The Kujus Again, by Biodun Stephen, is currently showing and setting box office records.

The comedy-drama has made nearly 17 million since its April 21, 2023, theatrical release. This has led to the movie having this year’s largest opening weekend for a Nollywood production.

The Kujus Again tops the domestic box office charts for Nollywood films, followed by Domitilla: The Reboot with 34 million and Maniac in third with 1.5 million.

The film, which was directed by Biodun Stephen, is a follow-up to ‘Introducing The Kujus’ (2020), which recounts the realistic tale of a young woman’s love for her family and how this love brings her family back together.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Kujus Again: Interesting sequel that lives up to promise

When “Introducing the Kujus” was released last year, it got mixed reactions and received accolades for delivering a healthy dose of family comedy-drama. Then, fast forward to the announcement of a sequel, which caused a bit of tension among viewers because, if there is a common fact about many sequels, they lack the magic of the first.

Fortunately, The Kujus Again is a beacon of hope that makes it possible to believe that sequels can be better. They can overshadow and make up for the mistakes of the original.

With the addition of famous musical icon Don Jazzy, ‘The Kujus Again’ follows everyone’s favourite problematic yet loving family, the Kujus. Last time, we watched them unleash drama at a five-year memorial for the family’s matriarch, but this time, they struggled to organise a traditional wedding ceremony.

One would expect that with a great storyline, such as planning a wedding party, The Kujus would again check all the boxes on what it takes to be a blockbuster. However, its filler scenes, cringy dialogue, and unbelievable plot twist make it slightly below par.

Now, this doesn’t negate the sequel’s good quality. Compared to the first, there is a noticeable growth in scripting, cinematography, and, most significantly, acting performances.

The Tea

We open with the Kujus having a mini party where Mauyon (Kunle Remi) and Lily (Sophie Alakija) announce their engagement. A little misunderstanding ensues among the siblings, causing everyone to leave early. Before bed, Lily begs Mauyon to allow his family members to plan the wedding. She hopes this will mend their differences, thus bringing them together.

Mauyon and Lily relay this new development to their family members, who excitedly jump at it. Maugbe (Timini Egbuson) and Chuks (Folaremi Agunbiade) are in charge of the venue; Mausi (Bisola Aiyeola) is in charge of food; and Maupe (Ronke Odunsanya) is partnered with Lily’s obnoxious brother to select Aso Ebi.

From the interaction, we get to know the aftermath of the events from the last movie: Ebi and Chuks have broken up, Mausi left Otunba, Mautin (Femi Jacobs) and Pamela (Mimi Onalaja) now have a daughter, and Maugbe runs a bar.

Except for the apparent enmity between Lily’s brother and Mausi, everything appears to be going smoothly until Maugbe and Chuks make a grave mistake.

Despite no longer being a part of the family, Otunba (Chris Iheuwa) sends his driver, Barry (MC Lively), to deliver an ATM card containing five million to the family. After collecting the card, Maugbe and Chuks are in a dilemma when they need help recalling the previous day’s events.

Upon realising that the card is still with them, they pay for the hotel rooms and hall for the wedding. Unfortunately, the card is maxed out. This causes Maugbe and Chuks to embark on a quest to find the missing money.

Meanwhile, Mausi bumps into a man (Don Jazzy) who is into her. Following her encounter, she receives gifts, thinking they’re from Otunba.

Everyone is soon aware of Maugbe and Chuks’ mistake as they are indirectly asked to leave the hotel’s premises. Efforts to reach the guys are futile as they have been kidnapped by a certain Don, to whom they owe money.

The boys escape and narrate everything that happened to their family. They remember using the money to bet at a casino.

When the wedding appears to be going downhill, a love interest swoops in and saves the day.

The Good

Let’s start with the acting performances. Everyone brought their A-game, which is expected as many of the actors have gone on to feature in several movies after introducing Kuju. There was noticeable growth, especially in Sophie Alakjia, as she sells the character of Lily to the viewers.

The jokes in the film also achieved their goal; they were funny. The scriptwriter does a great job with the dialogues; they are comedic and leave us wanting more.

Based on the captivating cinematography, Kuju Again optimises its resources to create a world that makes viewers want to be a part of it so badly. As a Gen-Zer, everything looked good, whether the lighting or location.

The Bad

It felt like it dragged on a lot. And by “it”, we mean the movie. There are pretty several scenes that exceed their purpose. For example, the reception scene went on too long; it even had one or two characters repeating dialogue.

The unrealism of some events is another issue with the sequel, as several gaps exist in the plot. In the beginning, we are made to believe that Maugbe and Chuks have no memory of

what happened the previous night, but there is no logical reason to prove why that happened. In the flashback, we saw they were neither drunk nor drugged when betting.

Final Verdict

7/10. The Kujus Again reminds viewers of the importance of family and lives up to the comedic potential promised.