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.

I'll say this right now. I'm not a fan, or a follower of kung fu movies, Chinese or otherwise.

That being said, this movie is incredible. It is a perfect blend of slapstick physical comedy, one liners, martial arts, and Chinese superstition. Mr. Vampire is genuinely funny, but not at all in a campy "So bad it's good" way at all. Fight scenes are good and often amusing, but are not the focus of the film.

Some people despise dubbing in foreign films. Having watched both subtitled and dubbed, I'd say the dubbing is funnier. For a complete laugh riot with the DVD, watch both. the jokes made in both versions are quite different, and seeing the way the two interpretations differ is funny in and of itself. The mood of some scenes are distinctly different.

All in all, the film is spectacular. Anyone who likes physical or witty humor which is snappy (but not cheap) should watch Mr. Vampire. Fans of Most Extreme Elimination Challenge will love the dubbing especially.

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.

"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 :) ..