Overview
A hilarious clash of the supernatural and martial arts as a vampire hunter battles ghosts and a succubus to save his students.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- eerie
- irreverent
- cult movie night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics and audiences broadly regard it as an entertaining, seminal Hong Kong horror-comedy whose charismatic performances and inventive supernatural set pieces outweigh its rudimentary effects and uneven English dubbing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The hopping ghost, flying severed head, tooth filing, and exorcism danger are staged as comic set pieces.
Master Gau uses Taoist knowledge and ritual methods to pursue the succubus and hopping ghost.
The vampire mythology and hopping undead are presented through Hong Kong action choreography and genre-specific movement.
A student is drained of life-force and another slowly transforms, while the film repeatedly converts these threats into absurd visual gags.
Films like Mr. Vampire, and why
Encounters of the Spooky Kind
seminal hong kong horror comedy blending supernatural folklore, slapstick timing, and martial arts choreography
A Chinese Ghost Story
stylized hong kong supernatural action with Taoist magic, eccentric ghosts, and kinetic visual effects
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain
fantastical hong kong action comedy combining martial arts spectacle, ghosts, and exuberant genre invention
Rouge
playful supernatural hong kong genre film rooted in romance, ghosts, and macabre comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Ricky Lau
- Release Date
- 1985-11-07
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (139)
Cast
- Lam Ching-Ying
- Ricky Hui Koon-Ying
- Chin Siu-Ho
- Moon Lee
- Huang Ha
- Yuen Wah
- Pauline Wong
- Billy Lau Nam-Kwong
- Anthony Chan Yau
- Ka Lee
Common questions
- What is Mr. Vampire about?
- A Taoist master and his hapless students battle hopping undead and a seductive ghost in a wildly inventive Hong Kong horror-comedy classic.
- What is Mr. Vampire like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mr. Vampire as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Mr. Vampire violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Mr. Vampire as mild.
- What did critics think of Mr. Vampire?
- Critics and audiences broadly regard it as an entertaining, seminal Hong Kong horror-comedy whose charismatic performances and inventive supernatural set pieces outweigh its rudimentary effects and uneven English dubbing.
- Which films are like Mr. Vampire?
- Films with a similar feel include Encounters of the Spooky Kind, A Chinese Ghost Story, Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, and Rouge.
- How long is Mr. Vampire?
- Mr. Vampire runs 98 minutes.
