of the search for the abductors was shown because I know it could have made for a more thrilling ride.

Conclusively, Alariwo makes us see the need to be prudent in this Computer Age. In the long run, the movie could pass for a didactic movie but its moving closing credits song gives it the Christian touch it needs.

Alright, we’ve come to end of this review. Have you seen Alariwo? What did you think about it? Please let me know in the comments section below.

You can click below to watch the movie:

Till the next article, stay blessed.

“QUESTION MARK” REVIEW

Hey folks! You’re welcome to the review of Question Mark, a 2021 movie from P2O Motion Pictures. It was written and directed by Olumide Oki, who also wrote Enitaran (2019). It tells the story of Ola whose search for a means of livelihood corrodes the consciousness of his identity in Christ, and this makes him easy prey to forces who feel threatened by his existence.

In terms of its message, Question Mark is filled with profound truths packaged in catchy and rhythmic statements that would make you give exclamations of epiphany. The more I listen to this film’s dialogue, the more I see how important it is for us to be able to articulate correctly the answer to the question: “Who are you?” It engages quite some exposition to show us that out identity mustn’t be tied to anything in the physical world that will one day pass away, else, we’ll disappear with it. Exposition however, needs to be very carefully used, so that it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the plot itself.Ola thinks his identity is tied to his financial and employment status; this makes him spiritually dull, such that he doesn’t perceive when this has become a god to him. Unfortunately, there is an impending battle over his soul; I like the twist in the movie in that sense. All the while, the language of the marine spirits had seemed cryptic to me but it all came together at the end.

Ola thinks his identity is tied to his financial and employment status; this makes him spiritually dull, such that he doesn’t perceive when this has become a god to him. Unfortunately, there is an impending battle over his soul; I like the twist in the movie in that sense. All the while, the language of the marine spirits had seemed cryptic to me but it all came together at the end.

The persistence of these evil forces in Question Mark reminds me of an EVOM movie, Waiting for Time (2010), that shows that we’ll always need to stand firm and stay alert. The role of prayer here also cannot be overemphasized. I pray that the Lord will continue to uphold us to the very end.

The opening and closing credits songs are melodious and befitting for the movie. The choice of background music for the climax of this film though, made Question Mark feel flat, most likely because it was the same monotone tune that had been used in immediate previous scenes.

In conclusion, I really like the cliffhanger Question Mark puts at the end. It’s therefore my pleasure to say that on October 1, 2021, Question Mark 2 will be premiered in Ibadan, and I believe it will later come to YouTube. The producer has said that it’s a ninety-minute movie, which doubles its predecessor; I really look forward in anticipation of its release.

Alright. We’ve come to the end of this review. Have you seen Question Mark? What did you think about it? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Click below to watch the movie:

“ÒÒSÀ” REVIEW

Hey folks! You’re welcome to the review of ÒÒSÀ.

Director: Isaac Femi-Akintunde

Writer and Producer: Victor Olukoju (PVO)

Ministry: Parables Film Productions

The intentionality in the production of Oosa that results in a top-quality movie strikes me the most in its nearly two-hour runtime. The opening montage is definitely one of the best I’ve seen in recent years, and equally serves as a befitting and captivating hero reveal. When a film has a titular character, it is expedient that that protagonist has a compelling personality or enthralling features. Figure the likes of Baba Abejoye and Awogbona (self-acclaimed Akobi Laaroye) in their respective movies; it’s about the feel you want the audience to have in the early stages of your production, and Oosa gives us that.

This latest film from Parables Film Productions is quite heavy with quality visual effects that have only consistently been pulled off by Abiola Babatola ‘Nattytunez’. In similar kin fashion, Johnson Babatola delivers an ‘exquisite’ shrine that retains its palpitating atmosphere during the day or at night. Remarkably, the character Oosa is given the most believable tribal marks I’ve ever seen in a gospel movie. A lot of effort also went into the creation of an identity for his minions. The acting was superb, and you can especially trust Victor Olukoju (PVO) to embody a menacing Oosa who strikes terror into the hearts of a community and its law enforcement agents. The picture quality is high and the aerial shots are very nice, specific and unique (rather than random). The film has a variety of music and does very well to have its own hero (or villain, if you like) soundtrack which hits the right notes typical to one.

