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Geung see dai si doi (2003)
Awesome if you like the Hong Kong 'hopping vampire' genre.
OK, let me start off by saying that if I hadn't read the other user comments for this film, I wouldn't have taken the time to write this, as I'm busy and if I commented on every film I liked, I'd never get any work done. I read the comments here, in The LA Weekly and on other internet sites- and they were, to sum up, some of the stupidest, snobbiest HK film reviews I've EVER read. Do not, repeat: DO NOT believe the hype.
Now, unlike alot of other Hong Kong film fans, I don't care for contemporary action films with cops, drug busts, car chases, etc. I DO like old school 70's Kung Fu; ala Chang Cheh and Liu Chia Liang. I also really like the Hopping zombie/ghost/vampire sub-genre of HK 'horror'. Now, in case you aren't familiar with these- they feature 'vampires' and 'zombies' that return from the grave (Usually due to some sort of improper burial) and hop about (Or in the case in Vampire Hunters- fly about). They are usually opposed by priests- Taoist priests- who use Taoist magic to defeat them. The seminal film in this genre is the mid-eighties comedy/horror masterpiece 'Mr. Vampire'.
Now, Tsui Hark's 'Vampire Hunters' plays alot like a much more serious version of Mr. Vampire- basically, the comedic elements usually found in these films are almost non existant in 'Vampire Hunters'. This alone makes it one of the only HK vampire films to play like 'action horror' instead of 'horror comedy'.
Now, this distinction alone makes Vampire Hunters worth a look.
So ask yourself: Do you want just a good, action packed film? The kind of film you're going to want to hold up to The best 1980s and 90s John Wu stuff? Maybe Ang Lee's 'Crouching Tiger'? Or even non-HK action like James Cameron's Terminator 2? Well if you just want great action, there's like, A THOUSAND good action films out there, ok? If you want something more, something you just DON'T SEE anywhere else- something like, Oh, I dunno... maybe... CHINESE VAMPIRES versus TAOIST WARRIOR PRIESTS???
Well, check out Tsui Hark's 'Vampire Hunters'. It's merely a decent 'action' film and not the best edited, paced, well written or anything else kind of film out there.
But, the sum of it's parts simply does not equate the fun action/horror fantasy of the whole. So- if you're a 'norm' who thought Erin Brokavich or maybe the Ocean's 11 remake was good, well stay FAR AWAY from Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters, it's not for you, you won't get it, understand it's appeal or be able to appreciate it.
If you're the kind of person who likes the idea of a Mr. Vampire/Chinese Ghost Story double bill, well, strap yourself in- cause Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters will satisfy your desire to escape from reality for an hour and a half or so.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000)
Amongst the greatest action anime of all time
One of the things about Anime that always bugged me is the fact that due to the differing tastes of Japanese Vs. Western audiences, much of what gets made is overly cutesy-poo. Silly comic relief, wacky, saucer eyed characters with mouths that go from the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a pie tin whenever they get agitated, etc. (Think 'Fushigi Yugi'). Any trip to a place where they have a big selection of Anime DVDs will attest to this. One of the few oasis' of ultimate coolness in Anime has always been the films that come from the animation house 'Madhouse'. Ninja Scroll and Wicked City being the two best examples this. Films with characters that have cruel, angular features and packed with stunning, outrageous violent action.
But the problem is that these types of films are few and far between. They are obviously not very popular in Japan (There was never even a real Ninja Scroll or Wicked City 2). American home video audiences made Ninja Scroll and Wicked City two of the most popular cult Anime films here in the states, granted, there ARE alot of American anime freaks that actually like the saucer eyed cutesy poo girly characters of more traditional Anime, but the desire for more of the ultra-super-mega cool Madhouse stuff was a thirst rarely slaked.
In steps Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.......
This film is EXACTLY what American audiences have been craving for years. This is Madhouse at their finest. This anime is full of the exceptionally cool, wickedly designed characters and unbelievable, fast paced action of their previous masterworks (The aforementioned Ninja Scroll and Wicked City) but with fantastic, more technologically advanced animation work.
Everything about the look and action in this film is absolute solid gold. I actually got a tingle up my spine during a few of the action scenes. These characters (Even the Humans) are all endowed with superhuman power, they fight each other with a wide array of gimmicky weapons and kill each other with heaps of gory goodness. My only complaints are that it got a bit sappy at points, and that D was much too obviously the 'hero' of the story. I say that because the bounty hunters in this film are EXTREMELY COOL. I liked the bounty hunters more than I like D. They were sooo very cool, and when they won a fight it actually seemed like an accomplishment (Unlike D, who is so powerful you just expect him to win every time he fights).
The bottom line is this: If you like anime like Ninja Scroll, and have always felt that more films of that type should have been made, then THIS FILM WAS MADE FOR YOU. I mean it.