₦airaland Forum

abduleez1:
Seems not so bad....cos even I have been craving for some local Nigerian flavour in humour recently.

NGL, one reason I haven't been all too keen on Hollywood comedies all these years is cos I've felt I can't fully relate with their style of comedy due to cultural differences until recently. And good ol' Nollywood watching with the ever reliable Mr Ibu, Aki and Pawpaw, Odunlade Adekola and co has been the go-to especially with family and friends.

On this movie, that generational bunda 🤲🏽 and even Layi Wasabi might make me watch this for the family, but just not on the big screen.

I'm probably going for Alakada: Bad and Boujee cos some weeks ago I had a pretty good laugh and enjoyed myself watching one of the previous entry (probably Alakada Reloaded with the stüpid Broda Shaggi as Kasali on cable TV) without minding the plot which seemed good to me at the moment.

I've been subconsciously craving for Nigerian cinema lately because I noticed I've been easily increasingly joining in on the family or friends watching their Nollywood content and catching myself enjoying it. Me that I would be too engrossed with my phone to even care other than a quick glance.

Actually the first time in a long while seeing a Nigerian flick on the big screen and the experience was kind of nice ....like the hall was packed full, and people seemed to be really enjoying it. I was doubting the figures they have been reporting that the movie has made, but after seeing that crowd, those numbers might actually be right o!.

And i think what made it enjoyable was the fact that it was a comedy with a familiar and relatable character.

And same! at your last paragraph, i actually watched more of Nollywood movies and series over the festive period and i actually enjoyed myself lol....rooting for Nollywood this 2025 even more than ever, i just know they have something for me ☺️

Squid Game S2 (2022 - 2024)

"1 Timothy 6:10"

I won’t even lie,when I first heard about the second season of this, I was far from sold. It seemed like a silly cash grab, and the negative press surrounding its release in December deterred me even further. So, imagine my shock when I reluctantly decided to give it a try, only to find myself completely blown away.

Korean shows have consistently impressed me, and this epitomizes that fact. Despite Netflix's best efforts to layer the show with seemingly "woke" elements, the excellent writing and delivery came out on top.

This season is essentially a profound social commentary on the human condition, arguably even more impactful than S1. It revolves entirely around the concept of greed and how "the love of money is the root of all evil"...the backbone of this season's narrative. You can easily pick up life lessons throughout the season. For instance, the Recruiter offered hungry people the choice between bread or a lottery ticket, and they chose the lottery ticket!, forgetting their immediate hunger due to greed. Another example is how democracy might be a flaw cuz when irrational individuals make up the majority, their poor decisions affect everyone, including the rational minority. The contestants were given the power to vote and exit the game at any time, but their greed kept them voting to stay.

One of the standout aspects of this season was the emotional rollercoaster. The characters were so well-written that I found myself deeply caring for the rational ones. And the games? Incredibly intense!.... literally edge of your seat stuff!..., They added a thrilling layer to the narrative, making it even more compelling.

I haven’t seen nearly enough praise for the cinematography, which was outstanding. The arena shots before the games, with their grand scale, and the blood-stained arenas after the games, were visually stunning and added to the tension and beauty of the series.

The show’s popularity is no fluke, it’s genuinely that good. I am a firm believer now 😩..While some people might have issues with this season, by the time I reached Episode 7, I was hooked and yearning for more. I simply cannot wait for Season 3.

When discussions about TV show greats like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Attack on Titan, and Money Heist [/i]come up in the future, Best believe, [i]Squid Game will be mentioned in the same discourse. This is pop culture TV history in the making!..... undoubtedly Tv royalty!

I absolutely loved it!.

9/10

"Everybody Loves Jenifa" (2024)

You might condone this cacophony or not, but it depends on just how much you really love Jenifa tbh.....

Amidst a full house and a very busy festive period, I squeezed out time yesterday to catch something on the big screen to take the edge off. The options? This, Mufasa, or Kraven the Hunter. Appalling as a holiday lineup, btw either Hollywood is down bad, or our cinemas aren’t picking up enough titles to screen. I settled for this, which seemed like the lesser evil.

It’s everything you’d expect from a movie adapted from a TV series that thrives heavily on slapstick humor, you dare not take it seriously. The film relied heavily on an ensemble cast to draw attention, featuring cameos from Lagbaja, D’Banj, and even Hilda Bacci and her generational bunda 😩 made a stop. Sadly, there wasn’t enough plot to go around for this bloated cast.

