The 2010 action comedy Who Killed Captain Alex? written, produced, and directed by Nabwana IGG in Kampala, Uganda’s ultra-low-budget Wakaliwood studio. It’s become famous online for being an extremely low-cost action flick.
The movie’s trailer debuted on YouTube in January of 2010 and had already amassed over 2.2 million views as of May of this year.
Due to power outages and “strained conditions,” the original version of Who Killed Captain Alex? lost; the version that has since released online features an English “Video Joker” commentary that adds running gags about the characters.
1. Plot
Uganda’s top soldier, Captain Alex, has tasked with eliminating the criminal organization Tiger Mafia, led by the nefarious Richard, who has been exerting underground control over Kampala.
After Richard’s brother taken prisoner by Captain Alex during a commando mission in Wakaliga, costing the lives of dozens of men, Richard vows vengeance. So that the Tiger Mafia can kidnap Captain Alex, he dispatches a female spy to the military base, where she will attempt to seduce him.
Later that night, Captain Alex is found dead in the tent after a scream heard from inside. However, no one knows for certain who killed him. Bruce U, the brother of Captain Alex and a Ugandan Shaolin Monk known for his exceptional kung fu skills, travels to Kampala in search of the killer.
As a result of his altercation with some temple martial artists, he introduced to the temple’s master. Bruce U begs the master to help him exact revenge, but the master refuses, insisting that martial arts best used to keep oneself in good physical shape rather than for acts of revenge or rage.
Frustrated, Bruce U leaves, but not before the master reminds him to bring cake to their next meeting. Bruce U wakes up after spending the night in a tree and immediately gets to work on his workout.
He builds a fire to cook some fish and discovers a woman lying in the grass nearby. Apparently one of Richard’s wives, Ritah, has amnesia after being shot by Richard (Richard has so many wives they expendable).
Without Alex to inspire them, the Ugandan military has trouble coming up with a strategy to capture Richard. But by studying a map of Uganda, they able to locate a jungle region that led directly to the location of the warehouse where Richard thought to be hiding. On the other hand, Richard orders his Russian subordinate Puffs to steal a military helicopter and drop bombs on Kampala.
Bruce U taken by the Tiger Mafia as Puffs causes havoc in Kampala with the helicopter. In the warehouse, Bruce U finally meets Richard, who orders Puffs’ hit men to ambush him so that the two can finally settle their score.
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Nonetheless, Bruce U challenges all of them at once, until he defeated by one of the assassins’ kickboxing style. Meanwhile, military forces rapidly advance on the warehouse, forcing the Tiger mafia to make a hasty retreat.
Once the Ugandan military locates Richard, a massive action sequence involving numerous helicopters, dozens of explosions, and countless casualties unfolds. After a long ambush, Puffs killed by a chain reaction.
And Richard is overpowered to the point where he injured and arrested while threatening vengeance. However, as martial law implemented in Uganda, no one will ever know who killed Captain Alex.
2. Cast
- Captain Alex, Uganda’s top soldier, is played by Kakule William’s character.
- Sseruyna Ernest plays Richard, the most ruthless criminal in Uganda.
- Bruce U, the greatest Kung Fu master in Uganda, is portrayed by Bukenya Charles, Captain Alex’s brother.
- starring Nakyambadde Prossy as Uganda’s top amnesiac, Ritah
Natasha, played by Faizat Muhammed, is Uganda’s top gangster character.
- Meet G. Puffs as Puffs, the top Russian mercenary in Uganda.
- Kaggwa Bonny is the most interesting supporting criminal in Uganda.
- Uganda’s best supplementary character, Babirye Ssekweyama’s Vicky, is underutilised.
- The best Ugandan strategist is Bisaso Dauda, also known as Rock.
- Tom (Mussi David), the best fill-in supporting actor from Uganda, doesn’t get a lot of screen time but is still fantastic.
- Ssebanja Ivan, also known as Master, is a great baker and educator in Uganda.
- Uganda’s top storyteller, VJ Emmie, as “Video Joker” (voice only).
3. Production
The movie only cost around $200 to make. In the slums of Nateete, production started in the later part of 2009. Nabwana IGG, or Isaac Godfrey Geoffrey Nabwana, influenced by his early exposure to Hollywood action movies and martial arts films.
After Nabwana and his brother chased by a helicopter during the Ugandan Bush War, he based some of the film’s scenes on his own experiences. In January of 2010, Nabwana shot the film and used a computer he pieced together to edit it.
The machine shop next to Nabwana’s house fashioned the film’s props and camera equipment out of discarded metal. The performers dressed themselves; one given a mask to allow him to play multiple roles in a single scene.
To create the effect of gunshot wounds, Nabwana had condoms filled with red food colouring and tied to fishing lines, then taped to the actors’ chests. Previously, he had used cow blood, but had to switch to this method after one of his actors contracted tetanus.
An instrumental version of Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose,” performed on panpipes, plays intermittently throughout the movie.
Final Words
Who is responsible for the death of Captain Alex? has sold over 10,000 legitimate DVDs in the country of Uganda, and an estimated 10,000 illegal copies.
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The official trailer for the film, which posted to YouTube on January 30, 2010, has amassed over 3 million views. On March 1, 2015, the film posted to Wakaliwood’s YouTube channel, where it has racked up more than 2.4 million views to date.
Who is Responsible for Captain Alex’s Death? praised by reviewers and viewers alike for being endearingly “so bad it’s good,” despite its flaws. After the movie’s release, a line from it turned into a popular internet joke.