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

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.

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. 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 is mistaken for a fugitive rebel

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. Alongside a new female sword-fighter (Michelle Reis) and

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.

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.

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.