Title: WARRIORS HEART (1 – 3) 

Starring: Genevieve Nnaji, Muna Obiekwe, Ebere Okaro Onyiuke, Olu Jacobs, John Paul Nwadike

Synopsis:

A feud over territory between two kingdoms leads to unexpected love between rulers who were destined to be adversaries.  

Review:

It all started years ago in the Achiaru village where Abaku (Ebere Okaro) lived with her family. She was rumored to be a witch and was called upon as a last-ditch effort to heal the ailing king. While she treated the king, his cousin, Uwakwe (Olu Jacobs), was appointed to rule in the interim. 

When the king improved and was ready to resume his position, Uwakwe relished in his newfound power and was reluctant to step down. He snidely asked Abaku to kill the king but she refused. As a result she was thrown out of the village, her husband was killed, and the king was poisoned. 

Abaku lived in the forest and years later it developed into a new community called the Umaku village. It had resources and amassed wealth and was ruled by Abaku’s stern daughter, Ihuoma (Genevieve Nnaji). Abaku lost her sight but she often served as Ihuoma’s voice of reason. The two were close and they both shared contempt for the Achiaru village. 

Back in Achiaru, Uwakwe still ruled the community. He had two sons, Obiora and Obinna (Muna Obiekwe & John Paul Nwadike) and he used his power to wage war on the people of Umaku, claiming that he owned the land. 

During the battle, Obiora was wounded and the Umaku people found him and nursed him back to health. Ihuoma discovered that he was stabbed with an arrow marked by his own village, translating that he was deliberately struck by one of his own king’s men. 

While Obiora healed in the Umaku village, an attraction brewed between he and Ihuoma. Ihuoma despised him because of whom he was but he was unaware of the history between their families. While Ihuoma struggled with conflicting feelings, Obiora had to head back home to deal with a jealous brother and a wife that he never loved. Whether the two could let their guards down to let love transpire became the heart of the story. 

Let’s Talk. This is a tale of love and war. It’s rich with layers and motives that successfully anchored attention. The story was all about power and position as kings fought to conquer land and rule kingdoms. The subplots encompassed murder, betrayal, and jealousy while women sought to marry princes to financially secure their futures. 

The odds were stacked against the main characters, Ihuoma and Obiora. They were from were feuding kingdoms that couldn’t see eye to eye. But love trumps war and the merging of their hearts and villages seemed inevitable. 

Sexism played a role in the saga when the king underestimated Ihuoma because she was a woman. Although they held the same position as town rulers, she was perceived to be inferior. 

Costumes and make-up were impressive and the production appeared to be quite ambitious. Sound and picture quality were satisfactory and the filmmakers captured the authenticity of a rural African community. 

Performances were terrific. Genevieve portrayed the ice princess but also bared her heart when the role called for it. She had great chemistry with Muna Obiekwe, who played his part with sincerity. 

All of the elements came together pretty well. The only complaints are that the story is very long and more time should have been devoted to the romance between Ihuoma and Obiora. RECOMMEND