₦airaland Forum

Fro5t:
The US kidnapped a sitting president from his bed (Venezuela).
The US sanctioned 2 members of the International Criminal Court for their verdicts against Netanyahu and Israel. They're currently unable to carry out any transactions.
The US bombed double tapped a children's school in Iran. That means they bombed the school and then bombed it again when first responders came to help survivors.
The US banned the Iranian football team from staying in the US. Denied the Somalian referee, voted Africa's best referee, entry into the US to officiate World Cup matches.

And these are just what the US has been doing in the open this year. The world is already, and has been for a long time, very unpleasant in the era of American world power.

Including this Mbappe issue, what are 3 terrible things China has done this year?

Hope my point isn't lost in translation? Because i think i have clearly stated, that i recognize the hypocrisy on both sides, The US have probably done more despicable things than any country, but they have enough "goodwill" for their glazers, to look past it and not see any issue with it but are quick to call other countries out for the same thing.

I actually like the competition/squabbles between the US and China, and the US, now know China, isn't going to bend over backwards for them.

My own point is an entire state like China, coming hard on a footballer, over a joke, he didn't even start, and the only line he altered was "some dictator", He didn't insult the Chinese people, it wasn't a racial slur, didn't make a rice joke or how all Asians look alike and all the normal Asian stereotype jokes, so i think China are overreacting and i refuse to see it, any other way...If China wants to show just how much of an emerging power they are, this wasn't the issue for that most especially when apologies have been offered.... excuse my french mann, but sincerely fk them.

abduleez1:
Lol, BBC don start with their Okoto meow meow. 😂😂 How most people on mainland China don't know what Mbappe said.
BBC and their whining.

People that invented TikTok and it has become a social media powerhouse holding youths on chokehold worldwide, na them no go Sabi VPN and how to skirt regulations on social media.

China doesn't allow Western social media in their country doesn't mean their citizens are oblivious of the going ons across the globe.

Even at that they can still access these banned social platforms from VPNs. China has a very well developed media space so their citizens could barely care much about foreign platforms when theirs is equally solid.

Westerners just cry tears cos they can't access that huge market, cos I very well know the likes of Facebook and Twitter etc wouldn't mind access to that market even with restrictions and all.

CCP just understands all too well the power of information and propaganda, so they're dedicated to not being a victim of such in their own land, no matter who's ox is gored.

Maann..I didn't think this would drag out this long fgs...seems you are using a very big hammer to hit a very small nail 😩😩.

My point continues to be, there are hypocrises everywhere if you are unbiased enough to see it, China, the west, far east, middle east, is all the same to me.

So if that fact is established, Why does Mbappè has to suffer this long even after numerous apologies? Just google what Mbappè has done for China and the Chinese people, since the COVID outbreak in 2020, and you might see a point or two, that this tirade has gone on for far too long.

But if you think what China are currently doing is fitting, then is okay, and i think i would have to leave it here, but in a world where China can exert this kind of power, is not a very pleasant world.

Fro5t:
What is World Power? How do you define World Power?

Really? This isn't easy to decipher? One country has the largest nominal GDP in the world, this country has companies that dominates the world's largest companies by annual turnover, This same country has arguably the most advanced military might and warfare, same country's currency is basically the "world's currency", no sensible person stores wealth in the "Chinese Yuan"!! 😩, and this same country has years of cultural influence that has been exported worldwide, Hollywood, Nike, Coke, NBA, McDonald's etc.

From all these i have mentioned, only one country comes to mind, and if this, isn't world power, then me and you might differ in the meaning, and i am open for you to enlighten me, what you think world power is.

abduleez1:
Lol, you're still joining the Western line of thought with this submission.

You're claiming they're a dictatorship. And they showed you just how a dictatorship works, and y'all are crying why they punishing the whole league.
Shebi na dictator na, no wahala. I give you dictator doings Una still dey complain.

I see this as hypocritical talk bruv... Sorry to say. Westerners are fond of using this funny gimmick but cry foul when they're on the receiving end.

