Magnum 578

Just watch the film on Netflix, didn't watch it in the cinema lol (because I didn't know about it).

The action, scenes are quite amazing compared to other action films I've watched before. The story is simple (I wish it could be more mysterious thing to solve in the next chapter). The editting is extrordinary, I guess. Never seen that editting in any other Vietnamese before, it's quite interesting but some scenes make me so confused because I don't know that is reality or flashback.

Anyway, I recommend for you to watchthis film on your weekend if you want to watch something simple but still attractive, or you want to relax a bit.

The little daughter of an ex Special Forces Soldier is kidnapped by a pedophile human traficker. So far that sounds like a good enough plott for a decent action movie, you think!? Well, unless that Special Force Soldier doesn't even think about picking up a gun to free his kid - but instead fist fights his way through the whole damn movie, not killing any of the opponents on the way. Somehow it seems they forget to include the classicsl szene whete the ex sildier takes out gis secret stash if wespons to clean iut the bad guys. In some countries this movie is titled 578 Magnum. Which is especially funny since the main charakter doesn't pick up no gun throughout the whole film! Every now and then while watching this flic I couldn't help but feel that sone pages of the script went missing while filming. Sometimes the story jumps back and forward and leaves one clueless about what's actually going on. People appear without any explaination of who they are or why they are there. Like, for example, that scene where that female fighter appears to save the Special Force guy and his kid, after he tried once more to take up a fistfight battle with an whole army of bodyguards.

Actually I really liked the actors, unfortunately they couldn't make up for the lack in writing and Directing. The Skript really can't keep up with productions like The Equalizer , The Night comes for us, or Shadow Strays. If you like to see a good action movie better watch one of those instead. This one really can't deliver.

I watched this movie alone in theater. I decided to watch it after seeing so many article about how good/ how smart and also how bad this movie is. People seems to have a lot of discussion about it.

What a big mess from news to know exactly this movie is good or bad. And this movie surprised me cause it is a really good one for me. Eventhough it is an action film but I love the big message here: family, love, and protection. Here we have two fathers confront to protect their child but at the end love is right but the way we express it seems to be wrong. I also like the way they delicately bring out the society issue of children assaulted.

I mean there are so many things to talk about this movie: story, actors, music, beautiful frames, the rythm of the story and action scenes. When watching this movie, I can clearly recognize the diretor's style and I have to say it is totally different from other VN director. For me, he has built his own film style. This one is consistent from his debut "Father and Son" to this movie. And eventhough his style is different but somehow when watching the movie you can feel it represents for the place where it come from. It is so Vietnam in the breath, in the beautiful landscape, in some small details of traditional game.. these elegant minor things.

So I wanted to write my thoughts here cause I want to support the director and the team for making this movie. There are always love and hated at a same time toward a thing and obviously a movie. Just please keep the good things to go forward, if there is any ungood things, fix them and still go forward. Cheers to you guys!

The story seems to be simple but actually has many layers of meaning. In the first 20 minutes, you might not understand immediately what is going on and have to take guesses. And as the movie goes on, everything will be unfolded gradually. It made me impatient sometimes but I found it to be quite an interesting way of telling the story. Because it's quite boring for me if the story is too easy and predictable.

Other than that, the movie is massive compared to other Vietnamese movies so far. Not many VN filmmakers has the gut to do a movie in such a big scale like this. It also has a lot of action sequences and all of them are really impressive and unique. Respect to the director and the whole team.

Overall, the film is doing great job as an action film. The action is superb with 5 big action sequences, amazing sound and music. All the elements suport each other and when watching the film in the cinema, the feeling is great. Also the message and topic of the film is so meaningful, 578 is like a voice from the film-maker to against pedophilia and the film honors the sacrifice of the father - The father Hung in the film is willing to sacrifice everything to protect and take back the justice for his daughter. Great message after all.

This is an extraordinary action film in Vietnamese cinema. The reason I say that is because the film sometime looks like a Western movie. In a lot of scenes, I can see the artistic metaphorical details (like the dolls, the daughter's face in the ending scenes). But the film is also controvelsial as the editing the film-maker used here is "cross-editing" between the past and reality, therefore, so many audiences feels it's hard to understand the plot. Personally, I find it's quite interesting for that kind of editing.

However, I wish that the film could be better if the director (in some parts) could push the emotions even more.

I can feel the film crew is realy serious to make 578, well done.