Mr. Vampire

Personally, I think that everyone should see Mr. Vampire, if only so that they can claim to have seen a kung fu zombie comedy. But, in my opinion, this is almost more of a Chinese Ghostbusters with some kung fu sprinkled in than a kung fu movie, which was somewhat of a disappointment for me. The story is fun, fresh and full of more than just zombies (although I won't reveal any surprises). The action, when it occurs is fully justified, which is something I always like to see, and is choreographed quite well by Lam Ching-ying. The comedy is somewhat hit or miss, but it didn't bother me very much. I had a lot of fun but I came away wanting more action.

If you feel the same way, try Encounters of a Spooky Kind, which has all the zombies you love, but with more kung fu.

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.

The extremely polished production here may obscure one of the film's major virtues. This is pure ensemble movie-making, there are no "auteurs" or "artistes" here. The most recognizable actors in the film - Lam Chi Ying, Chin Siu-hou, Moon Lee, Wu Ma - turn in what were for them(at the time) very uncharacteristic performances, and do so splendidly.

In fact, there is no "star" here, these actors are all taking turns with extraordinary grace as characters who at best "bumble through", and at worst fumble like, well, pretty much like any average person faced with exceptional challenges (how often does one get saved from a rotting zombie by an amorous ghost?).

Despite the stunts, and regardless of its genre origins, this is not a"kung-fu" film, but a top-notch horror-comedy on a par with Polanski'sunderrated "Fearless Vampire killers" and superior to "Abbot & Costello meet Frankenstein" (which admittedly set the standard, after all). Two plus-values in favor of this film: It provides a lot of information about Chinese vampires, ghosts, and zombies (and their traditional remedies), but does so visually or casually, without the heavy-handed verbal explanation frequent in western horror films. And there is an incredibly haunting children's song (!) about a love-lorn female ghost that is wisely used over the closing credits and which is unforgettable. Indeed, the only weakness in the construction of the film is that we really want to know more about the broken-hearted ghost of the sub-plot than the vampire-centered plot allows. Fortunately, Ching Siu Tung apparently also noticed this, and devoted an entire three-film series to investigating the problem, the remarkable "Chinese Ghost Story" trilogy; but Ching Siu Tung is exactly the kind of "auteur" that would weigh a film like "Mr. Vampire" with intellectual burdens its "pure entertainment"-directed plotting simply couldn't bear. "Mr. Vampire" is not a "work-of-art-for-the-ages", but it is a lot of fun, and spooky to boot, and on that level works as really great movie making, regardless of genre or "ethnic origin".

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.

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.