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Magic Cop

Original title: Qu mo jing cha
  • 1990
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
910
YOUR RATING
Ching-Ying Lam, Wilson Lam, Michael Kiu Wai Miu, Michiko Nishiwaki, and Wu Ma in Magic Cop (1990)
CantoneseComedyCrimeFantasyHorror

A former cop rejoins the police department to investigate a drug ring that employs ghosts and vampires.A former cop rejoins the police department to investigate a drug ring that employs ghosts and vampires.A former cop rejoins the police department to investigate a drug ring that employs ghosts and vampires.

  • Director
    • Wei Tung
  • Writers
    • Kan-Cheung Tsang
    • Chi-Leung Shum
  • Stars
    • Ching-Ying Lam
    • Wilson Lam
    • Michael Kiu Wai Miu
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    910
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Wei Tung
    • Writers
      • Kan-Cheung Tsang
      • Chi-Leung Shum
    • Stars
      • Ching-Ying Lam
      • Wilson Lam
      • Michael Kiu Wai Miu
    • 15User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos80

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    Top Cast20

    Edit
    Ching-Ying Lam
    Ching-Ying Lam
    • Uncle Feng
    • (as Ching-ying Lam)
    Wilson Lam
    Wilson Lam
    • Sergeant Lam
    • (as Chun-yin Lam)
    Michael Kiu Wai Miu
    Michael Kiu Wai Miu
    • Sergeant No. 2237
    • (as Kiu-wai Miu)
    Mei-Wah Wong
    Mei-Wah Wong
    • Lin
    • (as Mei-wah Wong)
    Michiko Nishiwaki
    Michiko Nishiwaki
    • The Sorceress
    Wu Ma
    Wu Ma
    • Chief Inspector Ma
    Billy Chow
    Billy Chow
    • Servant to the Sorceress
    Frankie Chi-Leung Chan
    Frankie Chi-Leung Chan
    • Eddie
    • (as Chi-Leung Chan)
    Woon-Ling Hau
    Woon-Ling Hau
    • Aunt San
    Yuk-Hang Wong
    Yuk-Hang Wong
    • Chu
    Yun-Chiang Peng
    Yun-Chiang Peng
    • CID
    Chi Kit Lee
    • CID
    Tau Chu
    Tau Chu
    • CID
    Si-Man Hui
    Si-Man Hui
    • Gym Receptionist
    Ju Fang
    Ju Fang
    • Woman witnessing spell
    Jackson Ha
    • Driver
    Chi-Shing Chiu
    • Passerby
    Ming-Wai Chan
    Ming-Wai Chan
    • Director
      • Wei Tung
    • Writers
      • Kan-Cheung Tsang
      • Chi-Leung Shum
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    6.9910
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    Featured reviews

    10brad.daniels

    My all-time favorite modern HK fantasy

    When a famous actor dies, I usually think, "oh, that's sad", and pretty much forget about it. When Lam Ching Ying died, I was truly sad, and this movie is one of the major reasons why. In Magic Cop, Lam brings his Taoist Priest persona out of the hopping vampire genre and into a modern setting. The film masterfully combines the best elements of films like Mr. Vampire and A Chinese Ghost Story with modern Hong Kong police action films.

    Somebody tell me if this one ever comes out on DVD!
    8cheekyfilm

    The Magic Cop is on the case!

    It's just good martial arts with solid pacing, a decent story about a cop investigating spirits, not-too-goofy characters, and it provides a big action blowout at the end, and actually a bit of creepiness. Lots of fun "action rituals" performed by Uncle Feng throughout his investigation, and in turn by the evil witch, the rituals mirror that of Weapons (2025) but in fast motion.
    8coltras35

    Magic Cop

    It introduces us to Uncle Fung (Ching Ying Lam), a kindly rural policeman who is "more like a Taoist priest than a cop" -- including apprehending an angry ghost with a candle and cloth, after an old lady accidentally angers it. There must be a lot of people who get killed by angry spirits, if this scene is any indicator.

