Kung Fu Zombie (1981) User Reviews

Some of the best, and some of the worst

[Henry J Sosenite · 5/10 · 16 December 2008]

Like other reviewers said, Kung Fu Zombie lives up to its title, but other than the character of the vampire, it doesn't go beyond expectations. A rating of a 5 is usually used in the case of a boring and mediocre film, but Kung Fu Zombie is not. It goes insanely back and forth from being a genuinely bizarre (and entertaining) zombie story and kung fu movie, to a pathetic attempt at film-making. The production of the dubbed version is way below kung-fu-film average, with numerous jumps in the plot (which is so ridiculous it's almost dull), hopeless attempts at vaudeville-style humor, and problems in pacing which sometimes makes it hard to sit through. Many of the attempts at humor fail completely, and most of the laughs will come from what is meant to be scary or strange. At the same time, though, Kung Fu Zombie has that insanity and originality that makes it a "good bad film". For example, a drawing on the outside of a jail shoots lasers out of its eyes at a zombie- because, of course, zombies can't enter jails.

The fighting in Kung Fu Zombie is surprisingly good. Billy Chong is a terrible actor, but a great athlete. The editing throughout the film is confusing and convoluted enough to ruin several scenes, and although it's noticeable in fight scenes, it somehow doesn't manage to ruin them.

It's hard to pin down an audience for Kung Fu Zombie. It might not be best for kung fu fanatics; those who prefer the serious type of kung fu film will abhor it. Probably many of its viewers are people looking for a fun zombie movie (The mainstream 70's zombie flicks had little or no influence on Kung Fu Zombie- 100% Hong Kong horror), or those who are amused by the title- these are the people who are most likely to enjoy it.

Not as great as the title suggests.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 9 July 2017]

Kung Fu and zombies: two of my favourite things in one film. Surely worth a watch.

Well, only if you're a horror/comedy/kung fu completist.

Just one of countless supernatural martial arts movies to follow in the wake of Sammo Hung's Encounters of the Spooky Kind, Kung Fu Zombie delivers the usual slapstick comedy, spooky silliness and frantic chop socky one expects from the genre, but does little to distinguish itself from the competition.

The film opens as a criminal and his henchmen lay a trap for martial artist Pang (Billy Chong), who foiled the gang's attempt to rob a bank, sending them to prison for five years. With the help of a priest's powerful magic, the bandits plan to kill Pang by luring him into a trap lined with knives. Instead, the leader finds himself falling into the pit, where he is impaled on the blades. A supernatural lightning bolt strikes the dead criminal's body, freeing his spirit to seek out a new body with help from the priest. Meanwhile, a killer from an outlaw clan also seeks to do Pang and his family harm.

After an hour of unexceptional ghoulish comedy and a few reasonable fights, the film does admittedly end on a high with an entertaining showdown between Pang and the killer, now a vampire. With super-fast moves and flaming fists and feet, the bloodsucker makes for a very cool adversary. It's just a shame that the rest of the film wasn't as much fun.

The Kung Fu Zombie Is Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy, Fun-Fun, Fun-Fun, Fun!

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 6/10 · 28 March 2022]

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Kung Fu Zombie. Before we get into it, here are my ratings:

Story - 1.25 Direction - 1.50 Pace - 1.25 Acting - 1.00 Enjoyment - 1.25

TOTAL - 6.25

Kick-ass ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and blood-suckers have seldom been so much fun. I have to admit I was a tad dubious about watching this film. However, now I am so glad I did. It has brightened my day up to no end.

The story packs in a lot of folk superstitions and spell casting - these black magic wizards are pretty awesome compared to our Western ones. Not only do they have to remember the wordage of the spell, but also the bodywork they need to perform. Each has its own Martial Arts routine, which adds to the wachability and enjoyment of the movie.

The story is packed with twists also. These mainly concern the dead and their cunningness to rejoin the living. Who knew you only have three tries to be reincarnated(?) These situations also add a superb comedic element to the film. And put loads of smiles on my face and coaxed a few laughs from my lips.

As for the martial arts, these build up to a crescendo. At the start of the movie, they are kinda like, "okay, not bad, but not great"; halfway through, "okay, now that's better"; and by the final fight, "Oh my God! That guy's hands and foot are on fire...they are really on fire!"

If you like your martial arts, then this film is for you. If you like comedy, this film is for you. If you like horror, this film is for you. Me, I love all three so Kung Fu Zombie has made it onto my Guilty Pleasures list. Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to at least one viewing of KFZ it's rib-ticklingly good.

