A Chinese Ghost Story 2 (Sinnui yauman II, 1990)
Sui-Tung Ching
This is a true sequel of ACGS1 and the story picks up shortly after the end of the first film. Ning (Leslie Cheung) wanders back into the town where he was employed as debt collector and walks into an inn. In a case of mistaken identity (not the first in the film), he is imprisoned and about to be executed. He manages to flee only to get himself entangled in a palace intrigue. He finds two sisters, who pretend to be ghosts, and one of them, Windy (Joey Wang) bears a striking resemblance to his lost-but-now-reincarnated-somewhere love Nieh Hsiao-Tsing (the original ghost). They fall for each other, kill several ghosts, and ride off together to live happily ever after.
Yeah, the plot isn't on the cerebral side, unlike most HK films (???), and the subtitles add to the comedy quite a bit. I have to say that the translation is much better than the first film, though. The DVD transfer is surprisingly good, there's no noticeable pixellation, very few artifacts, and although the newly mixed sound betrays its mono origins, it is not bad at all. Considering that this is a HK production, the quality is astonishing and much better than the first ACGS.
The special effects are so-so, there's a lot of flying around, burrowing underground, a puking monster, and even some sword fights. Nothing truly spectacular, as the emphasis is on slapstick comedy more than action. As a matter of fact, unlike its predecessor, ACGS2 is really a comedy, there's no suspense in the story but quite a few excellent laughs.
There are several very funny scenes and (unintentionally) humorous oneliners. My favorite memorable quote has to be "Let me stand in front of you so the wolves eat me first." The "real men are afraid of nothing" bit is particularly hilarious, as is the scene where Ning runs after the two sisters to draw the freeze spell on their palms but they misinterpret his intentions as less than honorable. "Don't worry," says our hero, "I'll get your sister right after I finish with you." Classic. Another scene you gotta love is when Ning tries to conceal the partially naked Windy from her sister Moon. Since Windy is hiding behind him, Ning... opens his robe and flashes Moon and her brothers: "Uncover your chests to fight" (?!) which the brothers, but not the confused Moon, do. Quite heroic.
This is definitely a movie worth seeing, I actually own it on DVD. If nothing else, Joey Wang is spectacular. She is one of the most delicate beauties to ever grace the screen. How she manages to be sexy, seductive, innocent, and confused, all while covered in ghost goo, is beyond me. So, cheesy special effects, awful pop music in Chinese, weird camera angles, and bizarre lenses, this movie has all the ingredients of a lasting classic.
March 11, 2001. BLS