The plot itself was disjointed, to say the least. Trust me, they basically had two separate stories: one about domestic violence in Lagos, and then...boom!...a drug war plot set in faraway Ghana. At one point, I honestly thought the cinema staff had mistakenly spliced in another movie midway, featuring the same cast.

That said, it felt a bit too early in the year to over criticize, especially for a movie like this, which didn’t promise more than it was giving. Funke Akindele, as Jenifa, retained the mannerisms, wit, and charm that made the character iconic. There was a good running gag about her broken English and a surprisingly warm love chemistry between Jenifa and Shege (played by Falz). Another standout was Layi Wasabi..I’d love to see more of him in future roles.

All in all, I laughed and got what I bargained for. Funke Akindele has paid her dues, and this feels like a fitting ode to an iconic character. It’s not her best work, but certainly not her worst (not when She Must Be Obeyed exists). If you’re a fan of Jenifa’s Diary, this will feel right at home for you, even if you aren't a fan, but you are looking for a good old laugh... then this is right in your wheelhouse.

And oh, Happy New Year, people! ☺️🎉

6/10

pu7pl3:
How many times will you people say this thing.
They lost him 2 years ago let it go bro.

Both parties will be fine, or are even fine now as of but it will keep getting said, each time each time Christopher Nolan has a new project announced, no matter how much you want people to let it go...it is what it is.

I thought the earlier rumours was that it was a vampire flick? lol. Well, seems WB losing CN to Universal, is well and truly a generational fumble 😩

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)


"Your name is Iman (إِيمَان). How can you lose faith?"


There are times when I step outside the conventional Hollywood bubble and explore films from other parts of the world stories that confront real, horrifying issues. Iranian cinema, in particular, has always been one of my go-to choices for such profound narratives.

The sacred fig, also known as Ficus religiosa, is a ruthless plant that suffocates everything around it, including its host. This serves as a powerful metaphor encapsulating the essence of the film, how the Islamic Republic of Iran oppresses and suffocates its own people.

The story follows Iman, a high-ranking Revolutionary Court judge, his devout wife, who staunchly supports the regime, and their two dissenting daughters. What begins as a family drama set against the backdrop of the Mahsa Amini protests gradually transforms into a politically charged thriller when the father’s gun goes missing.

This is a slow-burn film that demands patience, but the payoff is profound. The movie's themes transcend the oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran, presenting a universal conflict: the generational clash between the modern, progressive youth and the pragmatic, tradition-bound older generation. "The world has changed; the kids think differently," the wife remarks, to which Iman replies, "But God has not… nor His laws."

However, some elements didn’t sit well with me. The portrayal of the father as almost villainous in his defense of totalitarianism felt heavy-handed. Similarly, the notion that children have no right to protest because the old ways forbid it made the third act difficult to digest.

As someone still learning about Islam, I genuinely want to believe this faith values women. Yet, the depictions in the film and what I’ve observed in real life, paint a grim picture. In places under strict Islamic rule, women often seem to bear the brunt of oppression.

Despite its flaws, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a powerful film and one of the best I’ve seen this year. I’m rooting for it at the Oscars for now, at least, until I work my way through the rest of the 2024 Best International Feature shortlist.

7/10

NobleStag007:
You should write and direct your own Superman movie. No wonder you people are so pissed lol

Bruh...Zack Snyder's shaft might actually be in your guts at this point, cuz the díck riding has been insane.

He use to have the sauce, but sorry, he ain't that guy anymore and no serious studio is giving him any serious project any time soon.

Sadly, dem no dey hear him gbedu again 😞. The quicker you come to the realisation of this fact, the faster you save your breath and time jumping on every post on here that criticises him.

Dune:Part Two?, The seed of the sacred fig" ? He built like me fr....Mr Barrack might actually know ball, am afraid 😳👌🏿

One of the greatest character introduction episode that has ever graced this genre ✨... dunno, A:TLAB just have that special sauce that, the preceding sequels and adaptations can't just match...The replay value is so insane fk 😩👌🏿

Achilles100:
Lots of politicking, it just the start, so far I'd rate it a between 6.5 and 7/10.

In my view, not overly exceptional, but it shows promise.

