With ‘The Uprising: Wives in Strike 3,’ Omoni Oboli offers humour and activism [Review]

Movie franchises are fast becoming a thing in the Nollywood industry. The likes of Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, The Origin: Madam Koi Koi, and Anikulapo garnered a wide audience interest regardless of their success or lack of it. Some of these franchises started well, but then fell off or went in a different direction.

When the third instalment of Wives on Strike was announced, I was a tad bit worried about the need for another instalment. In the first two, Oboli showcased her passion for women’s empowerment, giving voice to the marginalised. The third instalment had me curious.

The movie opens with Ebiere, played by veteran actress, Hilda Dokubo, lost in some deadly thoughts while in her meat stall at the women’s market. This opening scene had me hooked. Throughout my watch, I wanted to know what that was about.

Dokubo’s performance tops it for me. Her character arc is so captivating. Going from a gentle, loving mum who grieved the passing of her son to a dangerous being fueled by her desire for justice, had me glued to my seat. Her performance is subtle yet intriguing.

Mama Ngozi played by Omoni Oboli is a Local Chairman whose passion for fairness and justice brings her to a crossroads where a difficult decision has to be made.

Emeka, played by Tomiwa Wategbe gave me so much to worry about, but I could never see the end coming. We got the right amount of suspense to sustain us for the big reveal.

The performances in general were quite entertaining but Iya Bola’s shenanigans could have been toned down a bit. I must confess she ate up her role each time she came on screen but I guess the theme of the movie hit too close to home for me to ignore the excessiveness of her performance.

Cinematography gave what it was supposed to give. Everything was delivered in the right amount. The colours were just perfect for my anisometropic vision. The camera angles were simplistic enough to tell a story of this genre. I appreciate that we weren’t overwhelmed with dramatic pans and movement shots that could have been quite distracting.

Although people argue there shouldn’t have been a sequel or franchise, I suggest you make that decision yourself by heading to the cinemas to see it. With the voucher system launched with this film, you can buy movie tickets, avoiding the long queues at the cinema counter. You could also purchase for your friends as well, because trust me, I think more people need to see this.

Easily digestible, Wives on Strike is evidence that women can be agents of societal change.