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Jim Iyke stars as Oscar, a rich young man who must find his passport so that he can travel to the UK to see his ailing mother.
The arrogant protagonist enlists the help of his uncle (Jide Kosoko) and the semi-literate, street-wise Kopiko (Mercy Johnson) to locate the missing document.
I went to the cinema with an open mind as I did not even watch the trailer for this film directed by Dimeji Ajibola and produced by Vincent Okonkwo.
The major draw for me was the combination of Jim Iyke and Mercy Johnson; I was eager to see how they would play off each other and having seen Passport, I say it was a wise decision casting them in the lead roles.
As Oscar, Iyke once again gives off the vibe of the kind of character he is known for playing; arrogant, spoilt, and temperamental.
Oscar's pairing with the trash-talking loudmouth known as Kopiko (Johnson) results in unending clashes between the two, which is the movie's greatest strength as the comedy is what holds this rather mediocre film together.
Story-wise, Passport doesn't have a lot going for it. We have two people from opposite sides of life brought together.
Their shared experience working together teaches them some of life's valuable lessons and they find something neither of them expected.
While the above is good, the execution is something that has played out in Nollywood times without number.
Johnson's Kopiko character is perhaps the best thing about this film. The actress has comedy running in her veins and apart from the occasional jokes that don't land and the expected 'overacting', she steals every scene.
The antagonist is an interesting character, one I would have loved to see more of or have his backstory explored. Since comedy is the goal here, I guess that is easily forgiven.
The cinematography, for me, does not really measure up to what we see in Nollywood these days. Only a few aerial shots and one chase scene piqued my interest.
In the end, Passport was made to do one thing; make audiences laugh and have a good time. While its execution isn't outstanding, it does what it sets out to do thanks to its two leads.
