Starring: Ramsey Nouah, AY, Lynn Whitfield, Vivica A. Fox, Mercy Johnson, Richard Mofe Damijo, Desmond Elliott 

Synopsis:

Two African guys win a trip to the US and encounter women and legal troubles as they adapt to American life.

Review:

Richard and Akpos (Ramsey Nouah & AY) won a raffle that awarded them a 30-day trip to the US. They were chummy cousins who were like night and day. Akpos was high-spirited and spontaneous while Richard was reserved but somehow they complemented each other. 

The two were single and ready to mingle but Richard’s ex tried to put a dent in his status. She attempted to worm her way back into his good graces hoping to be invited on the trip but her plan failed. 

Richard and Akpos boarded a plane and had no idea what they were in for. Once in the US, Akpos experienced culture clash as he witnessed public displays of affection, a wife that dominated her husband, and parents that couldn’t control their kids. 

Their worst ordeal came when Richard forgot his wallet at home and had no cash to pay the taxi driver. The next thing we know, they were stripped to their underwear, robbed, and left helpless on the street.   

Richard met Kimberly (Karlie Redd) who was a young, attractive, restaurant owner. The two had a budding romance until Richard’s ex-girlfriend interfered and told Kimberly that he was married. 

Meanwhile, Akpos wound up on the other side of the law when he was busted for hustling. He had a beautiful attorney (Lynn Whitfield) who seemed to be smitten with him until he gave her reason to believe that his only interest in her was to obtain a green card. 

Let’s Talk. This is another movie about Africans that traveled to another country and had difficulty adapting to another culture. The story is basically an adventure sweetened with romance.

The main characters were contrasting and as Akpos continuously made a fool of himself, Richard smoothed things over and covered for him. 

To get to the point, the movie was buffoonish and lacked a solid storyline. The romances were quick and underdeveloped but that’s okay because the theme wasn’t romance. But having said that, the romance between Richard and Kimberly didn’t need to escalate to the emotional levels that it did when she received word that he was married. Clearly, she had known him for less than thirty days so the heartbreak and tears was unnecessary, especially for a comedy. 

Although there were some nice moments between Akpos and his attorney (Lynn Whitfield), the real joke was that the writers expected the audience to believe them as a couple. She was a successful lawyer and she fell for an unaccomplished comedian with a language barrier?? C’mon. 

As for the pacing of the movie, it was decent and the movie wasn’t boring by any means. The issue is that this movie is a poor remake. As mentioned on the Movie Ratings Page, movie themes will continue to repeat themselves. That’s the name of the game. The problem arises when the new version isn’t an improvement of the previous one, as was the case here. 

Performances? The movie was packed with a celebrity cast and it was great to see Ramsey Nouah in a comedy. It’s obvious that AY played himself but the most notable performance was that of Lynn Whitfield. Sidebar: They often referred to her as an “older woman” but she looked fantastic. 

Yes, there were some funny scenes in the story but for the most part, the movie was corny. Hollywood and Nollywood stars joined forces and I’m all for different industries coming together but with a showcase with so many recognizable faces, “30 Days in Atlanta” came off as a designer movie with a no frills story. EJECT