One bros last week said it's the best show ever... which one we go believe now?😩

GloriousGbola:
sincerely, highly unlikely. if it was a hard drive i would say 90% chance - but sd cards

edit

https://www.reddit.com/r/datarecovery/comments/zbxruc/recover_deleted_files_from_sd_card/



https://www.reddit.com/r/datarecovery/comments/17yeby9/sd_card_recovery_tool/

tldr -

use a card reader
if the card was encrypted on your phone, you are out of luck

services

disk drill
dmde
runtimes get data back

you can find the cracked version of most of thee apps on https://filecr.com
however proceed with caution

i am pointing you to the site because it is direct download.

Zero chance with SD cards....


HDD is possible, based on having different file system storage pattern than SD Card....more sophisticated.

I have gone down the rabbit hole of trying to recover files from a formated SD card for years no, with zero success...

abduleez1:
GloriousGbola

Is it possible to recover files from an SD Card that has already been formatted and new files recorded on it?

I know the probability of recovery is very low to almost impossible if new files are stored and it's been overwritten.

I just want to know if any hope??

Cc Oyaskii

The short of it's No 😞.

Formatting simply means erasing every file in the SD card, like restoring it to factory settings. Recovery would have been possible if the SD card has not be overwritten...

Note: When you have an issue with a removable storage with important files in it, resist the urge to format it and overwrite, as this gives the best chance for any data recovery process to work.

Plus removable storages are becoming more fragile as the years go by, it's time to look at cloud storage options, at least there are some that offer free storage, Google for a start, gives 15GB of free cloud storage to every account, and can easily just open new G.accounts to amass more storage.

abduleez1:
The Lord's work really tire Baba. 😂😅😅

The movie just go to show, that politics and power tussle exists everywhere and is just as fierce, even in the church. The tribalism and division you see in our country today, didn't start from thin air. I know some parishes that won't vote in a CWO president who isn't a tribe of where the church is located...same Catholic faith o, but tribal division comes in.

lol I saw a Black Man, a Nigerian for that matter ascending the papacy with relative ease, and i said absolutely no way 😅, i just knew they were gonna find some dirt to nuke him 😩😩.

The movie was good, not action driven, but the dialogues carried enough weight to fully explore all the scheming and twists going on.

I thought that final twist was a bit too "woke" and not needed, as the movie would have been fine without it....Good film nonetheless.

abduleez1:
CONCLAVE......9/10

Now this is an engrossing and dialogue heavy religious political thriller. Top tier writing and acting.
Ralph Fiennes perfectly encapsulated his character and really put in the work portraying a Cardinal who's faith in the Church is wavering as he's tasked with the huge responsibility of conducting the election to find the new Pope and head of the Roman Catholic Church.

We're now enmeshed into the world of Papal politics as we see different ideologies and candidates within the Church across different races and ethnicities play their cards in a tight race to rule the Christian World.
Secrets are exposed, deception is employed, lobbying and corruption is even entertained in the hallowed chambers as any tool available to human disposal is employed to gain the coveted position and an upper hand.


Ultimately the weight of ensuring all this go well and "picking" the right Pope to lead the Catholic Church into the future unknown rests in the hands of Cardinal Lawrence — so deftly played by the enigmatic Ralph Fiennes.
I believe a Best Actor nomination and a possible win is in the cards for this wonderful performance.

The dialogue is easily one of the richest this year has to offer. Different compelling characters.
The twist at the end was nicely put together and executed. It's a deliciously concocted tale.

Excellent cinematography — easily one of the best of the year. The cinematography could easily rival DUNE PART TWO in my opinion. It's that good, especially with the way the film composes its shots and angles. The group shots with leading lines, symmetry and perfectly using the environment and objects as framing is just a cinematographers heaven!! Peak composition!!!

Even the colour grading and filter is just pristine. Great sound and production design as well as premium costume design and handling.
An experienced Direction leads the way in putting all these beautiful pieces together to form an Iconic film for the ages. This is looking like a Classic.

A cinematic beauty!!
Verily deserves all the hype it's been getting year round.

Easily one of the top 3 Best Picture of the year imo.

The plot basically 👀😅

"Le Comte de Monte Cristo" (AKA "The Count of Monte Cristo" (2024)

"All human wisdom is summed up in these two words: wait and hope." — Edmond Dantès.

This was, surprisingly, my first taste of The Count of Monte Cristo media, and what a ride it was!

