Return of the Evil Fox

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Year of release: 1991

Genre: ghost/comedy

Director: Leung Joh-Chi

Action director: Tony Tam

Producer: Chan Yam-Chuen

Writers: Miu Kong, On Dik

Cinematography: Manny Hoh

Editing: Vincent Leung

Music: Foo Leng

Stars: Sandra Ng, Charine Chan, Pauline Wong, Ng Gong, Shing Fui-On, Wu Fung, Hon Yee-Sang, Charlie Cho, Kingdom Yuen, Gabriel Wong, Chor Yuen

Rated IIB for language, mild violence, and sexuality

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Return of the Evil Fox  Return of the Evil Fox

Return of the Evil Fox  Return of the Evil Fox

An extremely goofy take on that uniquely Hong Kong sub-genre of ghostbusting, Return of the Evil Fox demonstrates much of what was wrong (and right) with early 1990's film making in the region. Obviously produced for next to no money, the production often feels like it was made up on the fly, at times being a jumble of horror, romance, comedy, and martial arts that doesn't really come together until the final act, where the last thirty minutes or so saves the movie from becoming a leaden weight straight to the depths of B-movie hell.

The film starts of with a pretty solid wuxia flavored sequence, with a Taoist priest (Gabriel Wong) and his sister (Charine Chan) trapping the eponymous spirit (played by Pauline Wong) in a magic urn. Despite the special effects that look like they were done in post for fifty cents, the fight is fun stuff. It was coordinated by Tony Tam, someone who is not a household name, but has made a good living for himself in Hong Kong production, mostly through working on Donnie Yen films. Like most of Yen's action scenes of this time, there is a bit too much wirework and undercranking employed, but it's otherwise well done.

The initial good vibes are a good thing, because Return of the Evil Fox slows down quite a bit after that. We flash forward 500 years to the "modern" day of 1991, where the priest's descendant Wu (Wu Fung) and his daughter Yu (Sandra Ng) use their supposed ghostbusting skills as a way to dupe superstitious rich people out of their money. Through some bumbling, the urn is opened, and the Evil Fox begins wreaking havoc on the residents of a building run by perpetual lech Charlie Cho, who seems to appear in this movie to get a paycheck and grind on several young women in several throwaway scenes.

Return of the Evil Fox also wastes a lot of time with a couple of subplots revolving around Wu's nephew, Chun (Ng Gong). One involves Wu's other daughter, Yi (Charie Chan again), who is a reporter investigating the attacks in the building. Chun likes Yi, but it's not reciprocated, while Yu is obsessed with Chun. Hilarity is supposed to ensue, but it never does. Thankfully, Sandra Ng's has enough energy and personality to carry these scenes.

The other subplot involves Chun's supposed talent in being able to pick winners in gambling, something which appeals to Wu, who is heavily in debt to the local loan shark, Big Rope (Shing Fui-On). The God of Gamblers movies were hot properties in Hong Kong at this time, and Return of the Evil Fox is shameless in trying to ride that series' coat-tails, right down to Wu referring to Chun as the Saint of Gamblers, a character from the GoG films played by Stephen Chow. The gambling sequences here aren't all that exciting, but thankfully Big Silly Head gives a winning turn as Big Rope, a Triad turned priest.

Despite the haphazard nature of this production, it's never boring. As poorly pulled off as some of the elements are, there's a bizarre charm to the proceedings that makes sitting through the middle portion of the movie at least interesting, making Return of the Evil Fox a production that becomes much more than the sum of its' parts.

RATING: 6.25