Notable Cast: Wu Jing, Yu Shi, Chen Lijun, Nicholas Tse,
Sun Yizhou, Ci Sha, Li Yunxiao, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Max Zhang, Jet Li, Zhang Yi,
Kara Wei, Liu Yaowen, Xioung Jinyi
Considering the substantial cast and having an icon like
Yuen Woo-Ping sitting in the director’s chair for this one, I could start this
review out by stating things how Blades of the Guardians is an action
fan’s dream come true or that Yuen Woo-Ping has delivered his best film in
decades - both of which are true - but I think I want to start this off with a
bit more heat.
Thank you, Chinese streaming movies.
Sure, Blades of the Guardians is the big title being
released for Lunar New Year, and it’s probably going to slaughter in the
international box office. It’s the kind of grandiose combination of spectacle,
A-list names, and entertaining action cinema that will appease fans and newbies
alike. And yet, as the film played out, using its dusty setting,
well-choreographed action set pieces, and broad-stroke classic wuxia characters
was not a reaction to the success of low-budget wuxia films on streaming sites
like iQIYI.
While the Chinese box office has been dominated by big
CGI-focused fantasy-driven wuxia films over the last 10 to 20 years (which is
fine for films like Creation of the Gods, but feels unwieldy and bloated
for films like Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants), there was
something of a counter movement in the streaming sector that pulled away from
that. Smaller stories, big characters played by charismatic actors (often names
from action films versus fantasy ones), and a focus on strong intimate action
featuring plenty of stylish wire-work sword play. Films like Eye for an Eye,
Blade of Fury, or Butcher’s Blade have reignited my own love of
the gritty wuxia film.
And, dare I say, Blades of the Guardians has far more
in common with those films than it does with the fantasy-driven wuxia, and it’s
better for it. Yuen Woo-Ping and his team pull away from the bloat that weighed
down some of his previous wuxia efforts (particularly The Thousand Faces of
Dunjia) and instead drive home a film about heroes, villains, justice, and
a whole lot of sword-slashin'. The monsters here are people driven by power
lust, not creatures from folklore, and the plotting has far more in common with
Mad Max: Fury Road than with the Shakespearean politics of a film like Creation
of the Gods. Blades of the Guardians is old-fashioned, brilliant
action, slathered in modern spectacle and driven by heartfelt
characters. And yes, I will argue that it’s one of Yuen Woo-Ping’s
best films. Period.