Mr. Vampire

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.

This film has to be one of the most entertaining of all time. There are great fight sequences and a great story and acting. The best part would have to be comedy. I've never laughed so much watching any film. Watch for the scene with the dead uncle and the perverted police officer. It is for me, the funniest scene ever filmed.

"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.

This movie has found its way into my collection, purely by accident, and stayed there for quite a long while till I finally found the chance to watch it .. The plot should be evident by now: the movie is basically about a 'master' specialized in dealing everything super natural and his two 'apprentices', tying to get rid of a powerful vampire .. There is also a nice sub-plot as a bonus, featuring a female ghost seducing its victims .. The movie is satisfying from the first moment till the last, never dragging too much in a certain scene, letting you watch the whole experience in awe .. The master is powerful and knowledgeable, the apprentices seem dumb nevertheless efficient in their work (with minor 'clumsiness/laziness' factor causing most of the accidents filling the whole movie) .. The support characters do their job well adding to the richness - they are mostly stereotypes but good ones at that .. The jokes were amusing and imaginative although most of them are slap-stick .. I can't comment on the fight scenes in particular (never been a fan but never been a hater) but I found them mostly intense with clever choreography .. The visual effects were not great but never failed to satisfy the viewer .. As a summary, I found this movie in the same league with A Chinese Ghost Story series, and to be honest enjoyed it more than that trilogy .. Also enjoyed it more than any of the Jackie Chan movies :) ..

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.