    Then we switch to undercover cops Lam (Wilson Lam) and 'Head' (Miu Kiu Wai), who try to apprehend a drug courier, only to get tossed away like rag dolls. Turns out she died several days ago. This is the ideal crime for Fung, so he and his pretty niece Lin move into Lam's bachelor pad. No, I don't know why Fung doesn't kick Lam out the window for hitting on his niece.

    When Fung isn't keeping the womanizing Lam away from his niece, the three cops are tracking the dead woman's boyfriend. The man unwittingly leads them to the head of the drug ring -- a Japanese Taoist sorceress, who reanimates corpses as couriers. Only Fung can stop another Taoist magician -- but soon they've unleashed a horrific zombie that wants them all dead.

    Ching Ying Lam reprises his "vampire busting" role but as a cop as well as a priest and combats vampires really well as seen in this highly imaginative and lively HK film that mixes comedy and horror quite well. Ching Ying Lam is great as usual, exuding authority and seriousness, and is very protective towards his cute niece especially where Wilson Lam is concerned, who is quite a lustful guy. His modernity clashes with Ching, highlighting the differences between cultures. Lam is really good as the cop who doesn't believe in such mumbo jumbo and vampires but he soon changes his mind quick. In contrast, Michael Miu, another cop, is respectful to Yam. He's quite funny in his role. The special effects are a highlight. Check out the finale where our hero takes on Michiko Nishiwaki who is great as usual as the villain. She's effortlessly menacing and alluring at the same time. The humour is good, though never overwhelming. Overall, a fun watch.
    10mightymothra

    Wonderfully charming, very entertaining.

    One of my all-time favorites. A Taoist priest/police officer in the modern day faces down a rash of hopping vampires, as well as a sorceress whose abilities match his own.

    The action scenes in this movie are just a joy to watch. Ching-Ying Lam's character performs complex, incense-heavy banishment rituals in cartoonish flurries of ultra-precise acrobatics, drawing glyphs with melted wax and controlling wafts of smoke with elegant absurdity. It really has to be seen.

    I don't want to spoil much. Incredibly entertaining, delightfully fun, and completely ridiculous in the best way. Absolutely worth a watch.
    9Weirdling_Wolf

    more cinematic vitality than John's increasingly flaccid Wick!

    Successfully capitalising on the wholly deserved popularity of Mr. Vampire, charismatic HK icon Lam Ching-ying returns as taciturn mystic rural cop Feng, summoned to the mainland in order to solve the confounding case of a zombie drug mule! Hugely inventive, exciting, winningly playful, and frequently very funny, Magic Cop remains a compelling admixture of athletic physical comedy, kinetic action, lively badinage, and exhilaratingly strange interludes of arcane Chinese sorcery! For me, Stephen Tung Wai's wild, deliciously eccentric, intricately bizarre opening sequence remains one of the most dynamic expressions of a hero's heroic persona ever conceived, with palpably more cinematic vitality than John's increasingly flaccid Wick!

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    Related interests

    In the Mood for Love (2000)
    Cantonese
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      Obvious fire proof suit for Michiko Nishiwaki's character when Uncle Feng sets her on fire in the slow motion shot.
    • Alternate versions
      The UK 88 Films Blu-Ray release from 2023 had a compulsory cut made to it in order to comply with the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937. A brief shot in which Michiko Nishiwaki chokes a cat with her bare hand to the point where it thrashes its paws and meows loudly, as well as shots of that same cat being hanged (thrashing around and meowing in agony) are completely removed from that version.

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    FAQ12

    • How long is Magic Cop?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 2, 1990 (Hong Kong)
    • Country of origin
      • Hong Kong
    • Languages
      • Cantonese
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Qu mo tan zhang
    • Production companies
      • Movie Impact Limited
      • Millifame Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 27m(87 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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