★ 5 / 10
Awful, but with one saving grace.
leighm
As a die-hard Chow Yun-Fat fan, I had to see this film just to be completist. Unless you're in the same category, forget it. An embarrassing attempt at a…
As a die-hard Chow Yun-Fat fan, I had to see this film just to be completist. Unless you're in the same category, forget it. An embarrassing attempt at a mystic fantasy, this film seemed to be made by people who couldn't decide whether they really wanted to take it seriously or not. As a result you have a film which is so bad that it's scary - not only because of the enchanted testicles which the main character wears around his neck, either. The final battle atop a skyscraper is okay, but the film's only real (albeit momentary) saving grace is the steamy sex scenes between Chow Yun-Fat and Chu Po Yee.
This film is rated as Category II (not for children).
★ 7 / 10
Hong Kong craziness with Chow Yun-Fat.
BA_Harrison
While visiting Nepal with his girlfriend Ida (Kit Ying Lam), commercial artist Joe (Chow Yun Fat) is unwittingly appointed leader of a Himalayan tribe and…
While visiting Nepal with his girlfriend Ida (Kit Ying Lam), commercial artist Joe (Chow Yun Fat) is unwittingly appointed leader of a Himalayan tribe and entrusted by pretty villager Sheila (Emily Chu) with the protection of a magical pair of fossilised testicles* sought after by an evil panther man (Dick Wei). As Joe comes to terms with his situation, and masters special powers given to him by Sheila, he falls for the Himalayan cutie, which naturally upsets ballet teacher Ida.
Witch From Nepal is a hot mess of fantasy, romance and action that rarely makes sense, but which still manages to be very enjoyable thanks to its sheer craziness (and the presence of two Asian hotties in Kit Ying Lam and Emily Chu). Directed by Siu-Tung Ching, who would go on to make the far more cohesive classic A Chinese Ghost Story, the film features numerous scenes that are so silly that they couldn't fail to entertain - if you've ever wanted to see Chow Yun-Fat battling to protect ballerinas from zombies in a creepy graveyard, then this is the film for you.
Other satisfyingly silly scenes include Joe being carried away by a stampeding elephant, Sheila launching the poor guy off a high balcony in a wheelchair, Sheila imbuing Joe with magical powers by summoning a spirit from cigarette smoke and power sockets, the artist adding sugar lumps to his tea using his mind, the panther man tearing a guard dog in half, Sheila setting herself on fire before causing Joe's house to explode (followed by a sex scene in the rain), Joe driving through a wall, somersaulting his jeep, and being transported by his glowing set of gonads to Nepal to claim a magical knife, an elevator that goes haywire, and a climactic battle that sees panther man going out in spectacular fashion: Joe, knife in hand, harnesses the power of steam to launch himself at the bad guy, causing his foe's teeth to fall out, eyes to erupt, and face to come off!
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the atmospheric Fulci-esque zombie sequence, which ends with panther man launching metal fence spikes like spears into Joe's car.
*At least that's what they look like to me.
5.4/10
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Sorry bud, you're not gonna get much skin in Chinese films unless they are Cat III films.