"Picture of a Nymph" Chinese DVD Cover
AKA: Painting of a Nymph
Director: Wu Ma
Writer: Wu Ma, Chan Kam Cheong
Producer: Sammo Hung Kam Bo
Cast: Yuen Biao, Joey Wong, Wu Ma, Lawrence Ng Kai Wah, Elizabeth Lee Mei Fung, May Lo Mei Mei, Fanny Sit Chi Lun, Yuen Wah, David Lam Wai
Running Time: 95 min.
By JJ Hatfield
Tsui Hark has done a simply wonderful film with “A Chinese Gho…” Wait. My apologies but the confusion would be understandable. This is not the same film it is a ripmake. (See end of review) Two actors are the same but they added Biao so something was going on to keep the audience awake.
I won’t bother to rehash the plot just watch “A Chinese Ghost Story”.
It had only been around a year since ACGS was released, far too soon for a “remake”. But that has never stopped anyone from doing so. This is tepid bath water safe enough for the kiddies. There is nothing scary in this movie except the realization as you are watching that it is ninety-seven minutes in duration and there are still thirty seven minutes left.
There is a female demon with serious issues in regard to happily married couples. Her minions are terrifyingly silly and use a lot of the color red. This seems to be a favorite shade of the demoness. I could go on at length about what this movie was trying to accomplish but alas, it would be a lie. This movie was made to capture the leftover “Ghost” fans and their money.
The scenes are pretty. Joey Wang is pretty. Joey Wang’s clothes are pretty. Joey Wang’s clothes are cool as she sails across sets and looks pretty. The production values are surprisingly high, at least when focused on Joey Wang.
Warning: This movie has a nauseatingly cute section that includes a man (the Master) singing ashe takes a bath in a creek. And what you may ask is he singing about? Taking a bath of course.
There are cutesy origami cranes, cute little fuzzy animal some-things. Aww this movie is so darn cute.
I expected more from Biao and much less cutesy. The ghost story theme is very stale and needs to be retired for a few years at least. I didn’t think this was going to be a masterpiece and it is definitely not. Good for a viewing but there are much better films with similar themes.
* I use the term “cashchises” for franchises; the term “ripmake” for remake/re-boot/re-do/prequel/sequeal…. You won’t find these words in the dictionary.
JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 5/10
I agree with you JJ, this was a pale imitation of ” A Chinese Ghost Story “. I remember getting this one on VHS for Yuen Biao, and there it sits in my storage space since the dvd revolution. ACGS and the two sequels were far superior, but as you stated it has some pretty moments. 4/10.
Pretty only goes so far. I’m not sure what genre this was even supposed to be. Comedy? Romance? Drama? Martial Arts? I too bought mine for Yuen Biao but there was not enough of him to make this watchable.
Once again I agree with you, I will not be retrieving this from storage, unless one of my fellow officers is ready to swap for it.
You had better warn them regarding the song about taking a bath at the beginning!