Storia di fantasmi cinesi 3

Following the great HK tradition of sequels, this is the third (and last) in line. Made four years after the original, it's not a bad film, with some big shoes to fill, but the storyline by now is predictable as. Also, only one person from the original cast! However Tony Leung is very charming as the monk who is finding himself falling in love, and Joey Wong is again ethereal as the ghost. Well, it's a fair attempt but the magic's gone.

If the movies are to be believed, Chinese ghosts are much prettier and more mischievous than their Western counterparts. The storylines of the three 'Chinese Ghost' films are largely identical, but the direction is excellent and the detail and colour is such that it's not a huge problem. As always, humour is an integral part of the film, accompanied, of course, by a great deal of mugging. For those who haven't encountered the 'Chinese GhostStory' trilogy yet, this film offers an interesting departure from the Western horror/ghost genre; for those who have, another enjoyable romp in the Chinese ghost world.

While essentially a remake of the original Chinese Ghost Story, this third installment has higher production values and greater subtlety in both the acting and the story. Tony Leung is particularly good. CGS III is a gorgeous, moving film.

This is the second sequel of the iconic and fantastic Hong Kong ghost fantasy, A Chinese Ghost Story. This time, Buddhist Bai Yun (Shun Lau) and his disciple Fong (Tony Chiu Wai Leung) try to transport a golden Buddha idol across town, getting themselves hounded by thieves and then taking shelter at the haunted Orchid Temple. There, Fong encounters Lotus (Joey Wang), a female ghost at the evil bidding of the Tree Devil (Siu-Ming Lau), awakened 100 years after the events of the first film.

This sequel's story is more in line with the original film, having a traveling leading male character meet a beautiful female ghost at the Orchid Temple, who's spirit is binded by the evil Tree Devil. But, this movie is still fresh nonetheless, with it having a fast-paced plot, chock full of crazy magic spells and action sequences, seductive and spellbinding female ghosts, hair-raising demons and non-stop adventures. There is also a touch of humor, drama and romance, following the tradition of the previous two films. The female lead is once again played by Joey Wang. Although a different character, the ghost she plays in this sequel is a touching throwback to the first film; Wang portrayed all three different characters from each of the three movies with ease, charm and uniqueness.

This film has another beautiful music score composed by James Wong and Romeo Diaz and crazy special/visual effects galore! The acting by another memorable cast was great, albeit a tad goofy sometimes. And, the breath-taking scenery and period costumes were a treat - very colorful and vibrant. Hats off to Producer Hark Tsui and Director Siu-Tung Ching for putting together such an awesome and timeless trilogy in all three films! Overall, this sequel holds up well on its own. Like the first sequel, this film does not surpass the original Chinese Ghost Story (some scenes are rushed, some drag on too long a bit), but is still very entertaining and fun - one of the greatest sequels I've seen.

Grade A

A superior monk defeats the monstrous Tree Demon, but notes that she will return in 100 years. Sure enough, 100 years later the ruined temple has turned into the haunt of ghosts who are all beholden to the Tree Demon. Another monk and his young disciple inadvertently find themselves in the temple as they shelter from a rainstorm, but the elderly monk senses evil and goes out to battle the Tree Demon. While alone in the temple, the young disciple is plagued by a beautiful ghost who wants to seduce him, but giving in to the temptation would destroy him as a monk, so he resists. Soon, the ghost and the young monk fall in love, but they must battle their own feelings as well as fighting the Tree Demon and her minions if they are to save their souls....

This is the third and final episode in a trilogy of ghost stories, and in essence it repeats the first film but with new characters. The Tree Demon is the same and there were monks and beautiful female ghosts in the earlier movies, but the beauty of this trio of films is their sheer wackiness - lots of flying people, martial arts moves, a mile-long tongue that is pretty gross, glowing Buddhas and snakes, lots of snakes. Just don't think too much about the plot and enjoy the goofiness of it all; lots of fun!