Pulse Movie Review: Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons is a brilliant mix of powerful casting and relatable humour

Now this is a movie that blends humour, action and romance that will leave you hooked.

In English folklore, Merry Men is the name of the outlaws who follow Robin Hood and help him in the mission of redistributing wealth- stealing from the rich and given to the poor- across England.

Showbiz mogul and popular comedian AY Makun has taken this name to be the title of his latest movie 'Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons'. As a nod to the original name, this movie is about a group of dashing, eligible bachelors who make it their mission to steal from Nigeria's corrupt elite and give back to the poor.

These merry men are Ayo Alesinloye (played by the ageless Ramsey Nouah), Naz Okigbo (played by Nollywood's original bad boy Jim Iyke), Remi Martins (played by 2-time AMVCA winner Falz the Bad Guy) and Amaju Abioritsegbemi (played by Nigeria's own Kevin Hart AY Makun).

 

Set in the capital city of Abuja, these four rich men bed powerful women, get contracts from the political elite, steal from the rich, give to the poor and have sex with the hottest women in town. Damilola Adegbite who plays the role of an EFCC agent is an auxiliary member of the Merry Men.

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The Merry Men face their biggest challenge yet when they have to go against a notorious and corrupt politician who plans on demolishing Garki village to build an ultra modern shopping complex.

For this band of outlaws, this demolition plan is personal because Ayo Alesinloye considers Garki village his home. The four merry men are now involved in a high stake operation to stop the powers that be from crushing the poor.

 

Tucked inside this storyline are other subplots that include love stories (don't worry we won't spoil it for you) and a lot of sex appeal from both the male and female characters. Also, it features a street race between featuring two Mercedes Benz exotic cars and what is there not to like about that.

Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons showcases AY Makun's uncanny ability to brand and market his movies. You cannot deny this. It has been one of the strengths of his successful career. He also shows how proper casting can make a movie larger-than-life.

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Apart from the strong lead cast, Nollywood veterans such as Ireti Doyle, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Segun Arinze, Francis Duru and Jide Kosoko feature in the movie. Their experience help to hold down the movie and move the story line when it threatens to become sluggish. Apart from their expertise, casting these vets will ensure that people troop to the cinema to watch their bankable faces.

Yoruba star actress Fathia Balogun, AMVCA winner Samuel Ajibola, Northern powerhouse Ali Nuhu and other notable faces pop up in the movie.

Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons is peppered with comedic punchlines and humorous scenes to leave you reeling. With a dose of sex, exotic cars and opulence, AY Makun has another hit on his hands.