Feel free to come and visit my Guilty Pleasures, Absolute Horror, Just For Laughs, and Holding Out For A Hero lists to see where KFZ Kung Fu'd its place in my charts.

Take Care & Stay Well.

Kung Fu Zombie. Does exactly what it says on the tin.

[nickthegun · 18 October 2002]

Kung Fu Zombie is one of those rare gems. It does nothing special, or even well, but the speed at which things happen and the utter madness you could only get from a HK release make this very appealing. The titular kung fu zombie is fun. He flies around pulls faces and, and this is the best bit, every time he is seen the camera pulls a close up to the 'da da dah-da da dah, da da d da da' part of the James Bond theme.

One for the late night stoner brigade. It worked for me and my mates (respect to jimmy for getting it in the first place).

confusing

[winner55 · 3/10 · 22 August 2006]

ej's kung-fu capsule review for films of the chop-socky old-school -

1. basic plot type - fantasy comedy, supernatural-'fu

2. plot construction - confusing

3. dramatic - no

4. funny - tries to be, but fails

5. dialog - ridiculous

6. cast performance - poor

7. crew performance - poor

8. amount of fighting - appears to be lots

9. quality of fighting - bad; loses interest

10. special any cast or crew notes - billy chong's worst movie ever, and he plays an unlikeable character; in fact, there are no likable characters in this film; the only thing of historical interest here is the introduction of Japanese anime references into an old-school chop-socky

11. big positive - none

12. big negative - it was ever made

bottom-line - who should see this movie - kung-fu completists only

Underrated fun!

[yakikorosu · 7/10 · 7 May 2009]

Okay, so the only reason I ever saw this movie to begin with was because I found the used DVD (the Black Belt Theatre version) on sale for $2 in a local video store in the middle of nowhere. I honestly expected it to stink to high heaven, and only bought it for the funny title. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it! I'm pretty confused at most of the reviews I see on the web for this movie calling it a "horror" film, because this is a comedy pure and simple. Everything is so ridiculous that it's absolutely hilarious, from the "wizard's" goofy dancing whenever he casts "spells," to the scene where they're out "shopping" for corpses, to the protagonist's complete indifference as to whether his obnoxious father lives or dies. The dub is absolutely hilarious (I've seen probably over a hundred dubbed movies/shows and this is, no kidding, one of the most effective ones I've ever seen, though it's obviously much easier to dub a goofy comedy than a drama), and it makes excellent use of music at hilarious times. I also have to give a hearty thanks to the editor for the Americanized version, who clearly edited out at least half an hour of what was clearly dull story, leaving absolutely nothing but kung fu and comedy scenes.

If you have the capacity to enjoy goofy, ridiculous movies and slapstick humor, I fully recommend this. The closest thing I can compare it to is a super low-budget version of Kung Fu Hustle. I only wish the DVD transfer were better (it's watchable, but the scenes in dark places can be hard to make out).

Kung Fu Zombie Delivers!

[kinojunkie · 7/10 · 27 June 2005]

Kung Fu Zombie is a charming flick loaded with fast paced martial arts fighting. The story is too over the top to try to explain here, but it's worth mentioning that this film has zombies, ghosts, a vampire, a wizard, possessions, an exorcism, paintings that shoot lasers out of their eyes and a healthy does of well executed kung fu! All of this is packed into a film on the short side of 80 minutes. Intentionally funny, Kung Fu Zombie is a hilarious, tightly edited, romp of a film. The big pay off is at the end of the film when Billy Chong fights an undead vampire martial arts master. The energy and absurdity of this scene is magnificent. If you're expecting a lot of zombies, you may be disappointed, but if you're looking for an entertaining ride on the wonderful roller-coaster of crazy kung fu films, Kung Fu Zombie won't disappoint!

Good but not Chong's best

[daustin · 7/10 · 22 October 2001]

This is a pretty entertaining movie, but not nearly the mindwarp that Chong's Kung Fu From Beyond the Grave is. This movie does have its moments, but the plot is not as interesting as it could be. Still, the villain is without a doubt the most butt-whuppinest zombie I have ever seen, and that includes the giant Mombie from Braindead (Dead-Alive). It's particularly fun the way he's always introduced with ripped-off James Bond music. Also the final fight is a doozie once the priest gets into the action. Worth a watch for Fu/Horror fans, but definitely not one to use an introduction to the genre.