If you calm down reason the matter wella with objectivity you will know the Chinese have every right to behave how dey deem fit.

Even the dictatorship you're talking about, it's very well documented by Chinese themselves and officially recognised by the CCP he bacame dictatorial. There's Chinese criticism within themselves that he was a dictator. So no surprises here. Chinese citizens knows this all too well.

Where the problem lies is because a foreigner said it. Especially one who is partly funded by the same dictator. So who's being disingenuous here?

Of course the Chinese saw people saying trash online for the jokes. Those people are not Mbappe and are nobodies to them.
The difference is Mbappe is a star. A public figure. An influencer. A societal shaper. He can shape views and perception of a country or people.
I expect someone of his calibre to be media trained and knowledgeable in these things, especially given the fact with the strained relationship between China and Europe presently.
He very well know what would happen that the peeps wouldn't be happy with it. He just blew it off and thought they wouldn't do jack shite cos Europeans have these overbloated sense of self. He's one of the loudmouthed Europeans who thinks labeling peeps dictators makes you looks cool.

Sorry to break it to y'all but things have consequences.

Even in Amuhricah.... There's freedom of speech, but what happens to you after speech can't be guaranteed.

I can easily mention despicable things the Westerners have done and even worse than China who's borrowing their own MO.

They just pained an Asian is doing it better than them.
Just the same way America will threaten you and pull funding or give you the favourite entity list ban or "threat to National Security" bullsh!t.
I salute the Chinese for this bravery and standing on business.

You do me, I do you. Simple case of FAFO.

If you emancipate yourself from Western leanings you'd see how this is simple cancel culture for silly statements. But on a state level.

Bro, You might have misunderstood my stand. I care for none of them, CCP or western democracies...all hypocritical and rubbish, i only care about my boy, Kylian, caught up in this mess 😩.

The reason why it irks me more, is that, most people in mainland China still don't know what he said, because of how heavily the media is controlled by the CCP, so they were just "manipulated" to be angry whether they agree with the statement or not, so it's basically faux outrage, so why should he continue to suffer? fgs

abduleez1:
You dey swallow the Western propaganda and Land of the Free lamba dey dish you daily.

It was a joke. Yes. An ignorant one, yes. But you don't joke with a culture or people's Founding Father.

It's like if Chinese citizens came in hundreds of thousands or millions and started making "s!@v£_0wn£r" jokes to the likes of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.

I'm very sure Americans won't take it likely.
Let Africans start making jokes of their key leaders and you'd see how they would be quick to remind you, you're a m0#k€¥ and live in sh!th0le countries.

All these fake surprise from Westerners no dey move me one bit. Talk about J£w!sh people anyhow and see whether you no go hear am.

I like that the Chinese are assertive. He who pays the piper decides the tune. Not the other way around.

How will you make jokes about the most influential leader of present day China. Their success today and world domination all started thanks to Mao Zedong. Love him or h@te him.

I know we live in a country where citizens would gladly join foreigners to disparage their own country and leaders just for the fun of it. So I no dey surprised.

Broo..There is a lot of context and nuance to the whole issue, that's why i think, the Chinese are taking it a bit too far.

The "dictator Mbappè" jokes have been going on for so long, he didn't even start it, and the Chinese didn't seem to have any problems with it till this week. He was simply asked what he thought of the jokes, and he said the one where is face is superimposed on top some "Chinese dictator" was is funniest, now did he do wrong? possibly yes, but i can't fault him for not being versed in Chinese history and he duly apologized, his club apologized, La Liga even apologized, and yet the Chinese still wants his head, it is crazy to think about.

Now to the meat of the matter, personally i think all democracies are dictatorship in disguise, including western ones. Just search Mao Zedong and the term "dictator" and it will be almost a perfect match, his regime bore all the hallmarks of it, it is even enshrined in the Chinese constitution of today, that, on some level, they are running a dictatorship!!, so it begs the question, why is this dragging this far, after all the apologies, if it is not the usual Chinese commie BS, trying to exert power... meanwhile Mbappè has faced unimaginable racial abuse in the Chinese media all week, but no, it's all fair game right?!

