Rating: **
Alternate Title: The Shadow Boxing
Review Date: 1/27/01
Director: Liu Chia Liang (Lau Kar Leung)
Cast: Yung Wang Yu, Wong Hang Sau, Liu Chia Hui (Gordon Liu), Liu Chia Yung,
Wilson Tong, Tsui Siu Keung (Norman Chu)
An unrelated sequel to Liu Chia Liang's original "Spirtual Boxer" (1976) that is redeemed by its interesting premise and its excellent kung fu climax. Liu Chia Yung and Yung Wang Yu are professional corpse drivers. It seems that the best and easiest way to transport corpses is to reanimate them as vampires (the traditional Chinese hopping kind) and lead them to their final destination. Liu Chia Hui is a fugitive on the run from some nasty criminals and he decides to evade them by pretending to be a corpse and hiding in Wang Yu's corpse herd. This naturally leads to some stupid sit-com moments and eventually builds to a kung fu frenzy when all of the major players are finally assembled. The kung fu is excellent, and Wang Yu even exhibits some unique and bizarre vampire fighting techniques. The only downer in the film is that it's an extremely slow starter, but thankfully it relies on Chinese mysticism more than comedic pratfalls. And once again, director Liu Chia Liang has difficulty ending the film as we get a nonsensical freeze frame of Liu Chia Yung gambling with a bunch of street kids. Huh?!?