‘Magic Cop’ is an interesting and worthy addition to the catalogue of movies and TV series to cast the iconic Lam Ching Ying as a Taoist ghost buster. Initially it feels very similar to the below-par ‘Mr. Vampire II’, but it soon becomes apparent that this is not only a superior, but more experimental take on the genre.

For a start, there isn’t a traditional ‘Kyonsi’ vampire in sight, which is unusual for a Lam Ching Ying fantasy movie. LYC himself doesn’t once wear his famous yellow robes, and instead of playing a curmudgeonly priest, plays a curmudgeonly cop who just happens to have a few tricks up his sleeves. In ‘Magic Cop’, more emphasis is put on the magical rituals that LYC so often performs in these movies, so expect to see all kinds of strange spells being cast as he juggles incense, magic string, mirrors, and even his fellow cops.

The enemy this time around comes in the lovely shape of sultry Japanese siren Michiko Nishiwaki, who spends a lot of her time lounging around on blocks of ice in a kimono and reanimating corpses. One of those corpses is ‘Frankie’ Chan Chi Leung (not to be confused with Frankie Chan Fan Kei), playing a body builder zombie, and in attacking our heroes, gives the movie it’s most ‘Mr Vampire’ like scenes. Also of note is the actress who plays Lam Ching Ying’s naïve young niece, a role usually reserved for Moon Lee. The actress here (Wong May Wa?) not only looks like Moon, but her mannerisms are very similar. There are also small roles for Wu Ma and Billy Chow.

‘Magic Cop’ shares much with the Mr. Vampire series, but is a genuinely individual movie in it’s own right. This solid fantasy movie does slow down a little at times, and there is a small amount of animal cruelty which will distress cat lovers, but apart from that, it’s a lively and inventive adventure.