'Kaleidoscope' - new images, forced script

The movie version of "Kaleidoscope" (directed by Vo Thanh Hoa) has a new color with a Gen Z cast, but has a forced content about friendship.

The work was released 20 years after the TV series (directed by Nguyen Minh Chung) and caused a stir, becoming a childhood memory for many audiences. In the theatrical version, Vo Thanh Hoa chose slices from two volumes of stories. Get compensation from Frangipani and Ghost by writer Nguyen Nhat Anh, many details are variations compared to the original script.

The film opens with the present life of three close friends - Quy Rom (Ngoc Trai), Tieu Long (Vu Long), and Nho Hanh (Anh Dao). In their 30s, they have put aside many childhood ambitions due to the pressure of making a living. Quy Rom is unemployed, stays at home as a housewife, and takes care of his young children. Tieu Long struggles with his office work, with sales not meeting targets. Nho Hanh is diligently writing children's stories, but the publisher thinks they are out of date.

Meeting at the Tu Do school, the three reminisced about their last summer vacation in 2004. The three main teenage characters (played by Hung Anh, Nhat Linh, and Phuong Duyen) went on a trip to Tieu Long's hometown. The group of friends had conflicts with the leaders of the Upper and Lower hamlets such as Tac Ke Bong and De Lua, and had to fight to compete, thereby learning patience. At the same time, the legend of the ghost on Cat Co hill attracted curiosity, causing the group of friends to plan an investigation. Overall, the film's content focuses on the value of friendship and perseverance in pursuing dreams.

The scene where Quy Rom, Tieu Long, and Hanh meet each other as adults in "Kaleidoscope". Video : Provided by the film crew

For those who have watched TV shows, Kaleidoscope The film version has some nostalgic details. Many scenes are inspired by the original story, such as Quy Rom still holding the trophy - which was the prize of the trio in the code-breaking game with the Wild Cat and Seagull groups in episode Amateur detective . Or a character mentions the famous nickname "poet Binh Minh" of Quy Rom, in episode fly poet

Familiar lines and details from the old version are recreated, such as Tieu Long's saying "sit down, have a drink, eat a piece of cake", or Hanh's clumsiness. Melody Catch the sunshine - the song in the TV series, renewed by Luong Bich Huu's voice - resounds at the end of the film, evoking a nostalgic feeling.

The film has eye-catching, bright images when depicting village life in the mid-2000s. The director used many aesthetic shots to bring the Phu Yen countryside to the big screen, such as the scene where a group of friends look at the hills from above, and the fly-cam shot when the characters cross the dam. The scenery and props are also part of the crew's efforts to bring viewers back to the scene 20 years ago. That is an old TV showing a Cai Luong play. Headless Queen , or three thousand dong an hour internet cafe.

The biggest drawback of the film is the unconvincing script. To increase the climax of the work and create a difference from the TV version, the screenwriter created a situation where the group of friends had conflicts. Nho Hanh and Tieu Long wanted the group to enjoy the trip as a beautiful memory for the final summer of high school. Later, both discovered that Quy Rom took this opportunity to do a writing contest, with the purpose of winning a prize, so they turned to blame him. Quy Rom explained that he wanted to win the contest because out of the three people, only he had not won any trophy.

However, this detail is not strong enough to create drama for the film. The scene where the group of characters quarrel, cry, and decide to "go their separate ways" is awkward and difficult to evoke emotions. Another scene is also exaggerated, when Quy Rom rides his bike through the fields, over the hills, chasing the bus carrying Hanh and Tieu Long to apologize to his two friends.

The scene where Tieu Long fights in the movie. Video: Provided by the film crew

With a duration of 120 minutes, the film feels lengthy due to its content. Meanwhile, many situations are resolved hastily, such as the mother and son of Gecko understanding each other better after just one sentence from Hanh. Regarding the dialogue, many characters' conversations are still textbook-like, lacking the color of everyday language. Watching the screening on the evening of December 26, audience member Nguyen Binh (HCMC) said he was disappointed because the film had many "mistakes", the dialogue lacked reality, and the film's flow was disjointed.

The acting roles of the three main faces in the Gen Z age group are not equal. The director focused many important scenes on Quy Rom and Tieu Long, while Hanh did not have a "key" scene. Therefore, Phuong Duyen appeared more obscure than Hung Anh and Nhat Linh, only remembered through the scene depicting her preference for beef noodle soup or her clumsiness, breaking dishes. In the two original stories, the character Hanh did not appear, so the screenwriter had to think of more details to include in the movie version. The three main actors in the TV version only appeared at the beginning and end of the movie, sending a message of pursuing and conquering dreams.

From right to left: Anh Dao, Ngoc Trai, Vu Long - acted in TV series - reappeared in new version. Photo: Thanh Huyen

Vo Thanh Hoa said it took him four years to develop the idea for the film. The director did not put much pressure on surpassing the previous version because he wanted to create his own version, aimed at a young audience. In response to comments comparing the new trilogy to the TV series, he said he chose the actors based on the original story, rather than basing it on the criteria of the previous work. "Although it was my first time acting in a movie, the actors convinced me with their focus on work and love for the characters," he said.

Kaleidoscope is a series of novels written by Nguyen Nhat Anh in the 1990s and 2000s. The series consists of 54 volumes, revolving around the joys and sorrows of students, mischief, and meaningful life lessons. The story consists of three characters: Quy Rom - a math, physics, and chemistry prodigy at Tu Do School, Tieu Long - a second-degree black belt Taekwondo student with a chivalrous personality, and Hanh - the "electronic brain" of the group, who loves to read, is gentle, and patient.

In 2004, the TV version directed by Nguyen Minh Chung and Do Phu Hai was aired, creating a fever. The actors Ngoc Trai, Anh Dao, and Vu Long later became popular faces, sought after by many directors.

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