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Writer's pictureRyota Nakanishi

Film Review: Vampire Cleanup Department (2017)

Updated: Nov 11, 2023

FILE PHOTO: A Poster of VAMPIRE CLEANUP DEPARTMENT (2017). ©Media Asia Film Distribution Company Limited
FILE PHOTO: A Poster of VAMPIRE CLEANUP DEPARTMENT (2017). ©Media Asia

The Mr. Vampire is back!


This feature film successfully restored and developed the tradition of Goeng Si, the Chinese vampire franchise of the 1980s (1985-1988) ! I was really impressed with their eagerness and the perfect construction of the well-made genre film! First of all, I have to thank you all film crew for making this remarkable Hong Kong genre film that other countries are not able to make. As you know, what Mr. Vampire series (1985-88) depicted was stewardship between a stubborn master and his bad students. The three act structure well embodies the bad students' inner development via comedic interactions with their stubborn master. For instance, in this film, Chin Siu-ho's role is equal with Lam Ching-ying's Taoist master in Mr. Vampire (1985) in which he played his student. And Babyjohn Choi is simply equal with the Chin's role in the master piece. The most impressed detail is that the directors selected the clean-up department workers as their Ghost Busters of Hong Kong who are effective and full of contributions to the hygiene of urban and rural sights all over Hong Kong. This setting complies with the foundation of art in general according to what Leo Tolstoy said in the late 1890s. About the creativity with the newly renovated Coeng Si, their computer graphical work resembles the vampires in the rebooted Fright Night (2011) and Let Me In (2010). In conclusion, this film was loved and welcomed by a kind of the contemporary Hong Kong film audience and me! One of the casts, Richard Ng correctly said that the traditionally loved Coeng Si film is comedy! Yes, he is right! Thank you again for this great gift for Coeng Si film lovers!


 

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