On paper, the sheer idea of The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires alone is enough to sell me on the movie, a Hammer / Shaw Brothers co-production combining the best of both studios, but in execution, it commits the cardinal sin of martial arts movies... being incredibly dull. So much of the movie can't decide what it wants to do and I feel that partly lies with Director Roy Ward Baker who has no idea how to handle this mad mix of martial arts and horror, even the fight scenes directed by veteran Shaw contributor Chang Cheh don't deliver, almost as if he was playing it safe, which is the biggest disappointment. Even the usual charmingly low-brow vfx of vampire disintegration from the Shaw Brothers doesn't excite or stimulate anything, the film reeks of being rushed and honestly, it shows in Houghton's writing. However, Cushing remains as distinguished and commanding as ever, more than carrying the film while his other Western companions sit around and contribute nothing to the film's plot until the last possible moment. But the other saving grace of this movie is most certainly David Chiang, whom Cushing took under his wing teaching him all the tricks of the trade that Chiang still uses to this day. As it stands, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is a lacklustre and largely pathetic finale for Hammer's Dracula series, it is a pity that this blend of two popular genres could not have been more carefully thought out, but it's certainly a fascinating failure to behold.