At the grand age of 80, director, fight choreographer and all round martial arts legend Yuen Woo Ping shows no signs of slowing down. Well that’s certainly the case if you watch his new directorial effort, Blades of the Guardians, a film brimming with the energy of a director half his age.
Based on Xu Xianzhe’s popular Biao Ren manhua, Blades of the Guardians is filled with fantastic fight scenes from the get go, which matched with great performances, fantastic set design and an epic musical score makes this already one of the best martial arts films of the year, and we are only in February.
I can’t comment on how faithful this adaptation is to the manhua as I wasn’t aware of its publication prior to viewing the film. However, as a standalone movie, this is filmmaking on a grand scale, where you can clearly see the money on the screen. Even the use of CGI is well utilised, something that can’t be said about some other Chinese blockbusters.
Dao Ma (Wu Jing), the second most wanted fugitive is entrusted by his friend and village elder Mo (Tony Leung Ka-fai) to transport renowned fugitive Zhishilang (Sun Yizhou) to the city of Chang’an. With Zhishilang being the founder of the flower rebellion, there is a massive bounty on his head, a bounty that many are looking to collect.
As well as having to deal with an assortment of bounty hunters during their mission, Dao Ma is confronted by figures from his past in the shape of Shu (Yosh Yu) and Di Ting (Nicholas Tse), both of whom have their own reasons for hunting Ma.
Being a Yuen Woo Ping film, I wasn’t ever in any doubt that the action scenes would be top notch. Woo Ping makes sure that each of the film’s set pieces are unique, offering up a variety of beautifully choreographed fight scenes that utilise an assortment of dangerous weaponry.
This is definitely one of Woo Ping’s most notable works as a director in some time. As much as I enjoyed his work on such films as True Legend (2010) and Master z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), they paled when put next to classics like Tiger Cage (1988), Iron Monkey (1993) and Tai Chi Master (1993). What stands out is Woo Ping’s preference for old school fight choreography, with a fair amount of wirework being utilised. Unlike some of his films, the wirework isn’t obtrusive, being well integrated into the choreography, which mixes gravity defying martial arts with more grounded swordsplay.
What is especially gratifying is how Woo Ping and his action team take advantage of the locations of each of the fight scenes, giving each set piece its own distinct energy and setting them apart from each other.
As expected, being of the old school mentality, Woo Ping allows the audience to focus on the action. There aren’t any quick cuts here to obstruct the viewer. We can clearly see the talent of the performers which makes the action all the more exciting when it comes.
I say when it comes as if Woo Ping makes us wait long. No time is wasted before we are presented with a small fight in an inn, where Wu Jing makes short work of an assortment of criminals. This is just a brief taster for what’s to come, with this quickly followed by one of the main draws of the film, a face off between Wu and screen legend Jet Li. Well, in fact the fight is a three hander between Wu Jing, Max Zhang and Jet Li. Unsurprisingly, the fight scene is fantastic, with each of the performers getting a chance to shine, especially Li as he puts his co-stars through their paces.
Much has been made of Li’s appearance. Fans may be disappointed to find out that he isn’t one of the film’s stars, with his role essentially being an extended cameo. I had noted many online assuming that he would feature prominently, but looking at the promotional material and where his name comes in the opening credits, I knew his screen time would be fleeting. Even so, he makes the most of his brief appearance and shows he’s still got the moves. To be honest, I was just happy to see him back on screen, no matter the size of the role.
It’s somewhat ironic to think years back that Wu Jing featured in the briefest of cameos in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), where he was swiftly dispatched by Jet Li’s villain. Now all these years later Wu is one of China’s (and the world’s) leading action stars, with Blades of the Guardians being another prime example of why this is. Dao Ma is an ideal role for him, with him easily fitting the template of the traditional wu-xia hero, reluctant to get involved but being truly heroic when the time comes.
Partnering him up with youngster Charles Ju’s Xiao Qi gives the story something of a Lone Wolf and Cub vibe, minus the weapon-filled baby cart. The inclusion of Xiao Qi also makes Dao Ma more relatable, with his love for his surrogate son shining through.
The film is given some additional dramatic heft due to the mysterious past Dao Ma shared with Nicholas Tse’s Di Ting. Tse is suitably stoic as Di Ting, with him emerging as the film’s main antagonist. Unlike a typical villain, Di Ting isn’t truly evil, with his duty forcing him to seek out Dao Ma. That isn’t to say he goes lightly on Dao Ma when they finally come face to face, with Di Ting doing everything in his power to be the victor.
Tse doesn’t have as much screen time as I had anticipated, considering he is second billed in the opening credits. He does make the most of what time he has, with him certainly putting Wu Jing through his paces. Considering Tse initially learned martial arts for the screen, he has become quite the performer throughout the years, even successfully transitioning to become an action director with the recent Customs Frontline (2024). One of Tse’s real qualities, at least for me, is his willingness to play villainous or morally grey characters such as this. With his handsome looks, it would be very easy for him to constantly portray the hero, but as he has gotten older he seems more open to play the antagonist.
Yu Shi fares well as swordsman Shu, with it never being clear whether he can be trusted. Having starred in the big budget blockbuster Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (2023) and its sequel, it was refreshing to see him make an impression as I felt the previous roles I had viewed were somewhat anonymous.
As well as featuring Jet Li, there is still room for other Hong Kong movie royalty, with Tony Leung Ka-fai exuding sheer class as village elder Lao Mo. The polar opposite from his villainous turn in last year’s The Shadow’s Edge (2025), Ka-fai shows once again why he is still regarded as one of the industry’s best, with him giving a performance filled with pathos and gravitas.
Then there’s Kara Wai (a.k.a. Kara Hui), who shows up for a small cameo in the middle of the film. Whilst she isn’t given much to do, anyone who grew up watching the likes of My Young Auntie (1981), Lady is the Boss (1988) or Inspector Wears Skirts (1988), will just be happy to have her make an appearance.
Those disappointed not to have Wai in fighting mode will at least be happy to know that the film still has multiple fighting females on show, most notably Chen Lijun’s Ayuya who gives a spirited performance as Lao Mo’s rebellious daughter. Lijun came into the role late in the day, replacing exiting actress Nashi, after the latter was let go from the production due to a supposed scandal based on her educational background. With a background as a Yue Opera actress, this is a rare movie appearance for the talented stress, with hopefully many more to come.
What could have been an unwieldy undertaking has instead turned out to be one of the action highlights of the year, and one to beat. Coming in at just over 2 hours, Yuen Woo Ping never lets the pace lag for a second, with an abundance of fantastic action scenes and performances signalling a highpoint in his directorial career. Make sure to stay during the closing credits for several fun cameos.
Thanks to those good people at Well Go USA, Blades of the Guardians is currently on theatrical release. This is one film that should be seen on the big screen.
Plot: 4/5
Acting: 5/5
Action: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5