Frank Orji was a highly sought-after Nollywood celebrity. His face was on billboards around town, endorsement deals were rolling in, and international brands were after him to be their brand ambassador. In fact, he was the poster child for success and he had the mansion and Rolls Royce to back it up. But then Newton’s third law of motion came into play. Action from a fan-cum-troll sparked a reaction in Frank which ultimately ignited the domino effect of events that played out in Bad Comments.
Hits
Story – We live in the age of social media and technology where there are tools to create ‘facts’ out of mirages, where everyone wants to be a reporter, where there are no rooms for mistakes and any faux pas by a celebrity provokes outrage from all and sundry, where people vent out the frustrations of their unproductive lives on those who are not the cause of it, and where ‘bloggers’ thrive on celebrities’ woes. And this is what Bad Comments focused on. The movie took an in-depth look at the social ill that trolling is, and who better to show us than Jim Iyke who has no doubt experienced it in the course of his career. Frank Orji (played by Jim Iyke) had it all going for him till his uncontained reaction to a troll led to repercussions he could never have envisaged. Suddenly, someone who was the dear of all and sundry became persona non grata to everyone. Friends turned foes, professional affiliations got cut off, workers who had all the while enjoyed your largesse developed convenient amnesia and turned their backs on him. But Frank was able to pick himself up and eventually got the last laugh. A superb story well delivered. Another thing that Bad Comments had going for it was that it was chock-full of moral lessons.
Acting – Bad Comments is star-studded and the stars did not come to play. Hilda (Osas Ighodaro), Frank Orji (Jim Iyke), Tasha (Sharon Ooja), Hakeem (Young John), Frank’s Mum (Patience Ozokwo) and other cast members all delivered top-notch acting that will not be forgotten too soon. Enjoyed every minute of the movie.
Casting – No round peg in square holes in this movie. Every actor was cast in the right roles for them. Also, having celebs such as Ruggedman, Ini Edo, Desmond Elliot, Real Warri Pikin acting with their real names was different and enlivening.
Comic Highlights – Tunde Tornado’s character was a funny one. The irony of his big size and tinny voice was refreshing and almost every scene he appeared in got me laughing.
Music Selection – A rich selection of Nigerian songs gave extra flavour to scenes in Bad Comments.
Cinematography – This was delivered excellently. Bad Comments had no dull or blurry pictures/shots.
Misses
None!
Reviewed by: Oriyomi Adebare-Anthony