A Chinese Ghost Story I Ii Iii -1987-1990-1991-... -

Before the CGI spectacles of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or the global phenomenon of Squid Game , there was Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and a Taoist swordsman named Yin Chek-ha. This is the story of how a simple ghost story became a cultural monument. Directed by Ching Siu-tung (choreographer of Hero ) and produced by Tsui Hark, the original film was a revolutionary departure from the staid Shaw Brothers productions of the prior decade. It took a classic Qing dynasty tale from Pu Songling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and injected it with 80s MTV pacing, wire-fu poetry, and tragic romance.

Ling Choi-san (Leslie Cheung), a timid, debt-ridden debt collector, seeks shelter in the decrepit Lan Ro Temple. There, he meets the ethereal Nie Hsiao-ching (Joey Wong), a ghost enslaved by the monstrous Tree Devil (Lau Siu-ming). Forced to lure men to their deaths, Hsiao-ching instead falls for the naive yet pure-hearted Ling. With the help of the irreverent, sword-slinging Taoist warrior Yen (Wu Ma), Ling must battle the underworld to reincarnate his love.

Part II abandons the quiet, Gothic horror of the temple for political satire and monster brawls. The Tree Devil is gone. In its place is a giant, glowing centipede that sheds human skin. The romance is secondary to the acrobatics. A chinese ghost story I II III -1987-1990-1991-...

An entertaining, over-stuffed blockbuster. It lacks the soul of the original but is a crucial bridge to the madness of Part III. Part III: A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991) – The Taoist Unleashed Originally envisioned as a side story focusing solely on the Yin Chek-ha character, Part III is perhaps the most controversial entry among purists. Leslie Cheung is absent. Joey Wong returns, but not as Hsiao-ching.

Ling Choi-san is mistaken for a fugitive rebel and thrown into prison. The world has changed; evil ministers and demons (led by a centipede spirit) control the land. He meets a doppelgänger of the deceased Hsiao-ching (Joey Wong again, playing a human revolutionary named Ching). Alongside a new female sword-fighter (Michelle Reis) and the returning Yin Chek-ha, Ling must defeat a massive, transforming demon. Before the CGI spectacles of Crouching Tiger, Hidden

Ten years after the first film, the Tree Devil has regenerated. A young monk (Tony Leung Chiu-wai, in a rare comedic role), Fong, travels to the temple to cremate his master’s remains. He meets a new ghost, Lotus (Joey Wong, playing a heartbreaking courtesan ghost serving the same Tree Devil). Yin Chek-ha (Wu Ma) returns, older and drunker, to help decapitate the monster once and for all.

Michelle Reis as the cold, practical monk-fighter "Moon" is a highlight. The final battle, featuring a giant hollow demon head and massive explosions, is pure Hong Kong insanity. What fails: The magic is diluted. Replacing the unique chemistry of "ghost and scholar" with a "look-alike human" feels like cheating. Leslie Cheung’s Ling is now a screaming coward for 90% of the runtime, which gets exhausting. It took a classic Qing dynasty tale from

"It's too dangerous to be a hero." – Yin Chek-ha. But for one trilogy, it was worth it.