Movie Title: Wives On Strike 2: The Revolution
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cast: Omoni Oboli, Toyin Abraham, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Uche Jombo, Sola Sobowale, Ufuoma McDermott, Kenneth Okonkwo, Kalu Ikeagwu, Hafiz “Saka” Oyetoro, Julius Agwu, Chioma “Chigul” Omeruah, Odunlade Adekola
Director: Omoni Oboli
“Wives On Strike 2: The Revolution” begins with a different set of circumstances from where the previous instalment left off. After Mama Beatrice is murdered and her body hidden, a group of friends consisting of Ejiro/Mama Ngozi (Oboli), Jemima/Madam 12:30 (Jombo), Mama Bola (Abraham) and Mama Amina (McDermott) decide to enlist the help of a vigilante friend to uncover the cause of death. After being kidnapped and tortured, Mama Beatrice’s husband confesses to the murder, and is handed over to the police.
Elsewhere, Joy (Chigul) is at the receiving end of constant battering at the hands of her husband (Adekola), while Vera (Akpotha) is trying to get over the discovery of her husband’s cheating. The association of women, led by Iya Dami (Sobowale), gives the Lagos state government an ultimatum to look into their needs, or risk another “strike action”. The government calls their bluff, and the women nationwide “close up shop”, leaving their husbands with blue balls.
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The movies explores various societal issues, including domestic violence, marital infidelity and abuse. The 95-minute clip also makes room to discuss leadership opportunities for women, girl child education, patriarchy and spousal support.
Toyin Abraham dazzles in her role as the less educated of the quartet, with her brand of unforced humour making for a lovable watch. Omoni Oboli has always attracted divided opinion about her acting prowess, but she does surprisingly well here, with her particularly ear-catching use of pidgin English. Uche Jombo does not have much to do but barely puts a foot wrong, Sola Sobowale takes on a more serious and less dramatic role but performs nonetheless, while Ufuoma McDermott gets lost in the scenes as she fails to own her space.
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The men in this movie bear little significance to the plot, and consequently, are treated as such. They offer virtually no bearing to the audience’s journey, and except for a few slapsticks moment from Saka, they could have as taken up non-speaking roles. Kenneth Okonkwo seems out of place as a mechanic husband, and it is unclear whether Julius Agwu is trying so hard to be serious.

The film itself generates genuine giggles and chuckles, but stumbles in trying to execute the plot. It feels a tad disjointed, and for a moment it feels that the director is so caught up in the story of Mama Ngozi and her friends, then suddenly remembers that the fate of Joy’s abuse and Mama Beatrice’s killer has not been resolved, and goes on to patch up the missing scenes. There is also undue emphasis on sponsors and brands, and somewhere in the middle, everything fades into drab speeches about worthy causes and social messages, before slowly picking up again.
“Wives On Strike 2: The Revolution” is bedeviled by clichés, but that does not make it any less watchable. It is a good, if not great, vehicle for conveying an all-important message on women’s rights, and while you don’t have to rush to the cinemas for it, you won’t necessarily be brooding and asking for a refund if you do.
Rating: 6/10

Jerry Chiemeke is a lawyer and freelance writer who lives in Lagos. An amateur photographer and sports enthusiast as well, Jerry’s works have appeared on Blanck Digital, Elsieisy, Oshodi.tv, The Kalahari Review and Brittle Paper. He is the author of ‘The Colours In These Leaves’. Get the book Here 
You can follow him on Twitter @J_Chiemeke, and also check out his craft on his blog at pensofchi.com