Movie Review : The Wedding Party
Months before its theatrical release, I encountered the official trailer for “The Wedding Party” during cinema previews. While it promised a few laughs, something about it felt distinctly “Nollywood-ish” despite its obvious efforts to break from convention — a sort of post-Nollywood pretension.
I typically avoid Nollywood productions at theaters. Regardless of their hype, these films usually disappoint and seem fundamentally out of place on the big screen. The trailers often give the impression of an African Magic television production awkwardly projected onto a cinema screen.
With no compelling Hollywood releases available — “Underworld: Blood Wars” proved disappointing despite Kate Beckinsale in leather, and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” offered little beyond spectacular battle scenes — I found myself bored enough to overcome my reservations and watch “The Wedding Party.”
The storyline follows familiar Nollywood territory: a high-society wedding uniting two affluent families. The bride’s family is Yoruba, the groom’s Igbo. Refreshingly, tribalism isn’t the source of tension between the families’ matriarchs — instead, one perceives the other as too unrefined for their social circle, a prejudice not shared by the patriarchs.
The film opens on the wedding day, with the groom and his party preparing despite the news that his best man was incapacitated after bachelor party excesses. Meanwhile, the bride’s entourage introduces her to marital intimacies via sexy lingerie, while her overbearing mother threatens to derail the day with last-minute catering changes.
In its early moments, the film promises an interesting take on a common Nollywood theme. However, it quickly loses its footing, descending into silliness, cheap laughs, and pointless gags.
The film parades an impressive all-star cast from the parents to the wedding couple and even bit players. This approach suggests the production banked more on star power than a thoughtful treatment of its subject.
Ali Baba was clearly miscast as Chief Coker. While he managed occasional laughs, his performance seemed to forget that Chief Coker was supposed to be an oil magnate rather than a clownish relative. He also appeared too young to believably portray Sola Sobowale’s husband, unless she was intended as a “cougar Island mama” — which wasn’t indicated in the film.
Similarly, Richard Mofe-Damijo as Chief Onwuka failed to convince as a wealthy Igbo father. His “Igbo kwenu” chant at the reception rang as false as Ali Baba’s portrayal of a Yoruba oil magnate. Kanayo O. Kanayo would have made a more convincing Chief Onwuka.
The film suffered significantly from overacting. Though delivering one of the better performances, Sola Sobowale’s occasionally excessive portrayal detracted from her considerable talent.
Zainab Balogun’s wedding planner character, clearly inspired by Hollywood stereotypes, was similarly overplayed. She did, however, redeem herself in the scene where she abandoned her affected accent and knelt to beg Iya Michael to continue catering — a moment both beautiful and hilarious that compensated for her excesses elsewhere.
By far, the standout performance came from Iretiola Doyle as Mrs. Obianuju Onwuka. This role seemed tailor-made for Doyle, who has perfected the snobbish ice-queen character across multiple films. Her performance remained measured, controlled, and — crucially — free from the overacting that plagued much of the production.
Like many Nollywood films, “The Wedding Party” contained numerous incongruities and implausible scenes. Mrs. Onwuka’s snobbish preference for continental cuisine suggested elitist guests, yet the actual attendees clearly favored the local menu she disdained.
AY’s introduction of a garishly dressed pastor leading an outlandish prayer session felt like a gratuitous insertion for cheap laughs, especially as this “opening prayer” occurred after guests had already begun eating.
Saka’s role, along with the contrived performances of his accompanying children, added nothing substantive to the narrative and raised questions about their inclusion in the cast.
Perhaps the most unbelievable sequence involved the groom, his best man, parents, and in-laws held at gunpoint by a thief who had infiltrated the reception. The criminal’s sanctimonious justification for his actions felt contrived, as did the impromptu group therapy session that followed.
“The Wedding Party” tried — perhaps too hard — to deliver a fresh take on a popular Nollywood theme. However, like the pretensions of its fictional families, it ultimately falls flat. While it generates some laughter amid its descent into silliness, it achieves only the kind of humor typical of Nigerian comedy: provoking mirth through oafish antics rather than genuine wit.
The film represents a missed opportunity to elevate Nollywood beyond its comfort zone, instead reaffirming its limitations while dressed in slightly more expensive clothing. 5/10