This new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ widely acclaimed classic sets our protagonist, Edmond Dantès, on a path of revenge after being falsely accused of being a Bonapartist, a treasonable offense at the time. The revenge plot is a work of art, but as it begins to unfold, it consumes our main character, blurring the moral nuances between revenge and justice. After all, “A man that has lost his love, his livelihood, his family, his life… what more is there to lose?”

At three hours long, it doesn’t even feel like a chore. The performances are breathtaking, the cinematography pristine, and the artistic direction, excellent. A swashbuckling French period piece? You just have to be there!

Now that I’ve seen both films, I’m actually vexed that the French decided to submit the shallow Emilia Pérez for the Oscars’ Best International Feature instead of this beauty.

The French language is so alluring, so pleasant to listen to. It’s probably the main reason I’ve invested so much in French cinema this year, and this feels like a fitting crown for it all.

Special. Special. Special film. ✨
8/10.

Kaycee7:
JL (2017) was bad, please. There's no defending that movie

lol the context of ZS walking away post prod and reshoot doesn't matter? Cuz we all saw the finished product in 2021 with basically the same story and it was stellar.

We probably need to have this convo now, what exactly didn't you like about JL (2017)? 🤔....The story? The performance? or the technicalities like the weird CGI that was going on?.

NobleStag007:
I think people hate Snyder because Superman was defeated by Batman

Lol.

No real reason for hating Snyder... someone said his slow motion too much.
Someone said Batman is a coffee guy lol


E pain me that we won't see his akpokolips war..

Dark Superman is way better than dark Batman..as it is in the anime

I like the man but him too dey gbà at times.

His occultists are already tearing up this Trailer and doing think pieces, but I'd say they should give this one a chance and stop all the reminiscing.

abduleez1:
The movie like you said doesn't possess what I call Oscar flavour that warranted all the Oscar and awards shout I've been seeing. I'll even take EMILIA PEREZ over it but I really enjoyed it.
But it was rightly somewhat overhyped.

It's very good and enjoyable but not Best Picture material for me.

I thought i was been overly critical with it, but no, i know what i saw. The hype sold me dreams. I am even hearing best actress shouts for Mikey Madison, and i am like from where to where nau?? 😩.... because she had her tiddies out?? Oh please 🙄.

Baddestguyp:
My first impression of the Superman trailer is that it's refreshing...

It seems focused on the more humane side of Superman. Him saving people...him resonating with people, becoming a symbol of hope...
We see more instances of Superman saving than of fighting... because saving people is ultimately what makes Superman a hero...

It looks very focused on humanizing him, connecting him with people. The first shot is of him falling, we also see shots of him rising...

We see shots of people throwing things at him, but we also see shots of the kid holding the flag...

This is quite different from the grim dark Superman from the synderverse...

lol the grim dark Superman narrative is such a shallow argument i have always come across to bash ZS "Superman"....All he humanity, saving people and all was all there in "Man of Steel" (2013), as for darker and bleak overtones of Bvs (2016) and JL (2017), it fits the narrative Zack Snyder was trying to tell, not every time hope and saving people...ZS wanted to present a side of Superman as a conflicted grounded character in a morally bankrupt world, and we probably needed to see that side of Supes, and imo it's totally justified in ZS creative vision for the character.

I had my issues with Bvs (2016), but Man of Steel (2013), Bvs (2016), JL (2017) and ZSJL (2021) weren't bad films by any stretch of the imagination.... misunderstood maybe.

"James Gunn's Superman"🥺🦸🏿‍♂️✨

Illusioneffect:
Don’t understand how oyaski thinks it’s mid

I think we can have polarising viewpoints on movies....No?.

For the hype and praises it is getting, imo, the actual movie is nothing close to that. I was expecting some kind of depth, but it's all just surface and lacked any form of originality or "freshness" that Neon indie films tends to stand for. Nothing particularly stands out in the flick tbh, too generic for the Oscar and award shouts it is getting.

Same thing with "The Florida Project" (2017) by the same filmmaker, it was praised to the high heavens,.only for me to see it and it was a total borefest.

pu7pl3:
Already written off seeing the movie till you said erotic

Yeah, pretty graphic, not that i cared for that btw, but the lead actress had her melons 🍒 out a few times and she didn't use a double 😩👀.

pu7pl3:
Ah ah, so what was all the praise for?

