User reviews

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.

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.

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.

You like jumping vampires, slapstick, horny ghosts and kung fu? This is the movie for you. Don't expect any mental challenge whatsoever, I mean seriously, this movie is VERY stupid. But also VERY good fun.

The stuck ears is a classic scene. Both times.

Funny if you're sober, absolutely hilarious if drunk.

Recommended.

"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 first and best film in a famous series is a great introduction to the off-center world of Asian horror films. Forget everything you learned from Hammer House of Horror, because HK horror is a different game. Wacky slapstick combines with genuinely tense moments amongst hopping vampires (that's right HOPPING vampires) and seductive ghost girls as the One-Eyebrow Priest and his incompetent assistants try to rid a town in period China of a large number of unusually pesky undead. The assistants struggle to execute complex traditional rituals to banish the lesser ghouls, while the priest makes preparations for a flying chop socky showdown with the dangerous vampiric leader. This is fun and action packed entertainment, although a bit violent for younger viewers.

The DVD I watched allows the film to be watched in an English dubbed version or the more authentic original version in Cantonese with English subtitles. I recommend the latter.

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.

This film is different in tone from Western horror movies. It has a more irreverently cheesy style that lightens the mood. Yet at times it can still be tense when the "vampires" creep closer in the dark.

When I was given the chance to sit down and watch the 1985 Hong Kong movie "Geung See Sin Sang" (aka "Mr. Vampire") here in 2024, as part of watching three of them, of course I did so. I needed no persuasion to do so, as I enjoy the Hong Kong cinema quite a lot. And since I had never seen the movie before, of course I did so.

Writers Ricky Lau, Cheuk-Hon Szeto, Barry Wong and Ying Wong put together a script and storyline that was enjoyable enough. It was an archetypical mid-1980s Hong Kong cheesy action comedy script, for sure. If you enjoy the 1980s Hong Kong cinema of action comedies, then you will enjoy "Geung See Sin Sang", of that I am sure.

The acting performances in the movie were good, though there weren't a lot of familiar faces on the cast list. It didn't really matter though, because the actors and actresses put on good performances in bringing this action comedy to life on the screen. I think I was only familiar with Wah Yuen (playing the vampire) and Kai-Man Tin (playing the stupid son) here in this movie.

"Geung See Sin Sang" had adequate effects, when you take into consideration that the movie was made in 1985. Nothing outstanding or lavish, mind you, but suitable effects for a movie such as it turned out to be.

The movie is a mixture of traditional Hong Kong martial arts movie and comedy, and it actually plays out well enough, provided you know a thing or two about how the Chinese hopping vampire myth works.

My rating of director Ricky Lau's 1985 movie "Geung See Sin Sang" lands on a five out of ten stars.

Hong Kong movies from these days were always all somewhat clumsy and cheap looking, even the very best ones. It prevents me from ever calling an Hong Kong movie a true classic but they surely knew how to bring some entertaining movies to the silver screen.

This is a quite ridicules movie really, that combines horror, with comedy and kung fu action. The blend of it all works out rather successfully, making "Geung si sin sang" simply a fun movie to watch. Simplistic but fun.

In a way you can describe this movie as being rather lame, with its over-the-top performances, comical moments and action sequences. But with this the movie knows to create a great style that helps to make this movie such an entertaining one to watch.

What stood out to me was the movie its action. It has some greatly choreographed moments in it, that are spectacular looking but above all also adds to the movie its comedy. It's kind of like a Jackie Chan movie in that regard.

It's also a rather well looking movie, with some nice make up, costumes and settings. It isn't really a cheap looking movie, which means that the film-makers did a good job with their budget, which no doubt, wasn't very large.

It's a fun and at times spectacular movie to watch but also not really more than that really. It's simply good for what it is though.

7/10

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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 :) ..

'Mr. Vampire (1985)' is a supernatural action-comedy about a trio of mortuary workers who must battle the undead when they dig up a coffin with the intention of reburying it and find that the person inside has transformed into a vampire. The picture makes use of Chinese lore and presents a version of its eponymous creature that's distinct from the Western variation Hollywood usually makes movies about. As such, the takes a distinct approach to its material and essentially twists audience expectation if said audience isn't particularly familiar with Eastern mythology. Although the narrative concerns itself with spooky goings on, it's never really all that concerned with being scary. Instead, it uses its horrific elements as texture for its comedic slapstick and well-choreographed action. Neither element are as foregrounded as they often are in martial arts movies from the period, but they come together to form a distinct tone and provide plenty of entertaining set-pieces. The picture never feels as though it has to go a certain route, which makes some of its stranger twists feel refreshing - even if they do some, I suppose, damage to the pacing and structure. The less conventional plot points are ultimately quite satisfying precisely because they ensure the affair never becomes overly predictable. Plus, they contribute to its unique atmosphere and general texture. While there are some notable lulls in engagement, the film is mostly entertaining for its majority. It also includes a few fantastic sequences with inventive choreography that makes excellent use of the supernatural elements so key to the concept at the feature's core. These exciting segments often make you smile due to their sheer creativity. Ultimately, though the experience is a little forgettable (it doesn't really leave a lasting impact), it's an enjoyable and well-made mix between supernatural strangeness and martial arts prowess. It's fun.

