The Figures from Earth

This is a Hong Kong fantasy film that was probably based on the more popular A Chinese Ghost Story, which was released three years earlier. Here, a beautiful female ghost named Chu (Lau-Na Ngai) is forced to lure men to her older sister, a Bat Witch (Chi-Wai Yu) so she could feed on their blood and eventually become an all-powerful devil. Two bumbling police officers (Kai Chi Liu, Wong Chun) got caught in the witch's path while she does battle with Master Thunderbolt (Stanley Fung), who wants to end the witch's reign of terror. After Thunderbolt is gravely injured, he makes the police officers promise to defeat the witch for him. He gives them two magic pills that will give you everlasting life, but they inadvertently swallow them, freezing them for 500 years. They awake in modern day Hong Kong, where their quest to defeat the witch continues.

It's a movie with a simple plot and limited suspense. But, it's fast-paced and to the point - perfect for a little popcorn movie night. The acting was quite OK and there are some humor to the story. I enjoyed seeing the Chu character, which reminds me of Joey Wang's character in A Chinese Ghost Story. I just wished her role was more emphasized and more substantial in helping the good guys defeat the witch. Alex Man's character was funny to watch and Meh Ting's characters was actually quite funny. Both of them were secondary characters, but I think they contributed more to the plot than the bumbling officers.

Overall, it's a predictable fantasy movie, but you might get some laughs out of it and even enjoy the classic ghost-busting action as well.

Grade B-