AllMovie

If one could see all the Italian crime films laid on a spectrum that started with the worst and ended with the best, A Man Called Magnum would be somewhere in the middle. The film is watchable for genre fans: there are a couple of well-choreographed and edited car-chase sequences, Luc Merenda makes a solid leading man, and the combination of slick photography and good location work lends the film a nice atmosphere. However, A Man Called Magnum ultimately fails to satisfy for story-based reasons. The script is all too formulaic, relying on clichéd characterizations and pro forma plotting without ever offering up any personalized take on these elements. Also, A Man Called Magnum clumsily tries to insert a lot of goofball comedy into the mix (mostly deployed through the character of Capece). These moments stick out like a sore thumb and frequently disrupt the tension that a crime thriller needs. In short, patient Euro-cult fans are the best audience for A Man Called Magnum because its mixture of formulaic action and awkward humor isn't likely to win it fans elsewhere.