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A Chinese Ghost Story II

A Chinese Ghost Story II

List Price: $29.95
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: For all its wackiness, Chinese Ghost Story is serious stuff.
Review: I don't remember why I decided to rent Chinese Ghost Story 2. It's probably because it's one of the best examples of a martial arts historical fantasy, and I use the word "historical" loosely.

It's hard to sum up the plot because it's a blending mishmash of several other plots. There's the reincarnated former long lost love, the bumbling tax collector, the clueless demon fighter, the grouchy monk, and a whole slew of bandits who dress up as ghosts.

But it wouldn't be called Chinese Ghost Story 2 if it was only about fake ghosts. There are real ghosts too - one is a hilarious big floppy monster with big fangs, big eyes, and big claws. The other is the main bad guy, who doesn't actually appear until the second half of the movie. And what a bad guy he is - a demon in the form of a false Buddha in the form of a giant centipede.

Get the picture yet? How about a freeze spell gone wrong, a guardian warrior who wields five katanas at once, and people flying around on swords like they were surfboards. The most hysterical part of the film is the tax collector's misuse of aforementioned freeze spell, managing to paralyze himself, the demon slayer who taught him the spell, and the ghost they're both trying to kill - so all three stand frozen for hours in a very awkward pose waiting for the spell to wear off. It's funnier than it sounds, trust me.

For all its wackiness, Chinese Ghost Story is serious stuff. Characters sacrifice themselves to save others, two sisters battle for the love of the tax collector, and the false Buddha chortles as he extols the virtues of fooling the peasantry with false deities.

In this movie, no one is who they seem and virtue ultimately rules above all. The tax collector is mistaken for a great sage. The bandit leader is mistaken for a reincarnated ghost. The demon is mistaken for Buddha. Ultimately, it is the measure of a man or woman that ultimately defines who they are, as demonstrated by the warrior who fights to the death to defend the honor of those he wronged.

Unfortunately, the subtitles of Chinese Ghost Story suffers from a lazy and inept translation. The spell chants are never translated beyond "Abracadabra, hocus pocus!" and some of the spellings are simply incorrect. Still, it wasn't so awful that it impaired my enjoyment of the film.

If Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon piqued your interest, this movie is the next step into Wuxia cinema.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: For all its wackiness, Chinese Ghost Story is serious stuff.
Review: I don't remember why I decided to rent Chinese Ghost Story 2. It's probably because it's one of the best examples of a martial arts historical fantasy, and I use the word "historical" loosely.

It's hard to sum up the plot because it's a blending mishmash of several other plots. There's the reincarnated former long lost love, the bumbling tax collector, the clueless demon fighter, the grouchy monk, and a whole slew of bandits who dress up as ghosts.

But it wouldn't be called Chinese Ghost Story 2 if it was only about fake ghosts. There are real ghosts too - one is a hilarious big floppy monster with big fangs, big eyes, and big claws. The other is the main bad guy, who doesn't actually appear until the second half of the movie. And what a bad guy he is - a demon in the form of a false Buddha in the form of a giant centipede.

Get the picture yet? How about a freeze spell gone wrong, a guardian warrior who wields five katanas at once, and people flying around on swords like they were surfboards. The most hysterical part of the film is the tax collector's misuse of aforementioned freeze spell, managing to paralyze himself, the demon slayer who taught him the spell, and the ghost they're both trying to kill - so all three stand frozen for hours in a very awkward pose waiting for the spell to wear off. It's funnier than it sounds, trust me.

For all its wackiness, Chinese Ghost Story is serious stuff. Characters sacrifice themselves to save others, two sisters battle for the love of the tax collector, and the false Buddha chortles as he extols the virtues of fooling the peasantry with false deities.

In this movie, no one is who they seem and virtue ultimately rules above all. The tax collector is mistaken for a great sage. The bandit leader is mistaken for a reincarnated ghost. The demon is mistaken for Buddha. Ultimately, it is the measure of a man or woman that ultimately defines who they are, as demonstrated by the warrior who fights to the death to defend the honor of those he wronged.

Unfortunately, the subtitles of Chinese Ghost Story suffers from a lazy and inept translation. The spell chants are never translated beyond "Abracadabra, hocus pocus!" and some of the spellings are simply incorrect. Still, it wasn't so awful that it impaired my enjoyment of the film.

If Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon piqued your interest, this movie is the next step into Wuxia cinema.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: John Woo old school Hong Kong love/ghost story
Review: My favorite in the series, this classic love story is so beautiful and so rich I know you will love it. It is almost as good a love story as Harold and Maude. It takes place mostly at night with whispy ghosts that can fly from tree to tree with wonderful magic tricks and occasional bursting into song.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Much better than the fist one
Review: Only a few of the sequel is better than the fist one. This movies is no lesser romance, more funnier, more actions, better special effect and Joey Wang is more beautiful (and less nudity). There are 2 more main characters which added more color to the stories, "the General" who is extremely good with the sword arts and another ghost-buster guy who is really funny.

I saw special edition dvd which speaks madarin and cantonese and has 8-10 languages subtitles. The dvd quality is great, I was hoping that they will add the behide the scene features, star interview (I am a forever fan of Leslies Chueng, since I was a teenager) to be more fun.

If you wanna spend $37 one of the movies for one of the chinese ghost stories, buy this one.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not as good as the first one, but still fun
Review: The second installation falls short of the high standards of eroticism and humor and is not as scary as original Chinese Ghost Story. The plot (what there is of it) is less well defined and the emphasis is more on the humor, which is a little labored. All this is not to say that the film is not fun and worth watching, merely that it is not the classic that the first one is. Good but not spectacular special effects. I think one should definately watch these films in sequence, or you'll be left out in the dark a lot.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Collectors Item !
Review: This is a great movie, lot's of symbols, Lot's of thoughts.

NOT a movie for everyone - and you MUST see the first one to understand large portions of this movie. however, for those who HAVE seen the furst part this one is definetly a Must.

worth every cent I have put into it ! Amazon - Thanks ! for bringing such great movies.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than the first of the trilogy, but with less romance
Review: This is the second enstallment in a trilogy of rather bizarre and highly special-effects-oriented movies. The first of the three focusses mainly on the love affair between the hero and the spirit of a dead girl. The second film trades much of the romantic elegance of the first for a heavy helping of very exciting and creative action.

Taking place in a fantastic world of Chinese myth and legend, the story follows the young hero from the first movie as he encounters a living woman who bears an identical likeness to his spirit lover from the first film. The events are often strange and sometimes confusing, but always highly entertaining.

Viewers who are new to this particular genre of Hong Kong film will likely find this movie to be very strange and perplexing. It would be best advised to tackle some of the less fantastic fantasy films first, such as "Wing Chun", "Tai Chi Master" or "Dragon Inn" before viewing this trilogy. But once one is accustomed to the style of these kinds of films, Chinese Ghost Story II is well worth the effort of seeking out and finding.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than the first of the trilogy, but with less romance
Review: This is the second enstallment in a trilogy of rather bizarre and highly special-effects-oriented movies. The first of the three focusses mainly on the love affair between the hero and the spirit of a dead girl. The second film trades much of the romantic elegance of the first for a heavy helping of very exciting and creative action.

Taking place in a fantastic world of Chinese myth and legend, the story follows the young hero from the first movie as he encounters a living woman who bears an identical likeness to his spirit lover from the first film. The events are often strange and sometimes confusing, but always highly entertaining.

Viewers who are new to this particular genre of Hong Kong film will likely find this movie to be very strange and perplexing. It would be best advised to tackle some of the less fantastic fantasy films first, such as "Wing Chun", "Tai Chi Master" or "Dragon Inn" before viewing this trilogy. But once one is accustomed to the style of these kinds of films, Chinese Ghost Story II is well worth the effort of seeking out and finding.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: get it
Review: this is the weakest out of the a chinese ghost story trilogy but it is still a good show. the story has little connection the previous 2 movies. This time the costumes get more colorful and the people and monsters get more powerful. go get it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A surreal ghost and love story set in ancient China.
Review: Tsui Hark is both a magician in creating atmosphere and mood and also a superbeing in creating something not seen in everyday life. He has captured the gist of the world of surreal, and also he has created a world that is beyond humans. Worked with Hollywood special effects master, Nick Allder, Tsui creates a mythical sequence of men fighting beast in a surreal world. Juxtaposed with the world of real and surreal, Tsui has created a love story that co-exists in both worlds, and its beauty is beyond words. Tsui Hark is at best when he comes to science fiction: fighting in a castle with poisoned butterflies, love between man and ghost, and also all the imagination that you can have about the Oriental myths. He has studied films in Texas University, USA, and he is the only MAN who bridges the western technologies and recreates the mythologies of the EAST for the world audiences to enjoy.


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