The success of MR VAMPIRE saw a whole wave of local vampire flicks filling Hong Kong cinemas and THE FIRST VAMPIRE IN CHINA is a typical example of these. It hasn't got a very big budget, but it has energy and comedy stars to spare and it turns out to be a very amusing kind of movie. For the most part, there are different groups of characters interacting with the usual supernatural weirdness: Charlie Cho and his associate are the typical straight men thrown into a mad world; Mr Han himself, Shih Kien, is the Taoist priest battling evil; even Shaw veteran Johnny Wang Lung Wei has an odd supporting role as a vampire scheming alongside his undead son. There are also very brief cameos from Hwang Jang Lee (random) and Chor Yuen. How much you like all this depends on your taste for Chinese humour, but I loved it perhaps because of all the goofiness and silliness, the highlight being the battle with the undead chicken (and the 'chicken song' that gets regularly played from that point on). The main villain is a great-looking monster and the last half an hour offers endless action as our heroes try to contain it.
3 Reviews
Ride of the Valkerie sung by kung fu, vampire chickens...
splambert16 July 2001
Chinese ghostbusters battle the supernatural using every type of talisman and lucky charm available -- from lucky coins to black dog's blood. But can they defeat the hideous, jumping first vampire of china? You will ask yourself, 'How long can you go?', when watching this amazingly strange movie. Don't miss the first five minutes which explains the origin of the first vampire in china. It's a howler. This movie will tax even the most gullible viewer's ability to suspend disbelief. A laff riot! I give this one a 'three-trips-to-the-john' rating for badness.
First vampire in china
gorytus-2067221 April 2021
Apr 2021
English title of this is "First Vampire In China", yes its another a long the lines of Mr Vampire, not the typical hopping vampire in this one, definitely more of a horror vampire, looks a bit like a mummy.
This film actually really reminds me of the excellent "return of the demon", the settings and time period all look the same, that also stars Charlie Cho.
So to wrap up this is another great film, i actually only discovered this a couple of years ago, but am already up to 6 viewings, i also discovered "Close Encounter of the Vampire" about the same time, check that one out too.
9 out of 10.
English title of this is "First Vampire In China", yes its another a long the lines of Mr Vampire, not the typical hopping vampire in this one, definitely more of a horror vampire, looks a bit like a mummy.
This film actually really reminds me of the excellent "return of the demon", the settings and time period all look the same, that also stars Charlie Cho.
So to wrap up this is another great film, i actually only discovered this a couple of years ago, but am already up to 6 viewings, i also discovered "Close Encounter of the Vampire" about the same time, check that one out too.
9 out of 10.
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