We've all heard of what happens when other countries attempt their takes on popular American culture. Usually they'll take the source material and throw it into a blender of the nation's typical fare and wind up with something below par. This can range from absurdly awesome (The Japanese Spider-Man has a giant robot) to unappealing and bizarre (The Man Who Saved The World literally recycles clips from Star Wars). But a few of these have an excuse: usually the country in question is underfed in the first place, and spending tons on a film would only be as good as burning the cash. This is where Nabwana Igg comes in.
Igg lives in Uganda, one of the currently poorest countries in the world. People there don't have the money needed to produce and finance a full-blown spectacle. Igg, armed only with 200 dollars and a small crew, managed to complete an hour-long film complete with special effects and action. Even if I were to talk down on the film, the budget and it's result alone is astounding.
I don't care for this film as much as I respect it's cast and crew. Working on a budget can be troublesome, especially in a poor and needy country. But Igg pulled through, and now we witness his first feature film in all of it's messy glory.
For a cheaply-shot film, the effects are decent, although the helicopters are less than convincing. The fight scenes are surprisingly well-done. Nothing Jackie-Chan like, but alright.
The film also introduces a feature new to film: the Video Joker. The Video Joker functions similar to one of the cast members of Mystery Science Theater 3000, poking fun at the film and characters, but permanently placed in the film. It's alright, definitely interesting, but it does take some of the tone out of the heavier and more violent scenes.
While I definitely wouldn't go as far as to call it a good film, or even a disaster, it's a special kind of movie, that I'll admit. It takes a lot of determination to follow a dream on a short budget, and Igg did it the best he could. I'm looking forward to whatever he can do with more funds. This is already looking better than some of the films I've reviewed, and for less than 1/10000th of the price.
OVERALL RATING: 6/10
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Yes, this film gets a mediocre rating. As lackluster and typical as the plot is, and as laughable as some of the effects are, the budget was stretched and worked to create something alright. It's not a film I like as much as admire from the crew's dedication and the results of limited funding.
If you want to support Nabwana Igg's next film venture and help it gain a larger budget, visit his website and donate. We may be witnessing the rise of a low-budget director like the next Kurt Russel. I mean, Kurt Russel BEFORE Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
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