Legend has it that somewhere in a small village in China, a temple is home to seven of the most terrifying vampires to roam the earth. Coincidentally enough, vampire expert Professor Van Helsing (Cushing) finds himself in China giving lectures about his previous exploits. Once his class is over, he is approached by Hsi Ching (Chiang), a young man who claims to know the location of the mysterious village and has proof that the vampires exist. Therefore, in his efforts to vanquish all evil, Van Helsing agrees to accompany Ching and his seven brothers on a journey to seek out the vampires and destroy them. Little do they know though that the vampires have a new leader, one who Van Helsing has faced before and someone who must be stopped or the innocent bloodshed will never end!

Horror and Martial Arts are two genres that have been intertwined quite successfully over the years but seeing as how 'The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires' is a very early example, it's no surprise to discover that it is also far from perfect. On a particularly harsh day, I could easily single out the film for having a very simplistic and predictable plot, a lack of any distinguishable characters and action that leaves a lot to be desired (most of which I will cover in detail shortly). However, its also very easy to state a positive case for this film as it's basically all about having a hell of a lot of fun along the way. Horror as a genre has often been accused of being very one dimensional and this film is certainly that, opting not to take the deep and meaningful path but instead, serving up an adventure film that won't tax the brain but will surely amuse. On the scare factor, its also relatively lightweight (particularly by today's standards) but it's the cheesy effects and almost Shakespearian dialogue delivery which has cemented the Hammer horror films' place in the halls of cult movies. In simple terms, this is old school filmmaking that lacks the resources or huge budgets of the blockbusters but it is still exceptionally strong in a visual sense and never deviates from the intention of making a film that is all about entertainment.

Assembling a cast for a film such as this could easily prove to be a major obstacle, primarily because the film is shot in English which automatically puts the Chinese actors at a disadvantage. Thankfully though, this never becomes an issue as the majority of the Asian actors have a solid grasp of English (particularly David Chiang) and its the lack of depth within the script that hurts the performances the most. Peter Cushing is probably one of the few actors to retain his strong reputation and aside from some rather painful "stiff upper lip" British dialogue, he rarely puts a foot wrong. David Chiang, who is clearly the leading Asian star, tries his best with the material he is given but it is always evident that he has very little to work with on the emotional side and one has to wonder whether his main draw was for the fight scenes. Julie Ege as the offbeat leading lady is particularly weak, delivering noticeably stilted dialogue and struggling with an awkward romantic subplot which appears out of nowhere and is totally unbelievable. Similar criticisms can also be levelled at Robin Stewart who comes across as a spoiled womanising brat with no real charm, making it hard to believe that he suddenly finds his head turned by the simple Szu Shih. Unsurprisingly, with the exception of Chiang and Cushing, most of the stars saw their careers begin and end with 'The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires'.

When it comes to the action within the film, it's shocking to learn that Liu Chia Liang was one of the main choreographers as it is far from his usual high standards. Perhaps this was due to restraints enforced upon him by the Western producers or just that he decided to simplify the proceedings for an audience unfamiliar with kung fu, but either way it will disappoint those of you hoping for a glimpse of his typically classy action. The majority of the film's fights take place under group circumstances which is what harms the action the most as the camera flicks from duel to duel, never allowing the audience to focus on the movement and it just appears as a haze of simple punches and kicks mixed with weapon work. Added to this, it's amusing to see that the Western actors sit out a lot of the early action, watching it from afar like Generals overseeing a battle from the hill tops which wreaks of a typically British approach. It's not that these sequences are absolutely dire in a Seagal-esque way but it is still lacking that slick edge that we have come to expect from both Liu Chia Liang and Shaw Brothers productions. However, the action is aided by the horror special effects team that add to the proceedings with some very 'Evil Dead' style antics. During the second half of the film, the walking dead attack our heroes on numerous occasions and the deaths of the vampires and zombies are particularly fun and grotesque, although they do become a little drawn out by the time the film reaches its finale.

'The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires' is a very flawed production that doesn't exactly set the world alight when it comes to either genre. That said though, it is still a fun curio for fans of both studios that is worth seeking out if you just don't expect much more than a pleasurable but dated adventure film.