Review: Encounters of the Spooky Kind

Plot: 
Encounters of the Spooky Kind, AKA Spooky Encounters, is about a a bumbling man who's life gets flipped upside down by a wizard trying to kill him.


Overview:
Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a Kung fu horror comedy from Hong Kong. It's filled with extremely impressive Kung fu choreography from one of the masters of the genre, Sammo-Hung; who also wrote and directed this film.
Hung's choreography is very similar to Jackie Chan's, as Hung mixes Kung fu with physical comedy in order to create a unique fighting style.
When you first see Sammo-Hung's character you see a lazy and bumbling man who looks like he wouldn't know anything about Kung fu. However, when you see him actually perform your expectations about the character are completely shattered.
As previously mentioned, this movie is not just a Kung fu comedy. It also has horror and fantasy elements; which makes it all the more unique. This includes wizardry, voodoo, ghosts, a possession scene straight out of Evil Dead 2, and Chinese Hopping Vampire (which are also known as Jiangshi). 


Best Part:
The best part about this movie is undoubtedly Sammo-Hung's choreography. The man is a genius when it comes to his craft. Every fight scene is a spectacle and is incredible to see just how technical some of these scenes are. There's a scene in a Chinese restaurant towards the end that has an incredible fight scene, probably the best in the movie. There's also the wizard battle that'll blow your mind.


Worst Part:
the version I saw has some pretty bad dubbing, and even thought that's technically not a fault of the movie, it still makes the movie cheesier than it is.
There's also some problems with the pacing, as the movie kinda plods a bit.


Conclusion:
Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a deeply entertaining Kung fu horror comedy.The choreography and fight scenes are excellent and Sammo Ho is a master of the genre. This movie is a perfect start for movie fans looking to branch out into the Hong Kong horror genre. As it's not too alienating for newcomers. Overall, I give this movie:

8/10