简介：Whenapettycriminalhiresapriesttoraisethedeadinordertogetrevengeonthemanwhoputhiminprison,itbackfiresandallmannerofblackmagicmayhemensuesasghosts,zombies,andabloodsuckingsuperfighterwreckhavoc. Mondomartialartsmayhemonagrandscaleisthebestdescriptionforthisincrediblyover-the-topcomedy/horrorhybridstarringcultsensationBillyChong.ImagineSamRaimi’sEvilDeadII(1987)withoutBruceCampbellorhisone-liners,butwithtwicetheinsanemomentumandofcourse,kungfu. BillyChongplaysPanFong,amartialartisttrainedbyhisverballyabusivefathertopreparefortheworst.Earlier,Fongfoiledaheist(astoldinaKeystoneCops-styleflashback)andnowthecriminalinchargewantsrevenge.HehiresChanLau,whoplaysquitepossiblyhisbestroleasapriestwhodabblesinblackmagic.Lau’sjobistogetseveralzombiesheraisedtopushFongintoadeathtrap.Onlytroubleisthatthecriminalendsupdeadinhisowntrap.HisspiritrisestoforceLautofindhimanotherbody.ThisleadstothemattemptingtotransferhissoulintothebodyofaviciouskillernamedLong(sonamedforthelengthofhisfights)afterFongkillshimattheendofagruelingthreehourfight.Thisalsobackfiresandonlyawakensanevilwithinthekillerwhohasnowreturnedasanunstoppable,bloodsuckingfiend.OnelastattemptbyLautotransferthecriminal’sspiritintothebodyofFong’srecentlydeceasedfatherisonlypartiallysuccessful.ThecriminalandthebloodsuckerjoinforcestokillFong,buthe’sgothiskungfuskills,PriestLau,andaBuddhistmonkonhisside. Itssimple.PeoplearegenerallygoingtoloveKungFuZombieorhateit.Technically,theactionisundercrankedintheextreme,resultinginextraordinarilyspeedyfighting.Cutsarerapidandtheactionincorporateslotsofwireworkandtrickediting.Thereistonsofkungfufightinganditsfun,buthardtofollow.Thepaceofthefilmisintenseandneverletsup,evenwiththehumorwhichisdefinitelylowbrow,evenmoresothanYuenWoPing’sShaolinDrunkard(1983)orSammoHung’sEncounterofaSpookyKind(1980).Expecttorevelindrunkenness,alotoffemalefondlingandalowregardfordeath. Severalhighlightsmarkthisfilmasacutabovethestandardindependentreleasesoftheera.OneisBillyChong’sperformancewhichischarismaticandintense.Hisphysicalandactingperformancefitstheroleperfectly.Hislove-haterelationshipwithhisfathermaynotbethemodelforgoodfamilyliving,butit’sarefreshingtwistandtiesbacknicelyintothestorylaterwhenthecriminalinhabitsthefather’sbody.ChanLauwhoiswellknownamongfansforhismanycomicalrolesheplaysinfilms,usuallyasthevillainreallygetstohamitupthistime.Asthewell-meaningandcowardlypriestwhostartsallthetrouble,he’sforcedalongaseventsspiraloutofcontrol.Heendsupdrunk,stumblingaboutatnightandmumblingaboutstickingtoweddingswhenanentiremobofzombies,probablyfrompastjobsthatwerebotchedrearupbehindhim.It’safittingend. It’smyguessthatSamRaimimusthaveseenthisfilmbeforebeginninghisEvilDeadseries.Thetrackingcamerashotsandsheerinsanitywithwhichthefilmmakersunleashtheirscenes,eventhenon-fightscenesaredeliciouslywildandentertaining.Thereareafewscenesthatdon’tconnectwellwiththestory(possiblyduetocutsmadetotheoriginalprint),butoverallthestoryissurprisinglycohesiveforanoldschooltitle. Foroutrageouskungfuactionwithahealthydoseofunculturedandcomicalhorror,KungFuZombieprovidesarottinggoodtime. ByMarkPollard-kungfucinema.com-…