Lacklustre, lukewarm, rushed ends and a trail from authenticity —these are common pitfalls in Nollywood. Sometimes, the hopes of viewers are dashed after an intense and suspenseful build-up of plots.
Then, you wonder: How does one reach a ‘high staking’ climax and fall flat like it was just for the fun of it? Hijack ‘93 suffered this fate, especially because of its quick, rushed, and unsatisfying ending.
Hijack ‘93 sets its plot in the classic days to explore a riveting historical account of Nigeria’s 1993 hijacking incident that witnessed four young men take over a plane in a rather bold attempt to protest against the country’s interim government.
I have to say that I was initially sceptical of writing this piece, considering the tons of ‘bad reviews’ and uproar on social media like: ‘This is far from a historical piece!’ ‘Why are the scenes disjointed?’ ‘The dialogue was bland’ and ‘They couldn't even do their research properly to shoot a historical film.’
Largely, I agree with some of these stances with some lapses I captured while watching, too, but I cannot disregard that Hijack ‘93, regardless, touched on some poignant themes and sacrosanct lessons we should rather pay more attention to.
The historical film directed by legendary director Robert Peters is his first away from his usual comedy escapades. However, despite the criticism, Hijack ‘93 offers some forgivable consolation away from its deviation from authenticity and direction —on this, my review pegs its angle.
Plot of ‘Hijack ‘93’
31 years ago, precisely on October 25, 1993, four teenage boys, Richard Ajibola Ogunderu, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi and Kenny Rasaq Lawal, swallowed courage, boarded a Nigeria Airways flight from Lagos to Abuja, and their mission was simple—Hijack the plane, place all 193 passengers on hostage and demand a change of government.
True life pictures of the four teenagers that hijacked the plane in 1993 | Daily Mail UK
Revisiting history, that true-life premise is the drive for the Netflix-adapted film Hijack ‘93. The film opens with Mallam Jerry, played by Sam Dede, who is the leader of the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD), addressing his boys. He reminds them why they joined the movement and the need to fight to the end to reinstate their democratically elected president within 72 hours.
Four teenagers (hijackers), played by Adam Garba, Nnamdi Agbo, Oluwaseyi Akinsola and Allison Emmanuel, were picked by Mallam Jerry and sent on this bold and audacious mission.
Nnamdi Agbo, Oluwaseyi Akinsola and others who played the Hijackers in ‘Hijack ‘93 | Credit: X
As the film progresses, the suspense builds slowly until the boys take control of the plane. As the air hostesses, played by Nancy Isime, Sharon Ooja, Jemima Osunde and Idia Aisien, they cooperate with the hijackers to save the lives of passengers.
Panicked passengers wail over the boys’ sudden hijack and rebellious demands. However, there is a constant reminder that it is a revolutionary attempt to divert the flight from Lagos to Abuja to Frankfurt, Germany—this forms the goal of the hijackers. The stake of whether or not they will achieve this goal keeps viewers' interest locked through its painstaking two-hour-plus run time.
Reviewing ‘Hijack ‘93’ film
The popular phrase; the end justifies the means is probably the best analogy I find suitable to express how Hijack ‘93 rolled its credit to leave viewers like, ‘All this suspense just to end like this?’ —nothing hurts more, trust me.
However, it is pertinent to note that films are subject to diverse interpretations and critiques. It depends on how one chooses to see it in the end. For me, away from its flaws, I find its main characters’ performances remarkable —a little depth and development would have made a bigger impact, though.
Charles Okpaleke (Charles of Play) pulls a similar attempt like in his previous film, Blood Vessel, by starring new faces as the main characters while popular ones supported them. It was beautiful to see these faces —a testament to the yet-to-be-discovered raw talents in Nollywood. Nnamdi Agbo, who played Skipper, salvages Hijack ‘93 with his finesse acting and delivery.
One of the strengths of Hijack ‘93 is its ability to capture the emotional weight of the significant incident. Through its back storytelling techniques and social commentary, we empathise with the hijackers as ‘heroes’ in their own right despite the situation. They articulate their grievances, and we relate to their pain. These past experiences give us reasons to understand what drove them to join the MAD movement.
For lessons and themes, Hijack ‘93 highlights the class struggle and systemic injustice still rearing its ugly head in Nigeria. The film script attempts to balance the thrilling moments with poignant reflections on the consequences of political unrest. We see the themes of faith, love, family and tribal tolerance explored as well.
For props and costumes of scenes and characters, respectively, Hijack ‘93 didn’t do justice to its 1993 backdrop. Rather, what we see is a reflection of the contemporary late 2000s era. The attention to detail in this aspect could have added more depth and realism.
Exploring subplots sometimes requires skills not to lose coherence. Hijack ‘93 explored many subplots that contributed to numerous actions but didn't necessarily drive the story forward.
I could forgive some flaws, but you see, how the film ended is unforgivable. Like, why!? For a split second, I was numb and stuck with abject confusion after the credit roll. Is there going to be a sequel? Were they tired? I struggled to find a forgivable excuse for why the end was abrupt and unsatisfyingly rushed.
Hijack ‘93 shines beyond its authenticity and directing flaws to serve as a poignant reflection on Nigeria’s history, capturing the enduring quest for justice and democracy during the time. It also takes viewers on a reflective path, touching on the cyclical nature of violence and the importance of understanding historical grievances, especially with respect to recent ongoing social struggles in Nigeria.
Thank God for the privilege of previous historical coverage, in-depth research and newspaper archives that already exist to reference the significant incident of Hijack ‘93. The film is a rather fair attempt but not necessarily an authentic reference. It’s a 5/10 for me.
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