Despite its title, this is a supernatural film about the hunt for the missing titular relic and what happens while on the search for the item and the search for answers as to why it must be found.
Umadaga Village is in a crisis. The Sacred Sword, which was kept to protect its villagers from the evils of the nearby forest, has gone missing from its shrine. The village chief, Igwe Amandieneze, is now concerned and sends his best warriors to delve into the depths of the nearby forest to find the sword. However, what these warriors will soon discover why exactly the villagers are scared of the nearby forest.
As the band of warriors encounter the various spirits that plague the forest, some are duped into doing things that ultimately kill them. As warriors are being picked off one by one, Igwe finds an ally in Nwanyi Eke, a high priestess whose power may be able to counter that of the evil spirits. As Nwanyi goes into the forest and begins a battle of wits with Adoara, the Princess of the Forest, the remaining surviving warriors will do what it takes to find the sword. However, when they learn why the sword has went missing in the first place, the entire village will be in for total chaos.
This is the third experience with Nollywood cinema after seeing two action films, City of Dragons and its sequel, Dragon Warriors, which revolves around the drug trade. Here, this is the first of a two part supernatural saga with The King and the Sword as its conclusion. Nollywood cinema, for those unfamiliar with the term, in Nigerian cinema, which is always shot-on-video and like other cinema around the world, is slowly making its way to gaining a fan base, despite its cheesy productions. However, the love of cinema is what Nollywood is all about.
This film starts with the distressing news about the village’s sacred sword going missing and then begins the hunt from the get-go. Director Magnate Ngerem really did a decent job for its production value. However, the only issue is that the film doesn’t really get to pick up about 35 minutes into the film. It just seems like it’s a drag and despite the use of a traditional musical number in the film, the film just drags on and after the slow 35 minutes, the film starts to pick up.
Having only seen three Nollywood films so far, it is unclear to see if this is a trend, but what is it with the repetitions of the same lines? The character in this case is Nwanyi Eke, played by Florence Owanta. She keeps calling herself “the granddaughter of the spirits” and asks “who dares fight the wind” on a consistent basis even when it is unnecessary. It is as if she is trying to make her presence known in every scene she is in, but it gets to a point of annoyance. On the plus side when it comes to this character, her battle of wits against the forest princess does make for some pretty good computer effects that look better than some of the horror films today that decide to use CGI as well.
Action Sword is actually pretty decent for a Nollywood film. Just don’t expect much for the first half-hour and expect an annoying high priestess who just has to make her presence known to the point of annoyance. However, the special effects are a plus as they are better than some of the recent horror films that have been out on the straight to DVD circuit in terms of CGI.
WFG RATING: B-
A My Queen Movies/Q Productions Film. Director: Magnate Ngerem. Producer: Magnate Ngerem. Writers: Chizindu Elendu, Sarah Woke, and Magnate Ngerem. Cinematography: Magnate Ngerem. Editing: Ernest David Ernest.
Cast: Fabian Adibe, Queen Akuruka, Florence Owanta, Don August, Reginald Orlu, Morrison Okike, Jennifer Ibekwe, Magnate Ngerem
Click HERE to see this film in its entirety as Nollywood cinema channels have allowed viewers to see their films for free.
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