Kung Fu Zombie

Few movies can give fans of genre crossovers their money's worth like this one does. It's a martial arts / horror / comedy with a heavy accent on comedy. Long on slapstick and long on nonsense as well, it has a hilariously over the top, contrived plot and engagingly goofy performances from all concerned. Literally *everything* about "Kung Fu Zombie" is unsubtle, and it's constantly throwing things at you, barely giving you a chance to breathe. As far as the horror content goes, it offers you body hopping, the living dead, the undead (i.e. a vampire), and a ticked-off ghost.

The basic story has an inept master villain working mightily to defeat our strapping young hero, Pang Fong (Billy Chong). This bad guy is also often stymied in his attempts to find a new body (don't ask, just watch), and is "assisted" by a flamboyant wizard who can never seem to get his spells done correctly.

Clothes come off, items are thrown, tacky gore and makeup abound, and the music is positively dopey. "Kung Fu Zombie" does wear a little thin at times, but the acting is wonderfully hammy and there are some inspired gags. (Like our hero's father / master feigning death to throw him off guard.) It's likewise a hoot to see our villain have such a spectacular lack of success until late in the movie.

Directed with flair by Shan Hua, this flick delivers one lightning-fast fight scene after another. This viewer would recommend it to anybody who desires to put their brain in neutral for a while and investigate the more irreverent side of kung fu cinema.

The original Hong Kong version runs about 20 minutes longer, and is in a different aspect ratio, to boot. This review applies to the 79 minute long dubbed North American release (with hysterically inefficient dubbing, the kind that is just right for this sort of entertainment).

Seven out of 10.

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!

Kung Fu Zombie is a charming flick loaded with fast paced martial arts fighting. The story is too over the top to try to explain here, but it's worth mentioning that this film has zombies, ghosts, a vampire, a wizard, possessions, an exorcism, paintings that shoot lasers out of their eyes and a healthy does of well executed kung fu! All of this is packed into a film on the short side of 80 minutes. Intentionally funny, Kung Fu Zombie is a hilarious, tightly edited, romp of a film. The big pay off is at the end of the film when Billy Chong fights an undead vampire martial arts master. The energy and absurdity of this scene is magnificent. If you're expecting a lot of zombies, you may be disappointed, but if you're looking for an entertaining ride on the wonderful roller-coaster of crazy kung fu films, Kung Fu Zombie won't disappoint!

Billy Chong has to fight villains, zombies, ghosts and a vampire, who all knows the art of kung fu. All this because some low-life bad guy and a part-time magician wants him out of the way.

As usual there is loads of fighting, slapstick comedy, and we also get some jumping zombies, stupid ghosts and a vampire who´s running around chopping heads. Funny and entertaining, but also quite exhausting. Not as good as the Mr. Vampires series though. Leave your brain in a bucket and enjoy.