Two Asian exorcists (and their two apprentices) team up to battle various supernatual menaces. Lam Ching Yin Lam reprises his character from the Mr Vampire series (though this film drops the humor element from those movies.) This was director Andy Lau's first film and he crafts a very fast paced and entertaining horror effort. Made in 1990, this film was done old school way and no CGI in sight. This appears to be a very big budget for the time and visually delivers all the great stuff you would expect from China epics in the 1990s. The use of actual martials arts choreography in the movie used sparingly and is limited to Lam Ching Yin. Sometimes when his spells don't work, he is forced to use martial arts and other weapons to combat the ghosts, vampires, and zombies. I also really dug the color costuming and bright period color schemes which contrasted nicely with all the rotting flesh of the zombies and vampires. The ghosts in the film all appear human-like appearance. Lam Ching Yin's apprentices don't know any martial arts, so they spend a good deal of the film running from the vampire, ghosts, and the Hell Police. Sometimes they help out their leader who teaches them magic spells as the movie progresses. Had this movie come out in 2010 with a GCI sheen to it like all movies released these days, it would been terrible. If you love old school Asian horror, don't miss it!
Review of The Ultimate Vampire
