 |
| Images courtesy of 88 Films |
Magic Cop (1990) is a genre mash-up that mixes action, Taoist lore, comedy, and a police procedural to make a consistently creative and entertaining blend. Those who are fans of the Mr. Vampire franchise will immediately recognize its main star, Lam Ching-Ying, as the protagonist Uncle Feng, and the character he plays in this film is similar (with the same majestic eyebrows) in many ways. In some territories, Magic Cop is known as Mr. Vampire 5, even though it has no connection to the series. It could be a spiritual successor in a different universe where Lam became a cop instead of a Taoist priest.
The film wastes no time introducing the mystical element with Uncle Feng helping an older woman contain an angry spirit she unleashed, using his arcane rituals and esoteric knowledge of the spiritual realm. Time flashes forward, and Uncle Feng has retired from the police force and lives a quiet life out in the countryside. Later, the local police have an encounter with a strange woman who is smuggling drugs; she doesn't behave like an average person and seems to have superhuman strength. They eventually subdue her after a scuffle but are mystified by her persona. Detective Lam (Wilson Lam) is out of his depth, and the police chief calls in Uncle Feng as a favor to help because of his extensive experience with the supernatural.
Detective Lam and Uncle Feng have a relationship similar to Mulder and Scully from The X-Files, where Lam is the skeptic who believes in science, and Feng is the one who believes in the paranormal. This interaction also encompasses a young vs. old dynamic, with Feng presented as someone who needs help understanding modern technology and is considered out-of-touch and outdated in his principles. Outside the mystic hijinks, there is a running theme about respecting and acknowledging cultural practices and keeping them alive for the next generation.
Many action sequences have excellent editing and flow, and they all revolve around Uncle Feng using his obscure rituals to outsmart nefarious magic spells. There are some silly elements like ice zombies and fart spells, a far cry from some of the grosser entries into the Black Magic genre. The main villain is a Japanese sorceress (Michiko Nishiwaki), and although she is introduced about halfway through the movie, she ends up being a real threat to Lam and Feng. There is a magic fight in the third act, which is always kick-ass. Magic Cop channels the same vibe as the Mr. Vampire films, and if one enjoys those films, one will very likely enjoy this one too.
Extras: Of note is the commentary by Frank Djeng and Marc Walkow which has immense background information on both the film and the actors. Djeng also provides cultural context for the rituals that Feng uses and it's fascinating to hear the stories behind them.
Blu-Ray Extras:
Double Walled Gloss Finish O-ring featuring new artwork by Sean Longmore (First Pressing Only)(3000)
Double-sided foldout poster (First Pressing Only)(3000)
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray™ presentation in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Original Cantonese Mono Mix
2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Cantonese Home Video Mix
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio English Surround Dub
2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio English Dub
Audio commentary with Hong Kong Film Experts Frank Djeng and Marc Walkow
Taiwanese Cut with Alternate Score (SD)
Interview with Tung Wei (HD)
Image Gallery
Trailer
Reversible cover with new artwork by Sean Longmore and original HK Poster Art
--Michelle Kisner