Monday, March 2, 2009
Chinese Ghost Story III
I was prepared to really enjoy Chinese Ghost Story III, understanding that it was essentially a retread of the original two movies. Since the movie takes place 100 years after the second, there's plenty of good reasons for why the Chinese Ghost Story III would be disconnected from its roots.
Unfortunately, Chinese Ghost Story III suffers from exactly the opposite: it's far too much like Chinese Ghost Story II. Even more unforgivable, the actress who played the ghost in the first story (that was saved, to become reincarnated) and who played the physical twin of the ghost in the second story, is ANOTHER ghost in this story. Another ghost, but not the same ghost. Very annoying.
Back too is the villain, the wicked tree hag with the never-ending tongue and influence over tree branches. I don't know about you, but I didn't have a burning desire to find out whatever happened to the tree hag that dove into that hole in the second movie. I mean, really.
The plot is similar - instead of a tax collector seduced by a ghost, we have a monk seduced by a ghost. There's an old mentor who has supernatural powers and there's also a professional demon hunter. The only difference is that the demon hunter in this movie was the student of the old monk in the last movie.
So what does this movie have to offer? Not much. In fact, it's so much like the second movie that the parallels only serve to show just how inferior the second movie is. It's not as scary, not as funny, and not as romantic.
The ending even has a poorly introduced bad guy - the husband to be to the ghost (JUST LIKE THE SECOND MOVIE). In this case, it's the "Mountain Devil." The Mountain Devil is apparently a big puppet, and not in the "hey it's cool cause it's wacky" kind of way. He animates buildings that look like puppet buildings.
On the whack-I-meter, the old monk manages to cover his eyes with his earlobes. And that's about it. Even the sword stunts and magic tricks can't top Chinese Ghost Story II.
If you've seen the second movie, you don't need to see Chinese Ghost Story III.
Unfortunately, Chinese Ghost Story III suffers from exactly the opposite: it's far too much like Chinese Ghost Story II. Even more unforgivable, the actress who played the ghost in the first story (that was saved, to become reincarnated) and who played the physical twin of the ghost in the second story, is ANOTHER ghost in this story. Another ghost, but not the same ghost. Very annoying.
Back too is the villain, the wicked tree hag with the never-ending tongue and influence over tree branches. I don't know about you, but I didn't have a burning desire to find out whatever happened to the tree hag that dove into that hole in the second movie. I mean, really.
The plot is similar - instead of a tax collector seduced by a ghost, we have a monk seduced by a ghost. There's an old mentor who has supernatural powers and there's also a professional demon hunter. The only difference is that the demon hunter in this movie was the student of the old monk in the last movie.
So what does this movie have to offer? Not much. In fact, it's so much like the second movie that the parallels only serve to show just how inferior the second movie is. It's not as scary, not as funny, and not as romantic.
The ending even has a poorly introduced bad guy - the husband to be to the ghost (JUST LIKE THE SECOND MOVIE). In this case, it's the "Mountain Devil." The Mountain Devil is apparently a big puppet, and not in the "hey it's cool cause it's wacky" kind of way. He animates buildings that look like puppet buildings.
On the whack-I-meter, the old monk manages to cover his eyes with his earlobes. And that's about it. Even the sword stunts and magic tricks can't top Chinese Ghost Story II.
If you've seen the second movie, you don't need to see Chinese Ghost Story III.
Labels: Ghost Reviews
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