Sister Sister 3, Milk Cow struggles against blockbusters Godzilla, Ramayana
Last week saw a slate of film releases on November 6 featuring notable contenders going up against Sister Sister 3, including Flying Milk Cow, Godzilla Minus Zero, Ramayana: The Legend Begins, When the Reaper Rings, Puss in Boots, and Dark Paradise...
According to Box Office Vietnam data, Godzilla Minus Zero led the weekend box office, raking in 19 billion VND in opening revenue. The film secured around 2,000 screenings per day. Godzilla Minus Zero is receiving positive feedback from global audiences and critics alike thanks to its combination of top-tier VFX, grand scale, and human depth.
Ranking second is Sister Sister 3, which has grossed 105 billion VND after 10 days in theaters. The film has about 2,600 screenings per day. Given the current box office climate, Sister Sister 3 faces significant challenges in reaching the 150-200 billion VND milestones.
The film's appeal stems first and foremost from a high-profile cast featuring Ninh Duong Lan Ngoc, Chi Pu, Ky Duyen, Quoc Anh, Steven Nguyen, and veteran People's Artist Le Khanh. Additionally, elaborately invested visuals, complex romantic relationships, intense confrontations, and a series of sensitive details have helped generate media buzz.
Nevertheless, quite a few viewers expressed disappointment over the loose script, unconvincing character arc developments, and the overexploitation of steamy scenes. Notably, the film's perspective on love, marriage, and women's dignity also sparked debate.
Coming in third is Flying Milk Cow, grossing an 11 billion VND opening weekend. The film has about 2,100 screenings per day. Set in the 1990s, the story follows a dairy farm researching an exclusive milk formula capable of healing wounds, providing rejuvenation, and offering other special properties. To escape poverty, a group of workers decides to steal the formula—until Trau, the ringleader, develops a special affection for the creator of the milk recipe.
Fantasy elements are woven into the story through the special milk formula and the imagery of flying cows. This genre-blending helps the film escape formulaic storytelling, though it also somewhat disjoints the narrative flow. Notably, the image of cows lifting off the ground serves as a symbolic representation of the laborers' yearning to escape a suffocating reality. The healing and rejuvenating milk suggests faith in an opportunity to change their lives.
However, these concepts are not fully explored to their ultimate potential. The special milk formula initially plays a central role in the conflict, but as the story progresses, it fades into the background and has less impact on the plot development. Instead of utilizing this invention to deepen the conflict between individual and collective interests, the director shifts the focus to romantic relationships and comedic situations. This causes the film's pacing to dip somewhat in the middle, while the magical elements fail to develop adequately to leave a strong impression by the ending.
Trailing closely behind Flying Milk Cow is Ramayana: The Legend Begins, grossing 5.3 billion VND in opening weekend. The film has about 500 screenings per day. Based on the renowned ancient epic known to billions, Ramayana revolves around the clash between Rama (Ranbir Kapoor), a prince ready to sacrifice himself to save the world, and Ravana (Yash), an immortal king driven by hatred and ambition for power.