If they are this snowflaked about a joke, when that joke is actually true on some level, then they should keep being angry. George Washington was a known slave owner, and numerous jokes continues to be made around that fact most by Americans themselves!!, does he stop him from a being a founding father of the US? No..The Orange Man has been a topic of numerous SNL skits, has it stopped him from being president or cancelling the show? No!...

It's not like China are saints themselves, despicable human rights record, oppressing minorities, refusing to recognize sovereign nations, gagging citizens who dare to have a different opinion than the CCP and the list goes on...all these are traits of a dictatorship brah

I blame the world for relying so much on them, that's why they can pull all these stunts. They never mean well for anyone, they only exists to serve their own purpose. There is a Chinese factory in my home state, and they treat the local workers like rags, like filthy dirty rags 😩.

Jewish people angle you brought up, is even not such a good example these days, cause free Palestine and being antisemite on some level seems to boost business these days.

See maann, i stand on business again, if they can't take this joke to their cult leader, who in all honesty fits the profile of a dictator, and with numerous apologies, then they should kindly go to the hottest part of hell 👍🏿

The whole Kylian Mbappé dictator affair has shown me just how strong, China, influences affairs of the west. Mannn Imagine, one of the greatest talent to have ever touch the sport, what would normally be an harmless joke, and these Mfs are so incensed, they cut ties with him, Real Madrid and even La Liga! 😭😭.

I see why Hollywood don't joke with the Chinese Box Market. They have a different marketing strategy for their market, any tiny mistake, and your movie suffers there.

Silly as it all is, it all boils than to money, not that the west really respects the Chinese culture all that much, and it just goes to show how hyper capitalist, our world is, currently.

Anyway, glad, China doesn't wield World Power, the west will never allow it, because communism looks like hellfire fgss 😭😭

GloriousGbola:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cPVqcS-6Lw

abduleez1 - they say na you produce am

At least it's not the usual trope of "Prince" and all what not they associate with Nigerian, when they want to satirize us, but it's cringe still.

I keep saying it, no one gets Nigerian humour like "Nigerians"!...I have seen so many comics from outside here try it, and fail woefully, even comics of African descent.

We are such a unique people, such a shame we are ruled by airheads and the enitre place is a hellhole.

Tony (2026)

You are always one crazy decision away from changing your entire life.

Forget for a second that this is an Anthony Bourdain biopic or a cooking flick. You don't even need any prerequisites to enjoy this.

In some ways, an extension of "The Holdovers (2023)", this is a feel-good movie about hitting rock bottom and finding your way back. There isn't any grand scene or deep dive you'd expect from a biopic. In fact, if you had no idea who Anthony Bourdain was before watching this movie, it does little to change that.

I invested in Dominic Sessa stocks way back, and it's paying off. He embodies Bourdain in such a charming way that it makes me think that, all things being equal, his rise in Hollywood is inevitable. Antonio Banderas, as the wise old head and supporting actor, is why the entire thing works. Brilliant performance.

It's not quite near all the praises it's received, i mean it isn't going to blow you away, but it's a good movie that will appeal to many. If you like The Holdovers (2023), then this is right in your wheelhouse.

7/10

abduleez1:
Hmmm..... Oyaskii what says you?

I watched the OG "Ultimate Power" way way back, terrorised my entire childhood 😩😩, so a return on the big screen would definitely kill.

Of course definitely. It is just Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, doing this December blockbuster thingy, thinking that is the only time they would make big box, which is mostly true tho.

But if, the movie is quality enough, nothing stop a Nollywood blockbuster from making big bucks, no matter the time of the year it is released.

Of course, like clockwork, both of them have movies out in December of this year as well,fgss😩...might show up myself 👀

Francis Duru mannn

Being a proper "Nollywood Head", for the longest time possible and he was a part of an era of Nollywood, i hold so dear.

