Starring: Oge Indiana, Gabriel Afolayan, Olu Jacobs, Bimbo Akintola, Seun Akindele

Synopsis:

A young woman is assigned the task of recovering an antique pot located in a forbidden forest in order to save the life of the heir to the throne.  

Review:

Uki (Oge Indiana) was considered to be cursed because her mother died while giving birth to her. She was a young woman that resided in the village and she planned a future with her boyfriend Uyi (Gabriel Afolayan). 

The two were forced to place their romance on hiatus when Uki got word that she was chosen to recover an ancient pot from a forbidden forest. The pot was worshipped by their ancestors and the villagers believed it could save the life of the Kings ill son. 

Uki and Uyi were unhappy with the news and planned to run away together but things didn’t work out. Uki ultimately accepted her fate and headed into forbidden territory accompanied by three warriors. 

A number of challenges were encountered along the way and by the journey’s end all of the warriors were killed. Uki was left to face the ills of the forest and make it home alive with the antique pot. 

Other plots pertained to Uyi’s sick mother who didn’t want him to marry Uki. As Uyi wished for Uki’s return, he found himself in a predicament when he was accused of rape and thrown in prison. 

Let’s Talk. This is a tale that’s comprised of folklore, magic, and a dash of humor. It’s similar to the Nollywood movie “The Figurine” in that a sculpture that was believed to have magical powers led the adventure. 

The story itself was mediocre as the storyline was simply about a journey to recover a stolen pot. More often than not, simple plots do work but this one lacked challenging conflicts.

Another pinch is the plot where a woman cried rape after her advances were rejected. This storyline was nothing new. As per the movie ratings page, most movies are not original and this is yet another instance that proves that theory. Most movies are made up of aspects of other movies and that’s just the nature of the business. All we can do is take a movie for what it’s worth and hope that it has some sort of effect on us. 

What’s great about “The Antique” is the production. The mystical tale offered native costumes, tribal make-up, and locations that enhanced its authenticity. Also, performances excelled. Oge Indiana led the way and played the empowering role of a heroine. The cast of characters were believable which, brought the film together and made it interesting. 

What “The Antique” lacked in story it compensated for with performances. It wasn’t boring by any means but certainly could have used a little more vigor. RECOMMEND