Film Name: 僵尸家族 / Mr. Vampire Part 2 / Mr. Vampire II / 殭屍家族
This is a film that profoundly impacted my childhood. To this day, I still vividly recall those two pairs of zombies with their pallid faces, hopping about with boundless strength, feeding solely on human blood. If anyone was unlucky enough to be bitten on the neck, they too would become a zombie—how terrifying, how hideous. At the time, I was still in kindergarten, watching the videotape on a cool autumn night at a friend’s house. From that moment on, I began to believe that such undead creatures existed in the world. They lurked in some corner of the city—perhaps near my home—and I feared I might one day encounter them by misfortune.
Zombies have always been mysterious entities—I’m not even sure if they count as living beings—and I couldn’t fathom how the phenomenon of “the dead rising” could be explained. In elementary school, the TV series Vampire Expert I, starring Lam Ching-ying, also left a deep impression on me. It reinforced my belief in the existence of zombies, making me too scared to watch it all the way through—which is why I now have this urge to revisit it. In middle school, the My Date With a Vampire series debuted. I was utterly amazed by screenwriter Chen Shisan’s extraordinary imagination. Zombies in this new era were no longer terrifying; instead, they grew increasingly powerful, possessed human-like emotions and loyalties, yet faced tragic fates amidst intense battles between good and evil. Aside from the third installment, I deeply admired the series’ blend of sci-fi, romance, and tightly woven plots.
There are countless zombie films out there, but I haven’t seen many. Recently, I watched Candle in the Tomb, which gave me insight into the origins of zombies—surprisingly tied to feng shui.
My childhood has faded, yet I still vividly recall my first encounter with zombie films—*Mr. Vampire II* (1986). So on the evening of October 12th, I rewatched it, having previously revisited the 1985 original *Mr. Vampire*.
After over a decade, I now appreciate these Hong Kong commercial horror films with fresh perspective.
First, these films aren’t actually scary at all. Limited by the era’s concepts, technology, and makeup skills, the zombies all share the same traits: uniformly pale complexions, black or green fingernails, invariably dressed in Qing dynasty attire (men in official robes, women in aristocratic gowns), moving in identical ways, possessing superhuman strength that never tires, and being easily subdued with **talismanic symbols. This reflects the “zombie template” of Hong Kong commercial cinema, shaping audiences’ expectations of undead creatures. Compared to modern horror films, which rely more on cinematography and advanced makeup techniques, those early works relied purely on makeup effects to unsettle viewers. This highlights how crucial contemporary perspectives and innovation are. My Date With a Vampire I broke tradition, offering something fresh within the zombie genre—no wonder it became popular.
Moreover, rather than categorizing it as horror, it belongs more to the realms of action and comedy. The struggle between humans and zombies resembles a martial arts tournament, featuring countless fight scenes where humans turn passive resistance into active combat. Though sustaining minor injuries, they ultimately subdue the zombies through countless methods and emerge victorious. These films invariably feature comedic supporting characters—like the apprentice bitten by a zombie, the villain pursuing a beauty—and even incorporate humorous interludes during battles to lighten the mood.
Finally, taking Mr. Vampire II as an example, it contrasts the emotionless familial bonds among zombies, the pure friendship between children, and the gratitude shown by zombies against the backdrop of humanity’s ugliness—greed and coldness. Had humans not recklessly brought them out of their cave, not for scientific research but to sell them for profit, how could such a chain of disasters have unfolded? When the government discovered them, the so-called bureau chiefs only thought of exploiting their value, even bickering over it. Ultimately, the police deployed overwhelmingly powerful weapons to subdue them. The sheer scale of the operation was repulsive, smacking of extermination. The pitiful zombies, unable to flee, were ultimately buried beneath the might of high technology. On the surface, it seemed the zombies had committed a grave error, but in reality, it was humanity reaping what it had sown—a bitter irony. Yet the film still featured righteous individuals who saved both society and the zombies.
No matter how comical or absurd Hong Kong commercial films may be, they consistently upheld mainstream social values and reflected Chinese moral perspectives. This alignment with the audience’s values is precisely why they were so widely accepted and enjoyed such prosperity.
Watching this film over a decade later, fear no longer grips my heart—instead, I find myself vaguely moved.
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