The sheer number of our, yester years stars, that have passed on, in the last couple of years mann 😔.

Rest easy King 🕊️😔

"Oversabi Aunty" (2025)

I ran the Nollywood gimmick this evening, and duly got burnt fgsss 😭...If i put up a review for this, Toyin Abraham might probably jail me.... literally felt my IQ drop seeing this garbage of a movie mann

Hey, I'd like to support this industry maan, but at some point, i got to say enough is enough, and just cut ties 😔

samistry:
Abduleez uncle almost kill am

Supergirl was the competition?? The Honda was safe as hell loool

abduleez1:
Lol.... I welcome firing this dude... Not so much the layoffs tho.

Same dude that was mouthing off some months ago that he'd let go any filmmaker now fighting for a theatrical window. Probably why David Fincher left.


Oyaskii, news on the street is that Greta's upcoming NARNIA is a problematic movie and an incoming flop.
I remember how you said Baumbach her hubby was with Netflix all these years and just jailbreak only for Greta to head there.

Funny thing is that, it's this same dude that would have been the CEO of DC Studios at the time, if not that he rejected the job.
Now the people Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy that was fired at WB by SkyDance will now be the Heads of Film at Netflix.

Lol, this saga funny die.

Brooo...no serious filmmaker should be yoked with Netflix 😩😩 let alone the Greta Gerwig!... arguably the biggest female film makers around currently.

I can't even blame her...the dire state of Big studios maan... we've just seen a 100 plus year old studio go belly up like it's nothing.

There for Narnia (2027) but bro, if it's mid, it wouldn't be a shock 😔

HOPE (2026)

Absolutely No Hope!

The reviews for this flick when it first premiered at film festivals were quite divided, to say the least. Having seen it now, I quite understand why. There seems to be no middle ground with this one. You either hate it or love it, and yet, I find myself somewhere in between.

Most epic sci-fi monster flicks would typically start with a slow build-up before descending into absolute chaos, but not Hope. Set in a small town ironically named Hope Harbour, considering the premise, the movie opens with half the town seemingly obliterated by a mysterious creature. Enter police chief Bum-seok, rookie officer Sung-ae, and a group of local hunters investigating the creature terrorising their quiet village. What initially appears to be a dangerous animal attack soon escalates into a terrifying encounter with extraterrestrial beings, forcing the villagers to fight for survival.

The movie is exhilarating, exciting, and gives you absolutely no chance to catch your breath throughout its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. The action sequences are elevated by beautiful camera movements and stunning cinematography, but here's the thing: despite how much I enjoyed the ride, I didn't feel the same excitement after it was over.

What worked.

You can see the ambition and effort that went into making this movie, and to some extent, it pays off. The action sequences are fantastic, delivering some proper edge-of-your-seat moments. The dialogue is surprisingly funny, providing some much-needed comic relief amid all the chaos. There's enough going on to keep you hooked until the very end, even when the story starts to get a little ridiculous.

What didn't work.

For a sci-fi/fantasy flick, a fair degree of logic in the storyline goes a long way. Unfortunately, the plot here seems almost completely devoid of it. And whenever the movie manages to find some semblance of logic, it often falls back on familiar, overused tropes.

For a film reportedly made on a massive budget and touted as one of the most expensive Korean productions ever, the CGI is disappointingly rough. The monsters, which eventually turn out to be aliens, look dodgy as hell. Some of the visual effects feel so unrefined that you'd be forgiven for thinking this was a much older film or a production working with a seriously tight budget. And this was definitely not that.

Then there's the story itself. I enjoyed the spectacle, but by the end, I was left wondering what the movie was actually trying to say. The aliens aren't given enough backstory to make their motivations compelling, yet the film seems determined to attach some deeper, almost solemn meaning to their actions. The result feels less like a well-developed thematic payoff and more like an awkward attempt to set the stage for a sequel.

