My Cultural Diet

Yuen Woo-ping’s first feature in nearly a decade is arguably his most epic film to date, a sweeping wuxia classic set in the Chinese desert. Which means that even without the martial arts action, Blades of the Guardians looks fantastic. As for the martial arts action, Yuen and action choreographer Shan Peng Dang deliver some truly original moments that had me rewinding the film at times so I could better appreciate what happened. The film does suffer from an overly convoluted storyline with elements that feel like they should be in their very own movies. (One plotline involving the hero’s past definitely feels like an entirely different picture.) Still, it’s really cool to see that Yuen — who’s been making martial arts cinema for over 50 years — can still deliver the high-flying action, and it was a special treat to see Jet Li and Tony Leung Ka-fai in the cast. Li has starred in some of Yuen’s most well-known films and clearly relishes his role here as a devious general, even getting to show off his still-formidable martial arts skills, while Leung brings a real gravitas and nobility to his role as a conflicted clan leader. No sequels have been announced but Blades of the Guardians certainly feels like the first in a series, and I plan on watching any sequels that might come our way.

I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.