Blades of the Guardians (2026)
“If the thrilling, giant-sized wuxia martial arts fantasy “Blades of the Guardians” were made on a smaller budget, then it might be hailed for its modest B-movie charms. Based on the popular manhwa comic books and featuring a star-festooned ensemble that includes a brief role for Jet Li, “Blades of the Guardians” was clearly built for scale. Luckily, master choreographer turned director Yuen Woo-ping (“True Legend,” “Master Z: Ip Man Legacy”) directed this hulking programmer, which makes a huge difference.
Yuen’s still likely best known to American viewers as the choreographer of the ingenious wire-fu fight scenes from both “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “The Matrix.” He’s also recently directed a number of eccentric trend-chasers and spinoffs, and with varying success. “Blades of the Guardians” stands out among his best directorial credits thanks partly to its straight-ahead run-and-fight narrative as well as its focus on playful action, movie-star charisma, and pulpy melodrama.
A busy, but simple enough narrative kicks off right after we meet the smiling desert bandit Dao Ma (Wu Jing), who makes his money by either capturing or extorting various desperate fugitives. Dao soon attracts the wrong kind of attention—local governor Chang Guiren (Li) tries to make Dao an offer he can’t refuse—but breaks loose fast enough to pack his kit and flee with his young ward Xiao Qi (Charles Ju). “
Definitely the best action movie in China in the past 10 years, very Chinese and the action design is the best worldwide. The casting is great, they are best action movie stars in Asia and there are some familiar faces too, and Jet Li! Highly recommended if you like Chinese martial arts and Jianghu stories which are rooted in Chinese culture. (imdb.com)
A bounty hunter takes a job escorting a wanted revolutionary to a meeting that could change the country. Along the way, he makes some unlikely allies and confronts his past.
This is an epic set in imperial China. The story is confusing due to the narration, subtitles, and jumping right in, but by the end, it all makes sense. The action is classic kung fu and is spread throughout the movie, breaking up the story. The two-hour, six-minute runtime is long for quickly reading subtitles, but there is enough context in the acting to follow along. An entertaining kung-fu period piece worth watching. (imdb.com)
Best fight scenes I have ever seen on the big screen! Easy to follow sub-titles which make the movie easier to get into the story line. This movie was packed full of action and emotion. Just a fun, wild, crazy ride. The almost 2 1/2-hour movie never seemed long or boring. A great way to spend an afternoon if you have the time. (rottentomatoes.com)
