Our take
Movie vampires are usually depicted in the spooky gothic way or the sexy, supernaturally romantic way. Mr. Vampire instead depicts this undead creature in a goofy manner, taking the Chinese jiangshi as an unfortunate mentorship program between Master Kau and his silly, incompetent assistants. It’s a bit corny, but director Ricky Lau creates action-packed yet comedic fights that Hong Kong cinema is known for, taking this creepy mythology with much more playfulness than we’re used to with vampires. Horror fans looking for a scare won’t find what they’re looking for in this flick, but action-comedy fans, as well as viewers that want to start watching horror films, might enjoy this slapstick satire in anticipation for Halloween.
The story
After the planned reburial of a village elder goes awry and the corpse resurrects into a hopping vampire, a Taoist priest and his two disciples attempt to stop him.
Elsewhere
"mixing and matching with wild abandon scenes of knockabout comedy, wire-wrought martial arts, monster horror and wacky dancing."
— Anton Bitel
When the town elder’s corpse resurrects into a hopping, bloodthirsty vampire, Taoist Priest Master Kau and his two bumbling assistants are on the case to save the town from becoming vampires themselves.
The fight scenes!
It’s just so silly to watch something like Dracula hopping around.
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