Any version or edit is the good version

[ckormos1 · 8/10 · 7 January 2017]

I have an English dub and a subtitle version of this movie. The English version is about 78 minutes and the subtitle version about 94 minutes. Some of the differences include an extended graveyard scene, when Billy leaves to go out he stops at a tea house before the grave yard, the second Billy versus father fight is longer, an added grave yard scene after Billy's dad recovers, longer attempted reincarnation sequence, longer fight sequence versus the family enemy, and others. The only disconnect between the versions involves the other two guys who accompany Cheng Kei-Ying in the first scene. They disappear then reappear after being long forgotten.

Either version is fabulous. The English dub is done by the A team so no complaints there. The fights are top quality. The humor is laugh out loud. Chiang Tao, villain par excellence, does a great acting job as Billy's controlling father in addition to his usual stand-out martial stunts. Chan Lau, known for that great funny face, gets the comedy act down perfect in addition to his stunts. Billy Chong still manages to steal the show from this great supporting cast.

This movie has my highest recommendation and not just for fans of the genre. Eight out of ten.

Cheerfully ridiculous.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 5 October 2019]

Few movies can give fans of genre crossovers their money's worth like this one does. It's a martial arts / horror / comedy with a heavy accent on comedy. Long on slapstick and long on nonsense as well, it has a hilariously over the top, contrived plot and engagingly goofy performances from all concerned. Literally *everything* about "Kung Fu Zombie" is unsubtle, and it's constantly throwing things at you, barely giving you a chance to breathe. As far as the horror content goes, it offers you body hopping, the living dead, the undead (i.e. a vampire), and a ticked-off ghost.

The basic story has an inept master villain working mightily to defeat our strapping young hero, Pang Fong (Billy Chong). This bad guy is also often stymied in his attempts to find a new body (don't ask, just watch), and is "assisted" by a flamboyant wizard who can never seem to get his spells done correctly.

Clothes come off, items are thrown, tacky gore and makeup abound, and the music is positively dopey. "Kung Fu Zombie" does wear a little thin at times, but the acting is wonderfully hammy and there are some inspired gags. (Like our hero's father / master feigning death to throw him off guard.) It's likewise a hoot to see our villain have such a spectacular lack of success until late in the movie.

Directed with flair by Shan Hua, this flick delivers one lightning-fast fight scene after another. This viewer would recommend it to anybody who desires to put their brain in neutral for a while and investigate the more irreverent side of kung fu cinema.

The original Hong Kong version runs about 20 minutes longer, and is in a different aspect ratio, to boot. This review applies to the 79 minute long dubbed North American release (with hysterically inefficient dubbing, the kind that is just right for this sort of entertainment).

Seven out of 10.

Hopping Vampires, Ghosts & zombies

[gemproductions · 3 July 2000]

Billy Chong has to fight villains, zombies, ghosts and a vampire, who all knows the art of kung fu. All this because some low-life bad guy and a part-time magician wants him out of the way.

As usual there is loads of fighting, slapstick comedy, and we also get some jumping zombies, stupid ghosts and a vampire who´s running around chopping heads. Funny and entertaining, but also quite exhausting. Not as good as the Mr. Vampires series though. Leave your brain in a bucket and enjoy.

Turn your brain off and enjoy an odd mix of horror comedy and kung fu

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 10 November 2008]

Amusing Kung fu horror comedy about a guy seeking to get revenge on the person who sent him to jail by using zombies. He ends up dead himself and needs to have his spirit put into a suitable body. Meanwhile the family of the person who sent the now dead guy to jail is having problems since another family is out for revenge for other reasons.

Odd mish mash of genres is actually amusing in a completely less than serious way. The horror elements are creepy, the humor dopey but fun and the action is pretty good. I picked this up for a buck and it actually entertained me more than most films I paid ten or twenty times that amount for. If you can go with the shifting genres I recommend this.

Definitely worth a box of popcorn and a soda.

Kung Fu Zombie

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 25 August 2019]

This martial arts film is as much a comedy as anything else. It opens with a priest using his dark arts to raise people from the dead; he is doing this at the behest of a criminal, Lu Dai, who intends to use them to help him get his revenge against Pan Fong... things do not go to plan and Lu Dai ends up dead. His ghost attacks the priest who offers to put his spirit in another body. The first body selected belongs to a dangerous killer and escapes before it can be used. The next choice is Pan's just deceased father. Again things don't go quite according to plan, this time due to interference from Lu Dai's associates... in his new body he goes after the priest, the two associates and Pan. The Killer is also still at large. Pan will have to work with the priest to stop the undead evil!

