Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 04/03/2010 Legendary director King Hu's (A Touch of Zen) last film is a retelling of a popular Chinese short story. Even though the subject matter of sexy demons who use human skin to disguise themselves sounds promising enough, Painted Skin's anachronistic and dated style keeps this release from realizing its' full potential. Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 05/05/2002 Summary: Average Average ghost stuff. Nothing worth watching for, but painless enough if you have nothing else to do. Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by: jpopphan Date: 01/24/2002 Summary: An enjoyable tale... This was the first Chinese "horror" movie I ever saw. I found some of the cultural references to ghosts confusing, but that is largely due to my lack of familiarity with Chinese mythologies. I really enjoyed the acting in this work and the special effects and fight scenes were well done I thought. Overall a decent film that I have added to my DVD library.

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 05/29/2001 Summary: Not bad, not great PAINTED SKIN - King Hu's last film is a chinese ghost story (small acgs, but not dissimilar to capital ACGS). A lecherous scholar gets more than he bargained for when he invites Joey Wang to stay at his place, after encountering her wandering lost on the streets at night. The film is much more HK fantasy than I expected... there's all manner of supernatural shennanigans going on, with flying & exploding scenery and autonomous bits of silk etc. It's all quite bizarrely filmed... more akin to Hu's older trampolines and edits than the other stuff that was being done at the same time. There's some really nicely done bits though. Wu Ma again plays a taoist swordsman fighting the forces of evil, and Sammo Hung turns up to join in the fray eventually to. Lam Ching Ying has a very brief guest appearance as the purple taoist too. Adam Cheng plays the scholar. The film is definitely reminiscent of A Chinese Ghost Story, but it's more serious in tone and not quite as coherent. The plot is quite epic and interesting, but I think the film should probably have been about an hour longer as it's not developed all that well. It's very nicely filmed in places - Hu is a master of filming nature, I have concluded. He would have made great documentaries. It's nowhere near as well crafted a film as A TOUCH OF ZEN, but it's quite enjoyable.

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 05/05/2001 Summary: Ummm.......... A pretty average Ghost movie with a few fight scenes here and there but not a great plot......... 5/10

Reviewed by: STSH Date: 01/14/2000 Summary: Dull & below average Lacklustre effort from one of Asia's great directors. One of many takes on Chinese_Ghost_Story, combined with the Wizard of Oz ! The climactic fight scenes are quite okay, but the direction is dull and the pacing mostly very flat. If this plot summary read like fun, then you'll see how good this movie could have been. Previously published: Lacklustre effort from one of Asia's great directors. One of many takes on Chinese_Ghost_Story, combined with the Wizard of Oz ! Mr Wong (Adam Cheng) invites lonely traveller Yau Fung (Joey Wong) home, carried away by his lust and not realizing she's a ghost. Mr Wong and his wife (he proposed to take Yau as a concubine) then run for help, which arrives in the form of Taoist monk Cheng To Ling (Lau Shun) and his assistant (Wu Ma, who accosted Mr Wong before as a seller of dog meat noodles). Yau pleads that she is a good ghost, but she needs help to reincarnate, so she sets of with the Taoists to seek help. After directions from The Purple Monk (Lam Ching Ying, who jumps in and out in about one minute), they find Tai Yuet (Samo Hung), who is powerful enough to fight Yau's semi-estranged husband, the Demon King (who has, in the interim, killed lots of the villagers and taken over Mr Wong's body). The climactic fight scenes are quite okay, but the direction is dull and the pacing mostly very flat. If this plot summary read like fun, then you'll see how good this movie could have been. Below average. Reviewer Score: 3

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/21/1999 A roving ghost spirit (JOEY WANG) controlled by Ying Yang the Evilpaints her face in the guise of a concubine. Her spirit can only be released by a ghostbusting monk who comes to her rescue. [Reviewed by Tai Seng Catalog]