Mr. Vampire

Tai Seng | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Even a simple grave relocation can turn into serious supernatural problems, as Kou (Lam Ching Ying) soon discovers. He has been called in to supervise a routine grave movement, but when he notices some strange things about the corpse, he realizes this isn't going to be just another grave relocation, not by any means. It seems the corpse has not decomposed much, the fingernails have turned blue, and in the end, it is obvious the corpse has turned into a vampire. But before he is able to capture the vampire and control it, it manages to elude his grasp and with only his bumbling assistants, he must somehow track down and eliminate the vampire. But that won't be too easy either, as one of them quickly ends up bitten by the vampire and as for the other, it has been consumed by a she-ghost, which sucked the very lifeforce from him. Can Kou manage to not only stop the vampire from causing more trouble, but also save his assistants?

This movie walks the fine line between horror & comedy and while most others fail, Mr. Vampire succeeds and then some. It has plenty of laughs to be sure, but never becomes too slapstick in nature, so it doesn't seem overly silly in the least. Mr. Vampire was produced by the legendary Sammo Hung and directed by Ricky Lau, who went on to direct four sequels, as well as a few other vampire themed movies. A more than credible cast is also assembled, which couldn't have been an easy task, given the unusual nature of the material involved. The actors seem to fare well however, never going too over the top, but providing some comedic spark when needed. As far as memorable moments, Mr. Vampire has them in spades, from witches throwing their heads like boomerangs to the hopping dead, this movie seems to have all the bases covered. As if all this wasn't enough, you'll even find some very well made fight sequences, which serve as the icing on this cinematic cake, I suppose. In the end, Mr. Vampire is a terrific movie and whether you're a veteran of Asian cinema or a greenhorn, this one deserves a place in your collection, to be sure.

As I mentioned above, this is a genre bending picture and as such, I imagine the direction involved was not a simple task. At the helm here is Ricky Lau, who blends the different genre elements very well and holds them together, to make sure no problems emerge. I am surprised this film turned out so well, given the off kilter subject matter and approach, but Lau's direction remains strong from start to finish, which is impressive indeed. Lau and his crew infuse Mr. Vampire with memorable visuals and a brisk pace, so it never becomes dull in the least. I suppose Lau must enjoyed working on this picture, as he directed four sequels and made a few other vampire themed films also, though none matched this one, to be sure. The cast here includes Yam Ching Ying (I Love Maria, Eastern Condors), Ricky Hui (Project A II, Miracles), Moon Lee (Kick Boxer's Tears, Winners and Sinners), and Chin Sui Ho (Fist of Legend, The Seventh Curse).

Mr. Vampire is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. As expected, the image looks worn and shows some problems, but given the film's age and nature, I can't complain much. I've never seen the movie look this sharp, but no improvements to the print seem to have been made, which is a let down. The print shows flecks, debris, and grain at times and while not always too bad, I think a restored edition would be most welcome, to be sure. The colors look a little faded and contrast is on the thin side, but this is still an acceptable image, although the film deserves better.

The included Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 is a good one, but this is a film from 1985 and as such, you shouldn't expect too much here. Even so, the audio is more expansive than I've ever heard, with some good surround presence, which adds to the atmosphere. The music sounds very full in this mix, while sound effects come through well also, no real problems to report. The dialogue is sharp at all times and while I don't speak Cantonese, I can tell crisp vocals when I hear them. As I said, this track is by no means a reference level option, but it is the best the movie has ever sounded, so fans should be pleased. This disc also includes a Mandarin language track, as well as subtitles in English, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Japanese, Thai, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

This disc includes some talent files, as well as the film's theatrical trailer.