Mr Vampire IV is a 1988 Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Ricky Lau and is the fourth film in the Mr Vampire franchise. The film centres around a rivalry between a Taoist and Buddhist priest that must overcome their differences to defeat a vampire. Mr Vampire Iv is a fun entertaining film and a solid addition to the Mr Vampire franchise.
The direction in the film is good. The film has a calm tone and a fun playful nature as the film is energetic with lots of dumb humour. There is good humour in the film with the use of the zombie vampires and how this phenomenon has become normalised in the world of the film with one of the characters leading a great trail of them. The film plays out like a silent. Comedy interspersed with classic ghost imagery. The film is full of Asian mysticism and culture with the use of acrobatics throughout the film. There are great fight scenes such as the fight between the ghost and the glasses wearing priest. There is good comedy throughout the film such as in the tools they use to catch the ghosts. The film showcases things like death but always interjects humour through slapstick comedy. This interesting tone of the film is shown as the film is steeped in both mysticism and comedy. There is lots of good humour in the film with the two priests that seem to hate each other as the film presents a silent comedy duo such as when the two priests fight. There is a good serious horror element in the film as its steeped in eastern mysticism. The film has genuine horror atmosphere with genuine horror tension in the climax.
The writing in the film is good. The film has the set-up of one of the masters and his female apprentice arrive at their new home as the others master and his male apprentice meet them. There is good humour in the film such as the male apprentice thinking the female apprentice is a male and accidently grabs her breasts leading to the master putting books under him and pretend to beat him until the books fall out and he lightly beats him as she throws water at them. There is good humour in the film as zombie vampires have now become normalised in the world of the film with one of the masters leading a great rail of them. There is good humour as the priest trips making the vampires fall the dominos and they all have to limbo over the branches. There is good dumb humour such as the priest being hit in the testicles leading to him and the other vampires having pain, he then puts a charm in a frog to make the process go quicker before he is kicked and falls to the ground. The film is very comical as the frog goes in the wrong directed it leads to the vampire line being derailed. A female demon then steals one of the vampires as a fight takes place between the ghost and the glasses wearing priest. The priestess tries to seduce the priest using her magic, but the priest uses gadgets to defend himself. He then throws his sword up in the air to kills her in a comedic move as the ghosts are stuck in all the o confusion. His master then tries to use the ghosts to hit the student, but it backfires, and they hit him as the student leads them away and cancels the spell. The film. Has a good silent comedy element to it with the two main priest throwing food at each other as well as good visual with the two-assistance communicating using cups and string. The glasses wearing priest then uses voodoo magic to control the other priest in a silent slapstick comedy routine were the assistant puts garlic in his mouth to stop it as the other priest and the assistant use a wheel to control the priest. He gets out of it by drinking oil, as lighting blasts on a coffin knocking guards over. The vampire is then freed and attacks the guards as they use magic rope and swords to get him. Rice is used to treat vampire injuries as the vampire attacks. They then find out that one of one of the characters brothers turned into a vampire and kills himself he then gest kissed by the affectionate guy. The vampires Kar-Lok and Jinjing in a silent comedy with great martial arts, the vampires have fun interactions with the effeminate vampire man. in the climax they battle the vampires as they guy stabs them with a sword, the vampire then attacks Jing Jing at Yat-Yau as they use a special magic net against the vampires as the four eyed priest comes in and attacks it with a sword and the vampire and the priest gets into a fight. The vampire then breaks through and attacks them, as they get stuck on the floor in a hilarious but tense climax as they escape but then the masters get stuck. They throw rice water over the vampire hurting him as the priest uses magic to become strong through his ancestors as he beats up the vampire, but the magic goes away comically. The film ends with them pouring all the poison in the vampire’s mouth and a snake which causing him to die, ass the apprentice makes a joke about his master causing him to kick him at the end.
The cinematography in the film is decent with some good-looking night-time shots. The acting in the film is good. Antony Chan does a good job as the four eyed Taoist priest a vampire slayer that has a rivalry with the other priest. Wu Ma does a good job as Master Yat-Yau a Buddhist monk that is very traditionalist and have a rivalry with the other priest. Loletta Le does a good job as Jingling Yat-Yau’s student that the other student pines for. Cin-Kar Lok does a good job as Kar-Lok four eye’s student. Pauline Wong does a good job as the Vixen Spirit a demoes that tries to seduce the four eyed priest. Chung Fat does a good job as Taosit Crane Four-eyes junior a previous student that calls on him to help with the vampire problem. Yuen Wah does a good job as Attendant Wy the princes feminine personal assistant that gets a lot of laughs in the film. Hoh Kin-wai does a good job as the 71st prince a child prince that gets kidnapped and must be rescued by the priest and their assistants.
The special effects in the film a good in a cheesy enjoyable way. The ghost effects are stand for a film of this type and look good. There are some interesting effects as well such as the extendable tong of the female ghost the female ghost flying to plant a kiss on the priests’ lips before turning into a wolf. The ghost can shoot light from their eyes in a cool effect as well as a good use of time lapsing with the candle wax melting instantly. There is a good using of lighting effects in the film with the rope glowing. The floorboards are also shown to move as the ghost goes under the house as well as a cool effect at the end where the vampire explodes in green blood.
Mr Vampire IV is a fun entertaining film. It is the best in the franchise no, but it is a solid entry that any fan of the franchise will enjoy.