Again, this is a difficult movie to analyse, let alone recommend. It depends entirely on what you're looking for. If you want a relentless, chaotic, visually ambitious sci-fi spectacle with some genuinely entertaining action, Hope might just do it for you. But if you need a coherent story, convincing CGI, and a narrative that leaves you with something meaningful to chew on afterwards, you might find yourself asking why you invested two and a half hours of your life in this.

I enjoyed the ride, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to take it again.

6/10

potland:
you watched an old film. I've you seen citizen kane? Widely rated the greatest film ever made

Dropped Citizen Kane (1941) after 30 mins...👀😩😩

WAR (2026) S1 E01–E03

Tap in! Tap in!! Tap in!!!

If I’m busting out a review after only three episodes, rest assured, this is a serious, serious show!

The title seemed misleading at first. I was thinking actual war and all that, but it turns out the show is going in a completely different direction.

Two high-profile celebrities are heading for a messy divorce, and they’ve hired the best family law firms in London. I’m talking scandals, double-crossing, and even legal espionage. So, yeah, the title is fitting. They’re in a WAR!

This show has all the hallmarks of a great series. HBO x British prod rarely miss. I think I’ve found my weekly digest for the next few weeks, at least.

So, tap in, and tap in NOW!!👍🏿

"Happy Departure Day" to all who celebrate 🥳. Peak show...Peak HBO. Definitely running it back, someday

Ikiru (1952)

"It's our human duty to enjoy life. Wasting it is desecrating God's great gift."

Akira Kurosawa has always been one filmmaker whose filmography I've been meaning to explore, given the sheer influence his filmmaking style has had on generations of filmmakers.

Ikiru, being my first foray, is a deeply moving humanist drama about a man who discovers he has six months to live and begins to question whether he has wasted his entire life stuck in a bureaucratic job. With little time left, he sets out to discover how best to spend his remaining days and whether he can still accomplish something meaningful.

While the story itself might seem clichéd, Kurosawa handles the subject matter with such grace, dread, and tenderness that you immediately grasp the narrative's emotional weight. He doesn't rush to prescribe one ideal way for his protagonist to spend his final days, allowing us to sit with his uncertainty as he struggles to find meaning in a life nearing its end.

Takashi Shimura, as Kanji Watanabe, brings so much life to the entire thing. There's something haunting about his bulging eyes and withdrawn demeanour, the physical manifestation of a man trapped in existential dread, suddenly aware that he might leave this world in a few months the same way he arrived: with nothing to show for it.

There's something deeply unsettling about realising that you can spend your entire life existing without ever truly living. And perhaps that's what makes Ikiru so profoundly moving. It isn't just a film about death; it's about the [i]uncomfortable business[/i]of being alive and figuring out what, if anything, makes it worthwhile...

Top shelf film.

9/10.

abduleez1:
Netflix begins its theatrical play for next year.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZgB5D74ivc?si=omLH5NtuLJTql6nz

G G has fully moved to fantasy it would seem...big risk..btw why is this on Netflix?! fgs. Her Husband remove head from that evil corp, she chook head enter 😩

Wait, Didn't "The Odyssey " come out before " Brand New Day"?, and yet the digital for the latter is out already. Mann, the greatest disturbance to the force of "the pyrate community" in recent years has been Sir Christopher Edward Nolan! 😩😩. I mean this brother is so deep in gatekeep, he has no love for your boxers/bra wearing bare back on a sofa, watching his film on your rickety laptop/phone screen fgs 😩.

Glad no other filmmaker is like this mad man, if not na filmhouse for dey chop my networth because i be cinephile on Ólóuñ 😭.

armadeo:
Brand new day was great.

Evwry mallam to him kettle. As for me I've seen it again and I was still entertained.

Maybe I'm a marvelstan.

and that's perfectly ok, don't let anyone gaslight you. When it comes to media, two or more truths can coexist. Brand New Day was subjectively a very good flick and at the same time a mid one...it just depends on perspective.

Fro5t:
Oyaskii stamp of approval! Let me see if I can squeeze the first season in around the holidays.

