Film Review: My Date with a Vampire 驅魔龍族馬小玲 (2025) - Hong Kong / China
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critic Circle of Australia)
I rated it 4/10
Rating: ★ ★
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The undead walk among us once more, but this time, they shuffle with the weary gait of contractual obligation. “My Date with a Vampire (2025)”, a reboot of the beloved, gloriously messy 1998 ATV supernatural soap opera, arrives draped in the heavy velvet of nostalgia, only to reveal itself as a cheap polyester knockoff. Directed by original series creator Chan Sap-sam, this film feels less like a passionate homecoming and more like a calculated exhumation for the streaming age. It earns its meager two stars not for outright disaster, but for a profound, soul-sapping hollowness.
The premise remains potent: Ma Siu-ling, descendant of the legendary Northern Dragon Ma family, battles vampires, demons, and the tragic allure of the immortal Kuang Tianyou. Karena Ng dons the iconic purple mini-dress and boots, capturing Ma Siu-ling's surface cool and formidable presence. Yet, where Joey Meng infused the original with a razor-sharp, world-weary cynicism – a woman burdened by destiny and bills – Ng’s portrayal feels like an expertly posed mannequin. She hits the marks but misses the melancholic heart. Bosco Wong, reprising Kuang Tianyou, fares better, radiating a doomed charisma that suggests depths the script utterly fails to explore.
Ah, the script. Herein lies the fatal wound. The original series sprawled gloriously across dozens of episodes, weaving complex mythologies of Pangu, celestial destinies, and the crushing weight of immortality. This film attempts to cram that epic tapestry into a brisk 100 minutes. The result isn't a story; it's a frantic, disjointed highlight reel. Characters declaim exposition like hurried tour guides. Relationships, particularly the central, star-crossed romance between Ma Siu-ling and Kuang Tianyou, which took seasons to simmer and ache, here feel rushed and utterly unearned. We are told of their tragic love, their impossible choices, but the film sprints past every moment where we might have felt it. The stakes feel weightless because the tragedy has no room to breathe.
Visually, the film embraces modern digital sheen. The CGI "God-Slaying Dragon," once evoked through charmingly clunky practical effects and sheer imagination, now looks slick but utterly weightless, a video game cutscene lacking any tangible threat or wonder. The gritty, rain-slicked urban fantasy vibe of old Hong Kong that gave the series its unique texture is replaced by generic, overlit sets that could belong to any mid-tier fantasy production. It's style meticulously vacuum-sealed, devoid of substance or atmosphere.
Then there's the cynical heart of the enterprise: the "legacy" bait. The marketing blared the return of Joey Meng, the true Ma Siu-ling. What audiences receive is a cruel tease: a blink-and-miss-it cameo, explained away by a flimsy "parallel universe" contrivance. It’s not a passing of the torch; it’s a cheap parlor trick designed to lure subscribers to hmvod and its ilk. It feels less like honoring fans and more like mugging them for their nostalgia.
Ray Lui chews scenery effectively as the villain Yamamoto Kazuo, bringing a welcome dose of malevolent energy. And yes, the production values outpace your average web-movie. But these are faint praises indeed. The editing is frantic and disjointed, character motivations shift with the wind, and the profound philosophical musings on immortality and destiny that gave the original surprising depth are jettisoned for generic supernatural fisticuffs and mumbled mantras.
“My Date with a Vampire” is a pale, anemic shadow of its cult classic forebear. It misunderstands what made the original resonate – not just the memorable imagery (though the absence of the legendary "40-inch legs" aura is felt), but the slow-burn character arcs, the melancholic exploration of eternal life, and the genuine chemistry forged over time. Hardcore fans will find it a frustrating desecration of cherished lore. Newcomers will simply wonder what all the fuss was ever about. It is, ultimately, a mediocre supernatural action flick going through the motions, a ritual performed without an ounce of faith. It has the form, but none of the furious, tragic magic. Save your joss paper. (Neo, 2026)