Jungle of Heirs 1&2

 The Bayang Kingdom reeks of conspiracy as rumor abounds that its reigning ruler is actually not a 'son of the soil'. Angered and instigated by these rumors king Albert abdicates and abandons his throne much to the horror of his elders and subjects. A decision which unmasks the conspirators, unravels well guarded royal secrets and unleashes several repercussions. In a nutshell this sums up the story on behind the title Jungle of Heirs which is grounded on traditional politics  and not quite surprising as it stems from the stables of Anglophone video film producer and screenplay writer Agbor Stephen noteworthy for his investment in tradition-oriented productions.

Director Neba Lawrence opts for a simplistic narration as evident in the cinematography which comprised long shots aimed to give a grandoise royal feeling to the movie as per the chosen locations, some close up shots too which I suppose aimed to capture and emphasis the complex emotions espoused by the characters (which unfortunately didn't pan out most of the time). The picture quality is good and some frame compositions hinted some form of reflection and directorial decisions but that's about it. The acting even though overly dramatic in some cases ( it was clear some of these actors were more theatre than film actors) was fairly convincing in some areas. The budget spinner in the person of Nollywood sensation Jim Iyke was clearly in this movie as a publicity strategy but nevertheless did the little his role comprised of fairly well. The guy had barely 5 scenes! Personally I kinda like the fact that the role attributed to him just sort of supports the general plot of the film, for it gave the opportunity for the Cameroonian actors to man the boat. I found Solange Ojong quite captivating in this avatar as the king's daughter and I must say here that I really feel her full potential is rarely tapped in favor of her beauty. Quinta Eyong is utterly believable in her rendition of Queen Janet.

I must confess I always look forward to an Agbor Stephen production and even though in this case I found some scenes unnecessary and plot point connections a little shaky I still think he managed to serve a good traditional tale this time as well. However splitting the movie in two parts was unnecessary especially as it could fit snugly in one. Please purchase, watch and tell me what you think about this movie too.