30 Days in Atlanta: AY Takes Comedy to Another Level but Needlessly Stretched

Comedian turned actor, Ayo Makun fondly known as AY after a successful television series titled AY Cribs, took his acting skills to yet another level with the release of a box office movie titled 30 Days in Atlanta which made a huge buzz around the country.

A 2014 Nigerian romantic comedy directed by Robert Peters, the movie which was shot on location in Lagos and Atlanta and premiered on October 31, 2014 was declared the highest grossing film of all time in Nigerian cinemas. However, the film was met with mixed to negative critical reception. Most critics noted that the comedy in the film is filled with clichés and stereotypes, and that the film seems like a remake of Kingsley Ogoro’s Osuofia in London which was shot in 2003, Funke Akindele’s Jenifa movie, or a hybrid of both.

The humor-filled story paints, in beautiful colours, the hugely popular and social media trending Akpos, a  character which was created from the AY Show’s Who Wants to Be A Billionaire hilarious skits.

Spiced up with lots of actions and hilarious moments, the movie opened with a crowded room where Majid Michael, the Master of Ceremony of an event, announced that Akpos played by Ayo Makun, the star of the movie, had just won a trip to the United States. He was to travel along with someone and he decided to go with his childhood friend and flat mate, Richard played by Ramsey Noah. They were to spend 30 days all-expense paid vacation in the United States. The movie continued with their preparations for the trip. In other to speak with their loved ones while in America, they sent a laptop equipped with Skype to the village, a decision that would complicate matters in the future.

It is pertinent to note that their arrival scenes are unbelievably well done. The shots were clean and they had access to a large part of the airport. That is the first time a Nigerian movie has such an access in an American airport. From their arrival, they were given a house to live in and they later went to hire a car. All the shots were well taken and it will give viewers a rich viewing experience. Though entertaining, the film was needlessly stretched. Instead of its 110-minute duration, it could have easily been done in 90 minutes or less and still have been effective. If that were the case, some scenes may have thankfully been omitted or shortened.

Lastly, I understand almost everyone loves happy endings. However, in a bid to fake a happy ending, I think the end of this film is a bit tasteless and hurried. The two women they were amorously engaged with throughout their stay in America surprisingly show up at the airport to catch their departing love interests. But even if that had to happen, at least it shouldn’t have been the two of them. One couple’s happy ending could have been settled elsewhere and the other at the airport.

Also, technically, the film was well done though there were some glitches here and there. For example, the audio was not good in the scenes where they went to visit their uncle, Wilson, who has a domineering wife. However, the rest of the movie was hitch-free. All the magic was put together by director, Robert Peters with the use of the appropriate props, setting amongst others.

In times of cinematic effects and use of standard equipment, it’s a 710.

Produced by: Ayo Makun aka AY
Directed by: Robert peters
Cast: Ayo Makun, Vivica A. Fox, Lynn Whitfield, Karlie Redd, Kesse Jabari, Richard Mofe -Damijo,Desmond Elliot, Rachael Oniga, Mercy Johnson, Ada Ameh, Yemi Blaq, Omoni Oboli, Juliet Ibrahim, Majid Michel, Ramsey Noah.
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 110 min.