Beneath the hard exterior of the film’s protagonist though, is a touching backstory that makes us see that the newness Christ offers our present has enormous power to restore our souls. Oosa also portrays a few heartaches the nation is currently experiencing, and this caused a deep longing in my soul for the Nigeria that God wants her to be. I was encouraged to pray to the Father who alone can do the great and mighty things, assured that the earnest prayer of the righteous has great power and produces wonderful results.

In view of improvement, I would love for Oosa to have explored its political subplot more, threading it better into the main plot. Perhaps, Isaac Femi-Akintunde’s character could have been made the chairman/senator representing the area where Oosa was running riot, and would maybe work with Lara Ayoola’s DPO to stop Oosa and his minions too, thereby increasing the conflict. In any case, it served up a bit of heart and the most humourous parts of the film.

Finally, the question of identity that comes up in Oosa is an ever-necessary one as it ultimately determines our choices in life. God be praised for always inspiring drama ministers to bless us with movies like this, and the words of a review, at the end of the day, can’t do justice to the blessings received therein.

The link to the movie will be inserted here when it’s released before the end of this month. Meanwhile, you could watch the trailer below:

Till the next article, stay blessed!

“THE AFTERMATH” REVIEW

The Aftermath was YouTube-released on August 29, 2021, from the stables of TRECOM Worldwide. It was directed by David Kola Okeowo who also directed wonderful stories like Neema (2018) and A Tenant in Hell (2018). The Aftermath boasts a number of industry professionals as crew such as Kayode Babalola as the screenwriter, Ben Ope Johnson as DOP, Kunle Adepoju as the gaffer, Paul Aremu as the makeup artist, Angel Alake as the editor, to name a few. It tells the story of Henry’s and Seyi’s dream marriage that is about to become a nightmare when a shadow of Henry’s hidden past rears its ugly head on their wedding night.

The Aftermath has a high production value as seen in its top picture quality, beautiful scenery, exquisite locations and remarkable set designs and costumes. I hope that for subsequent productions, such value will be placed on the creation of a variety of original soundtracks and background tunes, rather than using the existent generic ones.

This movie contains a lot of wisdom for courting individuals and clarifies understanding about the mess of the past. Henry, played by Timmy Adebola who featured in The Final Contest (2017) and The Bank (2021), engages in a lot of self-deceit that keeps help away from him and also threatens to destroy his marital journey that has barely started. He asks God to forgive him for cheating on his fiancée but he doesn’t confess to her. Some might argue that it wasn’t compulsory for him to do so but the film goes a long way to illustrate biblical truths about the person who covers his sins not prospering and about the sins of one who doesn’t keep his promises finding him out.

Seyi, played by Toyosi Babalola who was Jenny in High Calling (2020), suffers from the aftermath of Henry’s deceit and it’s a heart-wrenching experience of marital calamity for her. She even gets a slap from Chioma, played by Opeyemi Akintunde who has written two amazing series this year, Finding the One and The Bank, and Henry, to my disbelief, does nothing about it. Seyi however demonstrates a high level of spiritual strength by praying through the hurt, rather than languishing in it. Her subsequent confrontation with Chioma is an encouraging and inspiring stance that every child of God needs to adopt towards the discouraging situations in their lives. After all, victory is already assured by our Saviour who loves us.

Nonetheless, a not-so-steady characterization of some individuals in The Aftermath is exemplified by Henry’s altering personalities at different points in the movie. For one, he is long excited that he’d be consummating his marriage, and then, in an instant, he develops cold feet and becomes hesitant – why was his initial excitement portrayed in the first place since he knew he had been impotent for a while (and indeed, probably up until that wedding night)? Also, two comic characters in Bassey and Bella, though funny, alternate personalities in the couple of scenes they feature. Movie characters should be made clearly identifiable, and where any character experiences an arc, there should be a traceable and definite sequence that prompts that. Similarly, less choppy music and scene-to-scene cuts, as well as a better scene ordering would make for a smoother watching experience.

Conclusively, The Aftermath opens our eyes to the truth that the battles of God’s children are not merely against physical opponents, but against the spirit of the world at work in those who refuse to obey God – the unbelieving who fight against the purposes of God. Hence, we are urged to fight for the abundant life that Jesus died to obtain for us.

Click below to watch the movie.

If you’ve seen the movie, please let me know your thoughts on and lessons from it in the comments section below.

Till the next review, stay blessed!