Beats me....could have sworn i was seeing a pornø, with how erotic it was and how shallow the character development and story was.

Anora (2024)

If the hype seems too good to be true, it probably is…

Ever since its screening at Cannes, Anora has been receiving high praise, touted as one of the movies of the year and even getting Oscar buzz. Naturally, I was excited when it finally arrived on digital this week. However, my joy quickly turned to disappointment after watching it.

The story follows a stripper who enters a whirlwind contract relationship with the son of a Russian oligarch, culminating in a marriage that the disapproving oligarch attempts to annul.

If this movie hadn't been hyped as one of the best of the year, I might have accepted it for what it is: a basic, run of the mill film. But no, the hype promised more. I kept waiting for something spectacular to happen, something to wow me. Yet, after the first act, it devolves into predictable clichés with no spark or originality.

Worse still, at a bloated runtime of over two hours, it felt like an eternity waiting for something to justify all the acclaim. But nothing did. Admittedly, the final scene was somewhat profound, but it only lasted about a minute, and by that point, the replay value had already plummeted to zero. I can’t imagine sitting through this again.

The second time i am falling for the Sean Baker ruse😩, one of those directors that would release any basic flick and get unnecessary high praise for no reason.
So, is this your average, overhyped film? Yes. Is it the masterpiece the buzz promised? Absolutely not.

5/10

BlackManta:
Same colour grading Gunn used in The Suicide Squad

The outdoor shots looks a bit weird.

The colour grading in TSS is basically an improved version of this, and if that is what Gunn is trying to replicate then there's no need to worry.

TSS is Gunn's best looking film imo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg5ciqQzmK0?si=4g4oHtxmNuwbhsRF

abduleez1:
Really don't see much issue with it. This is also very early into post production so it's definitely going to improve with six months left for touch up.

I remember people really angry with the very first poster and suit some months back....but with the recent poster it's generally been mostly positive and excitement.

As a motion designer, little technicalities like colour grading, hue, saturations etc piqued my interest instantly when i saw the teaser, but perhaps i was too critical with it, and i believe there are ample reasons why they've gone with this style. I just hope the finished product is good.

abduleez1:
Look Up!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6idXzZzbCQ?si=9II6XYawRVarEvLL

Teaser trailer tomorrow...

Hmmmmm....not a dig or anything but is it just me or does the color correction and general feel of this teaser look CW ishhh? 😩😬

phr0nesis:
Has it been moved to November?

lol...still July... edited now 😁

ProverbBaelish:
As they continue revealing details about Superman, it is getting me insanely hyped up plus folks who have seen the trailer are saying it is one of the best trailers they'v ever seen

I seriously don't envy James Gunn atm, The number of people that want this movie to fail far doubles those that want it to succeed. He has left himself a little wiggle room for failure, with the sheer passion and dedication he has put into the project.....

But this is such an Iconic character that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen and succeeding whilst at it.. Personally, I am hopeful enough that it will be decent, but cautious enough to know it might also go terribly wrong considering all the false starts DCEU has had in recent times..

But whatever be the case....I look forward to it.....11/7/2025.....#Lookup 🦸🏿‍♂️✨

The world is rift so much upheaval and uncertainties at the moment...only few joys left, and i wholly believe, seeing the "Docking Scene" on a giant 70MM IMAX screen is one of such joy left.....😩😩✨

abduleez1:
I see. Main reason I asked cos I noticed Nollywood been veering off PG content especially with them streaming releases.

What of THE TRADE? PG rated??

E be like say these kids go continue dey rewatch THE WILD ROBOT and LIGHTYEAR for the umpteenth time. 😤

Naah, The Trade is rated 16 +....lol some many cool animations come out these past few months, just curate those for them.

abduleez1:
Is this Nollywood praise I see??

Seems I'm gonna cop this one out this night. Since my pops been complaining they bored of my Hollywood content since they got this smart TV. 😅

Is it R rated or kid friendly cos kids them kids will most likely see this?? I find it easy to watch Nollywood content with people than alone (which is almost impossible).

lol Not that is was without it's flaws, but it was a good watch all round 😅.


And Hell No! It's definitely not for kids, they were some occasional graphic content.

iamoyindamola:
The graphics and makeup of this series is crispy clean
Especially the scene of the accident, Nollywood is improving

Too cleannn.
..reeks of big budget.