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.

You have to bare that in mind before you watch this movie. Because it's not your average Hong Kong action movie! This one goes for fun and being silly. Suffice it to say that, this movie doesn't take itself seriously then!

And you shouldn't either ... because if you do, you won't enjoy it a bit! A few friends I watched this movie with, weren't in the right frame of mind, and couldn't enjoy the silly moments of the movie. I think they didn't even enjoy the great choreographed action scenes. It's a shame, so again don't expect anything serious here, whether it's plot wise or acting wise! A fun ride indeed this is! Enjoy the ride! Or should I say the "hop"? ;o)

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!

i like Juno Mak's Rigor Mortis, so i thought i'd watch the first in the Mr. Vampires series of films, to which the aforementioned is an homage featuring some of the same actors

Mr. Vampire is an action horror comedy, with a largely slapstick style of humour and martial arts and a story heavily inspired by Chinese legends and folklore, particularly concerning jiangshi (aka. Chinese 'hopping vampires'). the film was shot in Taiwan and Hong Kong, featuring a beautiful landscape just outside the New Territories of the latter. the monster make-up and special effects are very 80s, simple but effective

as a viewer from the US, a lot seems to get lost in translation between cultures, but there does appear to be some transmisogynistic humor in a scene where, after having been attacked by a jiangshi, a character puts on some make-up to hide the paleness of his skin, then dances around and talks in a falsetto voice. be forewarned as well that two animals, a chicken and a snake, are killed on screen, but were later used for food

on the whole, it's a fairly engaging and entertaining film that i'll probably watch again; i'd like to check out the sequels too, eventually

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".

Although that time in the bus might not have been the first time I saw this excellent piece, it was certainly as entertaining as the first time. This movie has truly great action and also some good humour (not too silly as Chinese movies sometimes have...). And it is very interesting to know how Chinese vampires are like, hopping mad ;o) I especially like the actor who plays the taiost priest. What more can I say, I can recommend this movie to all friends of good martial arts action and fantasy.

This is a very original film concerning a Daoist/Taoist priest, or "One-Eyebrow Priest", (Lam Ching-Ying) and his involvement with what begins as a murder mystery. We follow this character and his comedic assistants as they go up against supernatural forces, including ghosts and vampires. The mix of action and plot is excellent, and a lot of devices used in this film have been borrowed in Hollywood I believe. The acrobatic stunts and Lam Ching-Ying's Kung-Fu are great - watching the vampire (Yuen Wah) receive this punishment is really entertaining stuff.

The vampire of the title is mischievous and brutal. He is represented as an unstoppable force and superhuman in power. So, do not expect a Western-style vampire. The Chinese vampire is quite different and much more interesting to watch; they are actually inhuman. No sensitive-new-age-god-i'm-so-tortured-Gothic Tom Cruise types here. Rather, he is a tortured soul, intent on causing death with either his long, sharp fingernails or overflowing mouthful of teeth. He doesn't fly, he is not a bat, and his limbs are inflexible and stiff. (The literal translation of the title is "Mr. Stiff Corpse"!) There are loads of highlights, (the scene involving the vampires lair and the rodents around him is genuinely gruesome), and the supporting cast is great, especially Ricky Hui, Pauline Wong and Moon Lee. Siu-hou Chin is a great assistant to the priest, and is the more cocky and acrobatic character. His stunts are fluid and performed with the signature HK matter-of-fact style. But, modern audiences may find the humour too broad, (slapstick is out of style right?), and some of the clever wordplay is surely lost.

A riotous comedy horror that provides satisfaction on many levels, Ricky Lau's MR VAMPIRE is one of the highlights of the sub-genre that flourished in Hong Kong during the 1980s. While it doesn't quite have the level of finesse of Sammo Hung's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND, this proves to be a genre classic that offers virtually non-stop entertainment for the length of its running time.

The narrative adopts the knockabout comedy format familiar to any fan of that era's cinema with various characters coming into contact with some creepy vampires, most of whom are of the classic 'hopping vampire' mould that I always like seeing in Chinese cinema. Chief of these is a tough cookie, played by a just-about recognisable Yuen Wah who proves a fitting villain for the film's erstwhile hero, Lam Ching-Ying, playing the vampire-fighting 'One Eyebrow Priest'. Lam Ching-Ying is so successful in this film that he made a career out of the role, and who can blame him?

The rest of the picture is packed with damsels in distress, snivelling villainous folk, young upstanding heroes, and a plentiful stream of mostly successful gags. The ghoulish humour works a treat, particularly in a mid-point set-piece in a prison where the characters have to face up to a newly-created vampire foe; this sequence is exceptionally funny and expertly choreographed, a natural highlight for the rest of the production surrounding it.

The special effects are fun, the action is ably staged, the characters and situations are funny and the film offers a cultural look at Chinese superstitions in a playful, spirited way. Many sequels followed, unsurprisingly; after all, what's not to like about a film this inventive?