Hong Kong action-horror-comedy

Written by Roy Szeto Wai-Cheuk and Tsui Hark, starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Jacky Cheung, Joey Wong, Lau Shun, Lau Siu-Ming and Nina Li Chi. Directed by Ching Siu-Tung, produced by Tsui Hark, with action by Ching Siu-Tung, Yuen Bun, Ma Yuk-Sing and Cheung Yiu-Sing.
A Film Workshop/Golden Princess Amusement Co. Ltd production.

Not the smoothest complexion I've ever seen — Not the smoothest complexion I’ve ever seen

Set a hundred years after the events of the first movie, the tree demon is on the loose again, controlling some beautiful ghosts. The hero this time is a Buddhist monk nicely played by Tony Leung, and Joey Wong is once again the ghostly love interest.

The ghostly heroine (Wong) and the tree demon

The original A CHINESE GHOST STORY from 1987 was a horror-martial-arts-ghost-comedy-romance that masterfully merged all its elements very well. This sequel, on the other hand, is far more weighted towards romantic slapstick comedy and is less focused on the sword fights and monsters. This is a shame as the tree demon’s giant killer tongue returns in this movie, but is not used as much as it could have been.

We do get some brief monstrous moments, though, when a temple building comes to life and the giant stone head of a mountain demon is briefly seen.

A mountain demon's stony face roars — A mountain demon’s stony face roars

A temple 'comes to life' — A temple ‘comes to life’ and grows ‘limbs’

There’s some novel stuff to look out for too, like the master monk stretching his earlobes to cover his eyes when he’s caught by the tree demon: this ‘ear technique’ is quite weird looking!

The Buddhist master extends his earlobes so that they can cover his eyes!

There’s also a ghost girl who can extend her fingernails super-long, but this movie, ultimately, though it boasts some winning performances, simply lacks the heart, the verve and the visual flair of the far better original.

Starring Charlie Cho, Shing Fui-On, Dick Wei, Emily Chu and Wu Ma, directed by Wong Ying, produced by Charles Heung and Wong Ying.

I don't think Rick Baker worked on this werewolf makeup... — I don’t think Rick Baker worked on this werewolf makeup…

Only a person born in the ‘Hoi’ year, month and day can get the treasure hidden in the hands of a certain Buddha statue. But it’s all an evil trick to enable a superhuman, soul-sucking character known as the Monster to escape from the statue in which it is trapped.

Shing Fui-On’s character is big, tough and somewhat stupid, while Dick Wei plays the scabby-faced, brain-sucking villain as a real ass-kicker, in a movie that’s generally a surface-deep excuse for loosely-connected scenes involving spells, a female ghost, zombies, dog piss-drinking and fights.

Don't mess with this bad guy — Don’t mess with this bad guy

A lynching torture is treated as an opportunity for comedic acrobatics, a boulder is revealed to have a pulsing central core, broken eggs are used to age a spell-making Master (who also turns into a fun weredog), and a blue-lit cavern houses a large wheel on which zombies toil. There’s also a network of tunnels set in the rock walls of the cavern, from which the zombies shoot out if a bell is rung. These zombies have a needle in the centre of their heads: pull it out and they die.

RETURN OF THE DEMON is an enjoyable, though lightweight, serving of relentless Hong Kong action-horror goofiness.

Monster Zone

Tag Archives: Hong Kong action-horror-comedy

A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991)

Return of the Demon (1987)

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