Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters (The Era of Vampires) (2002)

29% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
22% of users liked it
(634 ratings)

Hong Kong legend Tsui Hark brings you this tale of high-kicking vampire action. A quartet of kung fu masters trained in the Taoist Mao Shan School of magic are on the hunt for zombie vampires in 19th century China. When their Master Jiang (Yu Rongguang) disappears in an intense fight with one of… More Hong Kong legend Tsui Hark brings you this tale of high-kicking vampire action. A quartet of kung fu masters trained in the Taoist Mao Shan School of magic are on the hunt for zombie vampires in 19th century China. When their Master Jiang (Yu Rongguang) disappears in an intense fight with one of these nasties, Rain, Lightning, Thunder, and Wind set across the countryside for revenge as the Vampire King continues to terrorize the surrounding villages. Through their quest, our heroes discover love and treasure as the legion of the undead hop around them wrecking havoc in true Hong Kong vampire fashion. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Wellson Chin
Genres: Action & Adventure, Horror, Art House & International, Sports & Fitness

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Jun 17, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Anita Gates, New York Times
Murky, third-rate martial-arts film.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The thrill is mostly gone in this supernatural mess.
Robert Koehler, Variety
Project has the stench less of rotting flesh than the whiff of a thoughtless quickie.
Jami Bernard, New York Daily News
Pleasantly cheesy but undistinguished martial-arts and horror fare.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
You begin to realize that whatever name they want to give this dish, the chief ingredients remain ham, cheese and corn.
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
Anything that reminds us that there are mass-entertainment options beyond Hollywood's banal formulas is worthwhile.
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Vampire Hunters is half martial arts movie and half horror flick, and it bares the trademark flaws of each genre.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
Most disappointing is Hark franchising his name before the sell-by date has expired on his own filmmaking career.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
I loves me a good kung fu zombie vampire action horror comedy flick, and Vampire Hunters delivers.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Despite a few good fights, the stunts are indifferently executed.
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com
A passable attempt to mix the cheesy DIY effects of the first two Evil Dead movies with the... epic on a budget aesthetics of a The Bride With White Hair.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It's more silly than scary and relies excessively on surprisingly low-rent CGI effects and crude wirework to drum up interest in the slight story.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
Midnight-movie-riffic, and the less sense it makes, the more fun it becomes.
John Powers, L.A. Weekly
The Hong Kong movie industry is crumbling, and this painfully slack horror picture is another sign of its decay.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lee ?

Another asian action-horror that really needed more story and character development to give it more depth. It's so full of plot holes and characters randomly appear from nowhere without any info on their backstory. It's as if the film starts at halfway through a story.… More
Another asian action-horror that really needed more story and character development to give it more depth. It's so full of plot holes and characters randomly appear from nowhere without any info on their backstory. It's as if the film starts at halfway through a story. Action-wise it is pretty entertaining and adds a bit of martial arts to the Vampire-slaying mix. It is very much an asian inspired take on the Vampiric genre but is actually more of a Zombie film. Decent entertainment overall, never boring or dull, but could have been better.
Bruce B

Master Mao Shan and his four best students?Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, are searching the countryside for Vampires. No one does Vampire films like this. Plenty of sword play. While searching they stumble on the lair of King Vampire and this dude can fight.. The film is full of… More
Master Mao Shan and his four best students?Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Lightning, are searching the countryside for Vampires. No one does Vampire films like this. Plenty of sword play. While searching they stumble on the lair of King Vampire and this dude can fight.. The film is full of great stunts and opens a new look at the vampires and zombies. 4 1/2 stars, get this one you will be blown away.
Dean M

Worst and cheesy Hong Kong action horror film of students battling zombies in 19th-century China by Tsui Hark.
Steven V

It's more silly than scary and relies excessively on surprisingly low-rent CGI effects and crude wirework to drum up interest in the slight story. An uninspired addition to the generally endearing subgenre.