Yeah... vouching for it my mann...get on it 🫶🏿

abduleez1:
I really wanted to join this show back then when it released, don't know why I never got to it.
Dunno why I always have these second thoughts for comedies and only join when it overly sings to me and in my face nonstop.

wallahi bro... it's black comedy at best...the stakes are pretty high..banger show 💥

samistry:
Another show dey warmup

"Avatar Karakota" uno 😩.... like what are we even doing here maann?.. Paramount want to milk this IP till infinity.

"Common Side Effects Hive" we up 🙌🏿....and i use to think it was niche, but mann, it is so peak, and i think the general populace would enjoy it...so let me put you on to greatness....get on S1 before S2 drops next year 🏃🏿‍♂️

phr0nesis:
This would have been my review, if only I had elite writing skill. The only difference is that my rating would have been slightly higher at 6/10

6/10 flatters it alot my mannn but i will allow it. Genuinely don't see a scenario where i can sit through it again, hence my rating.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Not so brand new day.

There’s been a school of thought lately that you have to forgo a logical, well-written plot to enjoy movies these days. But I dare say, if I have to forgo the plot, is it really a movie anymore?

The plot here is so narratively weak, and I think that’s where my entire problem with the film stems from. It’s no secret that a superhero movie is only as good as its villain. The charisma and twisted ideologies of a great villain are what people remember years later. Think Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and you instantly think Thanos. Think The Dark Knight, and you think the Joker.

Making a young Jean Grey the villain here simply didn’t work for me. I couldn’t take her seriously, and it feels like it negates much of what the franchise has been building toward.

The film stretches to almost two and a half hours, but it could easily have been 45 minutes. There are surprisingly few scenes that actually matter, with the rest padded out by unnecessary characters and recycled MCU ideas in a desperate attempt to tie everything into Avengers: Doomsday (2026) because apparently that movie needs every bit of buildup it can get.

Seriously, why were Yelena, the Punisher, or even the Hulk in this? I’m going out on a limb and saying Avengers: Doomsday might end up feeling the same way, because it’s being built on a pretty shaky foundation. Thin plot, bloated runtime and nostalgia bait. I’ll still watch it as part of my dirty December plans, but man, my expectations are on the floor.

Technically, though, I can see why this movie made so much money. The production value is ridiculously high, as expected from this franchise. The cinematography is great, the colours pop, and the Spidey suit is insanely good. The VFX, web-slinging and those sweeping shots of Spider-Man swinging through a spiralling New York are gorgeous. I can totally see how this will read beautifully on a cinema screen and, honestly, it’s a pretty good distraction from how weak the plot is.

Personally, I think this franchise has been worn thin. Tom Holland has taken it as far as he can. It needs some kind of refresh, but with the amount of money it brings in, I doubt Sony will ever let it go.

Almost a nothing film with very little replay value. Just glad to be done with it.

5/10

Beorn:
My fellow movies/series guru, wanted to come shout-out to you for the the Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord you appraised some months back after the finale. Very solid animation series. Now that you're here, I might as well give you your props. 👍🏿🙌🏿👏🏿💪🏿

My leader 🙌🏿🙌🏿

Sheba thinks she is "it"....so cute 🙂😂

TheEnforcer:
How will a boring Aikou win the season?Another second Kelly rae here.Nigerians are just amazing. The guy practically did nothing just forming some fake professor nonsense lol

Perhaps that was his game, and so many others has played this same script before without success, so allow this one...make razz and poverty script rest small.

BlackManta:
RIP Warner Bros


1923-2026

Thanks for the memories

All of the valuable ips are about to be destroyed.

Game of Thrones, DC comics, Harry Potter, Monsterverse, Lord of the Rings etc

Destroyed how? The current materials of the IP would no longer be available? because i don't think, this would be the case.

They have been on a theatrical slump all year, so maybe let somebody else try.

I saw this SS and immediately thought of "Squid Game" and "Parasite" and i just burst out laughing 😂😂😂....