Category: Nollywood
Movie Title: Muri & Ko
Language: English
Duration: 1 hour 44 minutes
Release date: 2024
Streaming platform: Prime Video
Director: Biodun Stephen
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Cast: Kunle Remi, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilorin, Bisola Aiyeola, Fiyinfoluwa Asenuga, Femi Jacobs and Bucci Franklin
'Muri & Ko' is another Nollywood film that follows a familiar narrative thread of a thief, Muri, who steals a car with an 8-year-old boy, Cole, the son of a celebrity, in the back seat.
If you've seen 'Tokunbo', you'll immediately notice striking similarities between the two in terms of plot structure and character arcs.
While 'Tokunbo' is on Netflix, 'Muri & Ko' arrived on Prime Video earlier this month.
Many will wonder if 'Muri & Ko' brings something new to the table or if it is just another Nollywood production that should be avoided altogether.
'Muri & Ko' tells the story of Muri, a petty thief who has moved from pickpocketing to stealing car parts. One day, Muri steals a car carrying a little boy, Cole, whom he doesn't know.
Excited about the stolen car, he calls his friend and plans to sell it immediately. While driving to the place, Cole wakes up shocked to discover that the driver is not his grandmother.
Cole's grandmother reports the crime to the police and the search for Cole is delayed until the detective spots Cole's mother, Chidinma, his favourite reality TV star, whom he claims he had given his entire income to. The detective immediately begins the process of searching for the little boy.
As the minutes passed, the strained relationship began to improve. They resolved their differences and decided to make peace. Muri, who was trying her best to escape from the police, showed some kindness towards Cole as their bond grew stronger.
After several hours of searching for Cole without any positive results, Cole's parents offer 10 million naira in cash to whoever finds their son. Muri eventually escapes from the police until he reaches the buyer, a known thug who plans to kill him without paying for the car and kidnap Cole.
Luckily, Cole saves Muri from being killed by the thugs. The two escape from the thugs until Muri returns Cole to the police station.
Muri & Ko Character Analysis
Kunle Remi plays Muri, a petty thief who gets into trouble for stealing a car in which a celebrity's son is travelling. The idea of ​​his role in this film brings laughter because his look and acting are comical. Reno, who is known for his amazing acting, played a good role in this film as a comedy actor.
Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilorin, popularly known as Kiekie, also had a comical performance and as expected, she played her role as Muri’s girlfriend well. Her humorous tone gave a spicy touch to the film.
Bisola Aiyeola plays Chidinma, Cole’s mother. We all love Bisola to act in funny roles, but in this film it’s different; seeing her act as a struggling mother is great. However, she could have done better.
Fiyinfoluwa Asenuga has always been an exceptional child actor. Although his portrayal of Cole lacked depth in terms of these emotions, he was a great actor overall.
Review of the film Muri & Ko
The film, directed by Biodun Stephen, is a simple and predictable comedy-drama.
Watching this movie, it seems like Nollywood has completely run out of ideas and everyone wants to churn out movies without taking the time to develop and execute the story.
Although the plot is pretty simple, they did a poor job with the storyline; for example, Cole's grandmother forgot her grandson and was instead crying because a car was missing. Since the detective has a good eye for Chidinma, he immediately suspects that Banji, the father of her baby, kidnapped her son.
For a story as boring as this one, it would have been great if it had at least made the audience laugh out loud. Instead, 15 minutes into the film, the need to fast-forward was very strong, especially when it came to predicting the entire plot.
Aside from Remi, the performances of the other actors were below expectations, despite being acknowledged as good actors. Child actor Asenuga, who played Cole, would have been able to explore emotions of shock, anxiety and fear before establishing a bond with Muri.
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The bond between Muri and Cole was realistic and exciting to watch. Over time, you'll wish they spent more time together just having fun and exploring the area and local food.
Although this movie was neither intriguing nor memorable, the cinematography and makeup were good.
'Muri & Ko' is now available on Prime Video
Muri & Ko Verdict: 4/10