Day of Destiny follows the story of two brothers, Chidi (Olumide Oworu) and Rotimi (Denola Grey), who travel back in time to change theirs and their family’s destinies.
To be honest, I struggled for a bit trying to pinpoint what exactly was wrong with the movie because daring to do something as different as this, in such an uncharted terrain in this industry, almost always ends one of two ways.
1) You make a lacklustre movie and everyone cheers because they have nothing to compare it with, or 2) You make a good movie and those who will like it or hate it respectively will do so.
When it comes to D.O.D, I consider it a mix of both. The story started well and progressed like that until heavy doses of “convenience” got thrown into the movie, ruining it, and making me start asking questions too early on in the story.
I seriously commend how true production was to the different points in time, all things considered. From the costumes to the way of life, the cars, and scenery, it showed enough of early 2000s Nigeria to make you reminisce and laugh at the satirical jabs at politics and the “changes our rulers had promised us.”
Olumide and the older, more experienced actors did their best to carry the weight of the movie, but there were some cast members that made me question why they were chosen for roles they clearly weren’t suited for.
Other times, it felt like the characters in the movie were overdoing it by trying to force humour in roles that would have been better off being serious. Even in scenes that really didn’t need it.
The CGI was okay enough to hide its flaws and the cinematography was good, even though I wish it had explored and showcased old Nigeria way more than it did. Sadly, for a movie about time travel, the visual effects were almost non-existent.
**Here’s the review from the person I watched it with: It’s a breath of fresh air as regards Nollywood, it’s something different from the norm. One thing I would commend is the cinematography, the quality of the movie is good.
The storyline is captivating. The actors were average and they could have done better. There were scenes that felt too extended. Plus I feel like Shaggi’s part was too extra, he could have slain that role being normal Shaggi.**
Is D.O.D worth watching? No, at least not in cinemas. It offers just enough to pass for a night’s entertainment at home, but not enough for the time, effort, and money required to watch in cinemas.