It must be said that this film is utterly ridiculous; most of the special effects are poor, the plot is silly and the English dub isn't great... strangely all of this adds up to a fun film. There is lots of martial arts action and even more laughs. These are mostly provided by a level of slapstick rarely seen in anything made this side of the Second World War! The makers clearly wanted to include several horror regulars; in this case ghosts, zombies and even a vampire zombie who does Kung Fu! The cast appear to do a decent job, although it is hard to really judge as I watched the dubbed version. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody wanting plenty of martial arts action as well as a good laugh.

Kungfu Zombie

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 14 January 2023]

How do you kill something that's already dead? That's the question Billy Chong faces when he goes up against the "Kung Fu Zombie". Billy's father crosses the wrong exorcist, and there's hell to pay. The evil priest unleashes an army of the undead against Chong's family, led by the Mad Korean Kwan Yun Moon.

Totally bonkers, OTT, cheesy and humorous horror-kungfu comedy that is unrestrained in its barminess, and consistently so throughout. But it's all entertaining with some great fights - with the exception of the ending, where there's an abundance of flying in the air via wire, there's not much acrobatic or dancing kungfu, it's more straightforward school of hard knocks. Billy Chong, like usual, displays some killer moves in frenetic fashion. The humour is really good, especially where it concerns that priest who has to find a body for a dead thug. Its craziness can be overwhelming and this film should be watched when you're in mood for some silliness and slapstick humour, but I found it fairly entertaining, much more so than Kungfu beyond the grave ( another Billy Chong horror-comedy).

Genuinely entertaining kung fu comedy horror

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 14 August 2016]

A wild and heady mix of knockabout comedy, horror elements, and super-fast martial arts action make up this crazy combination of a film, made during the period in Hong Kong when Sammo Hung's supernatural successes meant that everybody jumped on the comedy horror bandwagon. Despite a low budget and the crude special effects used in the film, KUNG FU ZOMBIE is a thrill-a-minute ride which will be a hoot for fans of the genre. The movie is packed with comedy throughout, mostly of the slapstick variety, and as is the norm with these productions there are a lot of guys screaming and shouting at each other all the while. Invisible ghosts that pull chairs out from underneath people and grope the town prostitute are here, as well as irritating sidekicks named Hamster with fake freckles and a comedy fat guy who eats a small, cute dog.

The simple plot is just an excuse to cram as much action, kung fu, and comedy into one eighty-minute film as possible and it works. Things begin, appropriately enough, in a graveyard, where an unlucky wizard manages to bring three rotting zombies back to life. The corpse makeup in this film is pretty yucky so plenty of macabre chills in that area. Things go wrong when the wizard's employer ends up falling in a spike trap he set for his enemy, and his ghost returns to haunt the wizard, demanding him to find another body. Into this mess comes martial hero Billy Chong, whose own father happens to pop off at the moment, thus providing a harmless vessel for the enemy to inhabit. Also into this mess comes an invincible vampire zombie who has a score to settle with Chong. The scene is set for a showdown.

Plenty of bizarre moments keep this film moving along nicely and its often surprising. Chong makes for a skilled and able fighter and although his character is less than engaging, he carries a natural charisma which combines with his talent to provide a worthwhile hero character. Chong is first seen jumping out of a tree and battling with his father in some frenetic kung fu action which is some of the fastest and craziest I've seen so far, making great use of props like buckets of water and tables and the like. Acting awards go to the guy playing the unfortunate wizard, who is magnificent in his part at playing a weaselly but inherently good character caught on the wrong side.

Things culminate in a fantastic battle sequence between Chong and this caped vampire zombie guy, who gorily bites people's heads off and drinks their blood messily. Just as Chong is losing, a Buddhist priest turns up to help him on and then the fight goes into overdrive, an incredibly fast sequence of hard punches, kicks, the vampire setting himself alight to defeat his enemy and his final, hilarious comeuppance. Incredible stuff which really is worth waiting for. Despite cheap production values, the film looks visually impressive throughout and the action, when it comes, is fast and furious and most importantly exciting. Although I wouldn't call this film a classic due to the shallowness of the plot and the sometimes overwhelming silly comedy on display, it's genuinely entertaining and therefore deserves praise.

Forget John Woo! Forget Tsui Hark! This one is ultimate!

[karloff-4 · 24 October 1999]

What a masterpiece! I still can't believe what I've seen. This is a classic of eastern cinematography. It belongs in every well sorted movie-collection. The director, the actors, the scenery and the plot are unique. I want to mention especially Billy Chong as Pang. His performance is so outstanding, it's really a thrill watching his acting. And director Hua I-Jung did a hell of a job. He's a brilliant director. Forget John Woo! Forget Tsui Hark! This one is ultimate!