Too much of everything

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

As Good As It Gets

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I have an English dub and a subtitle version of this movie. The English version is about 78 minutes and the subtitle version about 94 minutes. Some of the differences include an extended graveyard scene, when Billy leaves to go out he stops at a tea house before the grave yard, the second Billy versus father fight is longer, an added grave yard scene after Billy's dad recovers, longer attempted reincarnation sequence, longer fight sequence versus the family enemy, and others. The only disconnect between the versions involves the other two guys who accompany Cheng Kei-Ying in the first scene. They disappear then reappear after being long forgotten. Either version is fabulous. The English dub is done by the A team so no complaints there. The fights are top quality. The humor is laugh out loud. Chiang Tao, villain par excellence, does a great acting job as Billy's controlling father in addition to his usual stand-out martial stunts. Chan Lau, known for that great funny face, gets the comedy act down perfect in addition to his stunts. Billy Chong still manages to steal the show from this great supporting cast.This movie has my highest recommendation and not just for fans of the genre. Eight out of ten.

A wild and heady mix of knockabout comedy, horror elements, and super-fast martial arts action make up this crazy combination of a film, made during the period in Hong Kong when Sammo Hung's supernatural successes meant that everybody jumped on the comedy horror bandwagon. Despite a low budget and the crude special effects used in the film, KUNG FU ZOMBIE is a thrill-a-minute ride which will be a hoot for fans of the genre. The movie is packed with comedy throughout, mostly of the slapstick variety, and as is the norm with these productions there are a lot of guys screaming and shouting at each other all the while. Invisible ghosts that pull chairs out from underneath people and grope the town prostitute are here, as well as irritating sidekicks named Hamster with fake freckles and a comedy fat guy who eats a small, cute dog.The simple plot is just an excuse to cram as much action, kung fu, and comedy into one eighty-minute film as possible and it works. Things begin, appropriately enough, in a graveyard, where an unlucky wizard manages to bring three rotting zombies back to life. The corpse makeup in this film is pretty yucky so plenty of macabre chills in that area. Things go wrong when the wizard's employer ends up falling in a spike trap he set for his enemy, and his ghost returns to haunt the wizard, demanding him to find another body. Into this mess comes martial hero Billy Chong, whose own father happens to pop off at the moment, thus providing a harmless vessel for the enemy to inhabit. Also into this mess comes an invincible vampire zombie who has a score to settle with Chong. The scene is set for a showdown.Plenty of bizarre moments keep this film moving along nicely and its often surprising. Chong makes for a skilled and able fighter and although his character is less than engaging, he carries a natural charisma which combines with his talent to provide a worthwhile hero character. Chong is first seen jumping out of a tree and battling with his father in some frenetic kung fu action which is some of the fastest and craziest I've seen so far, making great use of props like buckets of water and tables and the like. Acting awards go to the guy playing the unfortunate wizard, who is magnificent in his part at playing a weaselly but inherently good character caught on the wrong side.Things culminate in a fantastic battle sequence between Chong and this caped vampire zombie guy, who gorily bites people's heads off and drinks their blood messily. Just as Chong is losing, a Buddhist priest turns up to help him on and then the fight goes into overdrive, an incredibly fast sequence of hard punches, kicks, the vampire setting himself alight to defeat his enemy and his final, hilarious comeuppance. Incredible stuff which really is worth waiting for. Despite cheap production values, the film looks visually impressive throughout and the action, when it comes, is fast and furious and most importantly exciting. Although I wouldn't call this film a classic due to the shallowness of the plot and the sometimes overwhelming silly comedy on display, it's genuinely entertaining and therefore deserves praise.

Like other reviewers said, Kung Fu Zombie lives up to its title, but other than the character of the vampire, it doesn't go beyond expectations. A rating of a 5 is usually used in the case of a boring and mediocre film, but Kung Fu Zombie is not. It goes insanely back and forth from being a genuinely bizarre (and entertaining) zombie story and kung fu movie, to a pathetic attempt at film-making. The production of the dubbed version is way below kung-fu-film average, with numerous jumps in the plot (which is so ridiculous it's almost dull), hopeless attempts at vaudeville-style humor, and problems in pacing which sometimes makes it hard to sit through. Many of the attempts at humor fail completely, and most of the laughs will come from what is meant to be scary or strange. At the same time, though, Kung Fu Zombie has that insanity and originality that makes it a "good bad film". For example, a drawing on the outside of a jail shoots lasers out of its eyes at a zombie- because, of course, zombies can't enter jails.The fighting in Kung Fu Zombie is surprisingly good. Billy Chong is a terrible actor, but a great athlete. The editing throughout the film is confusing and convoluted enough to ruin several scenes, and although it's noticeable in fight scenes, it somehow doesn't manage to ruin them.It's hard to pin down an audience for Kung Fu Zombie. It might not be best for kung fu fanatics; those who prefer the serious type of kung fu film will abhor it. Probably many of its viewers are people looking for a fun zombie movie (The mainstream 70's zombie flicks had little or no influence on Kung Fu Zombie- 100% Hong Kong horror), or those who are amused by the title- these are the people who are most likely to enjoy it.

What a masterpiece! I still can't believe what I've seen. This is a classic of eastern cinematography. It belongs in every well sorted movie-collection. The director, the actors, the scenery and the plot are unique. I want to mention especially Billy Chong as Pang. His performance is so outstanding, it's really a thrill watching his acting. And director Hua I-Jung did a hell of a job. He's a brilliant director. Forget John Woo! Forget Tsui Hark! This one is ultimate!