Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story is a stylish remake of the 1995 original. Here, Ramsey Nouah directs a redo of a story centred on a young man, Ahanna who made up his mind to rob his way to the life he always dreamed of. Ahanna assembles a group called The Armadas with different skill sets to carry out a series of difficult heists but things take a quick U-turn and the gang suddenly finds itself surrounded by enemies.
Similar to the original, Ahanna (Stan Nze) is left to fend for himself after his father passes. Around this time, he finds out his mother and uncle have started a new life together. He, then, reunites with Amara (Osas Ighodaro) and Nzenuozo (Bucci Franklin), and together they conceive The Armadas, a gang with conflicting objectives.
This movie has good cinematography on its winning side and the overall visual quality is nearly outstanding. The casual use of the Igbo language in the movie creates a nostalgic feeling similar to the original film.
It also has good performances, which give it perks, like Bucci Franklin’s character as Nzenuozo. Off the top of the hat, he could be tagged as the most memorable because he brings the adrenaline rush that is a major part of the storyline.
Ahanna is also a memorable character. Stan Nze did a notable job in embodying the character adeptly. Osas Ighodaro (Amara) is one of the movie’s rays of sunshine; she does a decent job with the character she is given to play. Richard William’s scene where the movie was linked to Living in Bondage is also quite the crowd-pleaser and a fan favorite.
On the flip side, there are some places where this remake falls short. A major flaw is the inability to properly explain who The Armadas are and what they stand for. The show of superfluity in the movie would have been classy but it was a bit overdone. It felt as though it was being shoved down the viewer’s throats.
The script comes off as a bit underdeveloped because of the little effort put into character development. It also does not give room for characters to grow and harness their full potential. An instance of this can clearly be seen in Ahanna’s leap from a happy young man to a leader of a gang of robbers. That narrative is told haphazardly, it seems as though things are happening a little too fast in the movie. It feels rushed so it does not have time to register as it plays along.
Although this movie is not without its fair share of flaws, it’s an interesting and suspenseful remake. It’s a fun watch with its near-flawless cinematography.
Didi Dan-Asisah is an art enthusiast and critic. She lives in Lagos.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
