MOVIE REVIEW: Tokunbo: Supposed action thriller-turned-sleeping pill

Movie Title: Tokunbo

Language: English

Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes

Release date: 2024

Streaming platform: Netflix

Director: Ramsey Nouah

Cast: Gideon Okeke, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Darasimi Nadi, Majid Michel, Norbert Young, Ivie Okujaye, Tosin Adeyemi, Stanley Chibunna, Adunni Ade, Chidi Mokeme.

‘Tokunbo’ is a stark reminder that even those closest to you can harbour the darkest intentions and plot evil against you while pretending to comfort you.

In the movie, Folashade is betrayed by her close friend, Deputy Governor Raymond and her PA as they team up to kidnap her only daughter.

The film tells the story of Tokunbo, a former car smuggler who seeks to leave his dangerous past behind and build a better life for his family. However, he gets involved in a shady deal to raise money for his sick son.

Plot Summary

Tokunbo, a car smuggler, decides to leave his dangerous life of delivering illegal cars to a notorious gangster, Gaza, after the birth of his son. Determined to become a responsible husband to Lisa and a good father to Chris, he starts working as a taxi driver.

However, eighteen months later, Tokunbo faces a difficult choice to either watch his sick son die or return to Gaza to lend the money needed to save him. Despite the warnings from a female friend who was also a victim of Gaza, Tokunbo returns to the gangster for help.

Gaza, however, refuses to assist him. As Tokunbo leaves to continue driving passengers, he hears a strange phone ringing in the back seat of his car. Upon answering, he is instructed to receive a package and deliver another shortly after. Later, he finds a child in his car seat and is given three hours to provide the “package” to the Seme border.

Uncertain of his decision and feeling threatened, Tokunbo risks delivering the child, unaware that the girl, Nike, is the daughter of the Central Bank Governor, Folashade.

Raymond, the deputy governor, calls his friend Folashade to console and reassure her upon hearing the news about her child’s kidnapping. Unknown to her, the brain behind everything is the same Raymond, whom she trusts so much with the support of her beloved PA.

Lisa, who is kidnapped and held hostage with her sick baby, calls her husband to inform him that their son is dead. Raymond initially kidnaps them to ensure Tokunbo does the job well. Tokunbo, unable to handle this sad news, drives into the sea. Ultimately, things take a terrible turn for Raymond, Folashade’s PA, and Gaza.

Character Analysis

Gideon Okeke plays Tokunbo, an ex-car smuggler who decides to live a responsible life but needs money to save his dying son. At the same time, Okeke brings life to the character; poor directing limits the full potential of his performance.

Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi portrays Folashade, the Central Bank Governor whose daughter was kidnapped. Even though more was expected from her, her performance was quite good.

Darasimi Nadi has always been an impressive child actor. In her role as Nike, she performed exceptionally, being able to switch moods. However, she could have delivered a more robust performance with more practical direction.

Majid Michel’s role as Raymond, the deputy governor and mastermind behind Nike’s kidnapping, could deepen the tension. His character could have been more impactful if he had continued interacting with Folashade after his identity was revealed and had gained first-hand access to information.

As Lisa, Tokunbo’s wife, Tosin Adeyemi portrays a good woman who only wants to see her child live. However, her performance didn’t fully connect with the audience, making her character’s impact in the movie less memorable than it could have been.

Chidi Mokeme delivers a stand-out performance as Gaza, the notorious gangster. His performance is commendable.

Gideon Okeke (Tokunbo)

Movie Analysis

‘Tokunbo,’ directed by Ramsey Nouah, is a failed attempt to create a thrilling action movie. The movie explores the themes of betrayal, trust, and love and centres around a man who has to do some illegal things to save his sick son.

Not until the film’s end, there was no real action to lay hold on.

For a man whose child is dying, there should be a level of desperation and seriousness seen in his performance.

The movie had the potential to be memorable and engaging, with a few twists and more decisive performances from the actors or perhaps even a different cast. Since the storyline isn’t new, audiences would have appreciated a fresh and improved take.

The movie falls short on suspense, as the plot is predictable from the start—you can easily foresee Nike being found and Raymond and others paying for their crimes.

Despite its impressive aesthetics and cinematography, the film ultimately did not impress as an action movie. While the video colour grading established the tone for action scenes, the acting was flat, and the movie was boring.

Tell me why the police had a chance to catch Tokunbo at the start of the film but waited for him to notice them before taking a move. Also, why did Folashade employ the man who kidnapped her daughter as her driver because her child says he is a good man? This feels very unrealistic.

‘Tokunbo’ is now showing on Netflix

Verdict

4/10