There is something about four wealthy, handsome men with expensive cars, beautiful women and absolutely no intention of living a quiet life that already tells you trouble is coming.
Merry Men, the Real Yoruba Demons follows Amaju played by Ayo Makun, Ayo played by Ramsey Nouah, Naz played by Jim Iyke and Remi played by Falz, the four Abuja bachelors who have built a reputation around money, women, confidence and the kind of lifestyle that makes people wonder exactly what they do for a living but underneath all the partying and womanising is another side to them. They use their connections and resources to take from corrupt people and help those who need it.
That Robin Hood angle is probably what makes the movie more interesting than just watching four men show off their wealth.
The real story began when their lifestyles puts them on a collision with powerful political interests. A corrupt politician wants to demolish a village to make way for a shopping mall, and the Merry Men decided that they are not going to sit back and watch that happen and this was where the movie became a mixture of comedy, action, romance, schemes and a little bit of social commentary.
Amaju, Ayo, Naz and Remi each brought a different energy to the group. Ramsey Nouah carried the smooth, composed charm, Jim Iyke brought the confidence and swagger, Falz added his familiar comic personality, while AY played the more playful and outspoken member of the group. The supporting cast is also packed with familiar faces like Damilola Adegbite, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Iretiola Doyle, Jide Kosoko, Rosaline Meurer and Nancy Isime, among others.
What I particularly enjoyed about the movie is the chemistry between the four men. Their friendship feels like the engine of the movie. They tease each other, compete with each other and still manage to show up when it matters but if I'm also being honest, the movie has its own problems and fault.
There are moments when it feels like the filmmakers had too many ideas and decided to put all of them into one movie. Some characters didn't contribute much to the actual story, and some scenes feel more like opportunities to display luxury, beautiful locations and celebrity appearances than moments that move the plot forward. Critics also pointed to the movie's lack of narrative coherence despite its slick production.
Still, I wouldn't call Merry Men a waste of time. It knows the kind of movie it wants to be and that's the loud, stylish, funny, unserious at times, and how it was built around larger-than-life characters. It is not the kind of movie I would watch expecting a deeply layered storyline. I would watch it for the chemistry, the humour, the action, the ridiculous situations and the simple satisfaction of seeing four privileged men decide to use their influence for something bigger than themselves.
Directed by Toka McBaror and running for about 1 hour 46 minutes, the 2018 movie became the first instalment of the Merry Men franchise. For me, the biggest question the movie leaves behind is not whether these men are actually “demons.”
It is whether people who have everything can still choose to use what they have to make life a little better for people who have almost nothing and sometimes, that is enough of a reason to watch.
I'll be dropping my 🖊️ here on the movie review.
Thanks for reading through 🤗
All images are for the movie
