Geung see sin sang

Version: Cantonese, with English subtitles (by SBS)

I borrowed this, and several other movies, from a friend a couple of months ago. Most of these movies I'd already seen, except for this. I can't think of why I hadn't seen it: It had been taped from SBS, it was an action / horror / comedy from Hong Kong, and it was awesome.

The movie follows Master Gau (Ching-Ying Lam), a vampire hunter who discovers at a reburial that the corpse has turned into a vampire. Along with his two assistants, Chou (Siu-hou Chin) and Man Choi (Ricky Hui), Master Gau has to stop this vampire and any other demons, but Chou is being distracted by a succubus and Man Choi is turning into a vampire.

OK, I'll admit that the plot was rather confusing. The above is how I understood it, but who needs a plot when you have vampires, and kung-fu, and evil lady-demons who detach their own head for no apparent reason? I know I don't. Awesome. The martial-arts scenes are the best parts of the movie, but the horror / comedy sequences are still entertaining. Anyone interested in kung-fu movies should check this out for Siu-hou Chin's performance alone. The guy is incredible, and puts on some great fights.

9/10 - Anyone who is fan of Hong Kong action movies should check it out.

"Mr. Vampire" is bar none one of the most imaginative, entertaining, and creative stories ever committed to film. In this movie, Master Gau (Ching-Ying Lam), and his two bumbling students, Chou (Siu-hou Chin) and Man (Ricky Hui), deal with the awakened corpse of a man whose body has been buried inauspiciously. The hopping ghost goes on rampage through the town, killing several innocent bystanders. Add to this mix a bumbling cop who, under pressure to apprehend this heinous murderer, decides that one suspect is as good as another and arrests Master Gau. Throw in a ghostly romance and a zombie-on-zombie mêlée and you have one of the East's cinematic masterpieces.

Aside from the truly awe inspiring wire work, gymnastics, acrobatics, and martial arts displays, Mr. Vampire also gives us characters whose company we truly enjoy. In another refreshing turn, verbal wit plays as much a role in the humor of this movie as the Buster Keatonesque slapstick.

Buy it, rent it, do whatever you have to in order to see this. One viewing will hardly be enough.

One hundred out of ten - quite possibly one of the best of its genre and no doubt one of the best ever.

I do not lie.

This movie is perfect on every count. Its funny, clever, action packed, great musical score, thrilling, scary. You name it, its got it.

Everyone should see this movie. Lam Ching Ying is perfect (as usual) so go watch it now!

Lam Ching Ying stars as a Taoist priest who, along with his two bumbling students (Ricky Hui, Chin Siu-Ho), is called upon to help re-bury a rich man's father. On exhuming the corpse, he discovers that the dead man has become a vampire. Before long, the priest must do battle with the fanged terror (Yuen Wah), whilst simultaneously dealing with a beautiful female ghost (Pauline Wong) who has entranced one of his assistants (and is capable of detaching her head when necessary!).

Director Ricky Lau skillfully blends slapstick humour, acrobatic martial arts and the supernatural to deliver a seminal piece of Hong Kong comedy-horror cinema that would prove be a major influence on many films to come (including the brilliant A Chinese Ghost Story). A rather slow first half hour introduces us to the characters and sets up the basic plot elements; the rest of the film sees our hapless good guys first falling foul of the otherworldly creatures and then battling to set things right.

Less of a martial arts movie than a comedy, fans of fast and furious fight action will probably be disappointed, however those who love crazy Chinese humour (an acquired taste and one which I sometimes struggle with) will find plenty to enjoy as the gags come thick and fast (Ricky Hui is particularly funny as Man Choi, the assistant who gets bitten by the vampire and almost becomes one himself).

But by far my favourite part of the film is the stunningly captured scene which introduces viewers to the female ghost: in a mist enshrouded night-time forest, the supernatural seductress is carried by four spooky assistants, before gliding gently through the air to come to rest in a tree. Lovely cinematography accompanied by a haunting song make this a totally magical moment.

My second favourite moment is the introduction of the gorgeous Moon Lee as Ting-Ting, the rich man's daughter. With her impossibly cute features, Moon Lee is truly a delight to behold.

Although I enjoyed Mr. Vampire, I don't seem to be quite as fanatical about it as some. However, I do agree that, even if you're not a huge fan of Hong Kong cinema, with so much craziness and energy packed into its 96 minutes, this highly influential classic is well worth a watch.

This is a perfect example of how DVD removes barriers prohibiting wonderful movies, such as Mr. Vampire, from entering my living room. My viewing was enhanced because a friend from Singapore provided added commentary. Believe me, if you enjoy a good laugh, a little slap stick, a completely different view of the undead (vampires) and ghosts, well choreographed kung fu fight scenes and an overall fun movie, you won't need a friend from Singapore.

I hope the mention of slap stick doesn't misled, as the balance is perfect between comedy and seriousness throughout the 94 minutes of this movie. There are movies I've enjoyed watching once....this will be a repeater, many times over.