Film Name: 倩女幽魂 / A Chinese Ghost Story
Watching the 1987 version of “A Chinese Ghost Story” on the big screen at the cinema, I recalled the line Jacky Cheung delivered to Joey Wong in “The Eagle Shooting Heroes”: “Cousin, you’re still so captivating!” Having traversed 24 years of time, “A Chinese Ghost Story” has arrived in this era of taste-driven trends, yet it remains not only timeless but still utterly captivating. In contrast, the newly released remake of “A Chinese Ghost Story” feels like a dated relic wrapped in a fashionable shell when compared to the 1987 original.
Time may alter tangible elements like film technology, but it cannot diminish human talent and artistry. This is precisely what the simultaneous release of the 24-year-old classic and its modern counterpart has proven. The new “A Chinese Ghost Story” may have the advantage of visual effects, but it fails to harness the power such technology should deliver. The fight scenes featuring Yan Chixia, Xia Xuefenglei, and the Old Witch are largely forgettable beyond their CG effects. The only lasting impression is likely the eerie, otherworldly laughter of the Old Witch, portrayed by Hui Yinghong.
In contrast, the 1987 version of “A Chinese Ghost Story,” despite lacking CG enhancements, delivers fight sequences that are unforgettable. You won’t forget Yan Chixia dipping his finger in blood to draw talismans on his palm, harnessing cosmic energy to slay demons and exorcise evil. You won’t forget the Old Witch’s long, repulsive tongue, which she frantically shoved into Yan Chixia and Ning Caichen’s mouths during her attacks. And you certainly won’t forget the scene where Nie Xiaoqian thrusts her sword at the Black Mountain Demon, sending a swarm of grotesque, snarling heads flying out of the frame like swarms of flies.
Both adaptations draw from Pu Songling’s “Nie Xiao Qing” chapter in “Fairy Ghost Vixen,” but the 1987 “A Chinese Ghost Story” masterfully balances humor and tension. Ning Caichen’s night at the Lanruo Temple, with its series of scenes involving the desiccated corpse, is both laugh-out-loud funny and nerve-wracking for the character. The climactic sequence where Nie Xiaoqing hides Ning Caichen in the bathtub builds to a thrilling, heart-pounding crescendo. These imaginative plot elements are absent from the remake. While the new version contains its share of lighthearted humor, it pales in comparison to the 1987 classic. Xia Xuefenglei’s sibling (or sister—their gender remains ambiguous) delivers lines like reciting a textbook, eliciting uproarious laughter from the audience. Yet this kind of humor feels jarring and diminishes the film’s quality. The tension that defined the original “A Chinese Ghost Story” is entirely absent in the remake. Even the scene where Ning Caichen sneaks into the Lanruo Temple to rescue the injured Xiao Qian, which should have been heart-pounding, leaves the audience utterly unmoved.
When it comes to memorable comedic supporting characters, the new version falls short. Only Xu Jinjiang as the Black Mountain Village Chief and Li Qing as the stuttering villager leave an impression. The 1987 version, however, featured a bounty hunter, a painting peddler, a magistrate, and a legal advisor…
The only area where the new “A Chinese Ghost Story” surpasses the 1987 version is in the number of female ghosts. However, their primary function is to flaunt their charms and show some cleavage! They pale in comparison to the practical significance of just one female ghost—Xiao Qing—in the 1987 version!
The most captivating cousin was Joey Wong. As for which “A Chinese Ghost Story” is the most captivating? That goes without saying!
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