MY THOUGHTS ON “KEMBE ISONU SEASON 4 EPISODE 2”

So, we see Semoleyin taking the next steps on her revenge mission. She reminds me of the devil who does all he can to keep us from that relationship with God; he does anything to try to make us do things that displease God.
Semoleyin and her evil mother, Gbewukari, seek out another agent of the devil called Abami – what a name. She was played by Abiola Ojelabi who featured in the brilliant recently-concluded series “Philosopher’s Cross”. It took a while before I noticed it because her make-up was effectively done.
I saw the wickedness of the wicked in these three women’s inhumanity. They’re willing to kill whoever is available, to carry out their evil acts. In Jesus’ name, none of us will be used as sacrifice on the altar of any idol.
As I speculated in my review of Season 3, the ‘aro meta’ try to get to Gbadebo and Gbenro through the natural needs of man for food and companionship.
A message from the Holy Spirit in E1 through Gbenro resonates through to E2 through Oluawo, who shows up for the first time in this season. We see the power of keeping God’s word in our hearts. Though he cannot read the Bible he requested for in Season 3, he remembers what he’s been taught, meditates on it, and trusts the Holy Spirit to explain the rest to him. That message is “don’t sleep, be alert, be vigilant”. Surely, we all need to be just those in these perilous times.
The episode then takes a detour to Kembe Isonu who is visited by his old pals, the irunmoles, and suffice to say that they picked off where they left off in Season 2. Kembe is ready to go back to his vomit as his heart is now filled with bitterness due to his betrayal by the King of Bayegun. That’s what could happen if any bitter roots in our hearts are not dealt with.
Back to the trap being set; will the boys fall into it? Let’s see.
STEP 1: ACCEPT THE HELP.
STEP 2: LISTEN TO THE DEVIL’S FLATTERY.
STEP 3: MEDITATE ON THAT FLATTERY.
STEP 4: TAKE ACTION. (Gbadebo does all these.)
Two things I learnt in these are firstly, evangelism as a way to ward off temptation, and secondly, the importance of the spirit of discernment in our lives.
And so, from the preview of the next episode, which I think shows a bit too much, we see quite a lot that puts us on the edge of our seats. It’s gonna be an exciting last episode of this season next Sunday, August 8, 2021 by God’s grace. So, ensure you subscribe to FEJOSBABA TV on YouTube and click the notification bell to get alerted when it drops.

What were your thoughts about this episode? What truths or lessons did you learn? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. The link to it is below.

Till the next article, stay blessed.

MY THOUGHTS ON “KEMBE ISONU SEASON 4 EPISODE 1”

It picks up off the back of the previous season and we see that there are new characters.
The king of Bayegun betrays Kembe Isonu without batting an eyelid. Jesus was betrayed with a kiss, Kembe Isonu was betrayed with delicious bush meat. Betrayers. A suspenseful or tense background tune might have been better for that scene, rather than the one used which seemed more of an inspirational tune.
Revenge, they say, is a meal best served cold; Alapini decides to do it the other way round on Kembe. His was hot…salty. It was a hilarious scene between those two.
Gbawomi wants Kembe to reverse the spell he cast on Alapini, but Kembe utters a statement that gives us insight to the power of the devil: “The gods can never make things better for someone; they can only destroy one’s life.” Therefore, we see that only Jesus can turn a man’s situation around for good.
Semoleyin begins her mission by prying into the Christian’s way of life and gets to know that sin gives the devil a foothold in a believer’s life. The preview for Episode 2 shows, as I guessed, that she plans to use the power of female seduction.
Then, we see a bit of the relationship between the evangelist brothers, and Gbadebo, unlike in previous seasons, shows that he is the elder one and that got me a bit suspicious of him. He didn’t intimate Gbenro or any adult of his plans to travel; so, it seems like he’s lacking a bit of accountability. In fact, the wave between Gbenro and Gbadebo seemed ominous to me.
Nonetheless, Gbadebo’s mission was such a blessing as it illustrated very powerful messages from the Scriptures. We see that Jesus can deliver from both spiritual and physical prison. We’re just a bunch of forgiven guys and God has been so gracious to us. It leaves Kabiyesi Bayegun with a lot to mull over, those powerful words: ‘Go and sin no more’.
Lastly, we see that the mission for us is to tell others what God has done for us.
The ending felt good; it was a good ending to a very nice episode.

Alright, we’ve come to the end of this thoughts-sharing. Have you seen Episode 1? What did you learn from it? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. The link to it is below:

Till the next article, stay blessed.