Blades of the Guardians

A few years ago, the cinema gods came down to earth and gave us RRR, reminding us just how epic movies can be. Epics used to be the standard, back when films had to feel massive to match the giant screens they were displayed on. Nowadays, though, a lot of people watch movies on smaller screens—sometimes even on their phones—so not everything feels as grand as it once did. Thankfully, for those of us who love big, sweeping cinema, there are still some filmmakers that haven’t forgotten.  Yuen Woo-Ping returns to the martial arts world with Blades of the Guardians, a film that practically demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

For Dao Ma (Jing Wu), life as a bounty hunter has treated him well. His mentor, Mo (Tony Ka Fai Leung), asks him to escort Zhi Shilang (Sun Yizhou), the most wanted fugitive in the land and a symbol of the resistance. Joining them is Ayuya (Chen Lijun), Mo’s daughter, as they travel across dangerous territory where danger awaits. Along the way, Dao Ma and company encounter Di Tin (Nicholas Tse), another bounty hunter and skilled swordsman, along with his prisoner, a thief named Yan Ziniang (Li Yunxiao), who joins the group in exchange for safe passage. Together they push forward toward their destination, but a ruthless Khan—and Dao Ma’s own past—are closing in, making this journey anything but easy.

Written by a team of screenwriters and based on Xianzhe Xu’s manhua Biao Ren, Blades of the Guardians this film features a sprawling narrative packed with characters, some only partially developed, and backstories that can occasionally feel overwhelming. Still, Yuen knows exactly what his audience wants, and he delivers that in abundance. The film runs 126 minutes, and it’s packed with action that rarely slows down for long stretches of exposition. The action may be why you show up, but the set pieces are why you stay. Shot largely in the desert with an emphasis on practical, in-camera work rather than heavy CGI, the film achieves a striking sense of realism that’s often missing from big-budget productions today.

Blades of the Guardians is a true spectacle, with stunning backdrops and beautifully choreographed fights to match. Of all the words you could use to describe it, “spectacle” fits best—the sheer scope is hard to top. The cast is strong, led by the charismatic Jing Wu, who makes Dao Ma easy to root for as he battles his way through the story. As for the fight sequences, they’re phenomenal. Yuen has long been considered the gold standard in martial arts choreography, and it shows here. The variety of weapons is impressive, the stunt work is artful, and the horseback sequences are particularly thrilling. Add in a climactic sword fight set in a raging sandstorm, and the result is a visceral, awe-inspiring experience.

Not everything lands perfectly. Some of the chase sequences feel a bit hollow, and a few subplots slow the momentum at times. Even so, those flaws never fully derail the film. In the end, Blades of the Guardians delivers a sweeping desert epic—fast, kinetic, and packed with spectacle—creating a cinematic experience that’s hard to forget.