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Blades of the Guardians

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Blades of the Guardians

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Summary

Mercenary for hire Dao Ma becomes a fugitive from the law with his young ward, Xiao Qi. Bounty hunters including Dao's old acquaintance, former soldier Di Ting, give chase. Meanwhile, Dao repays a favour to a tribal chief by safely escorting rebel leader Zhi Shi Lang across a desert.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Sean McGeady

Nobody knows action like Yuen Woo-ping. In directing this historical epic, the master choreographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix delivers all the wit, wigs and wirework you'd expect, to exhilarating effect. Based on a comic series of the same name, the plot follows Dao Ma (Wu Jing), a mercenary tasked with transporting the empire's most wanted man across the desert. Yuen's wuxia summons something of the roiling pace and minimalist plot of Mad Max: Fury Road, though with a great deal of politicking thrown in for good measure. Any lapses in pace are beaten into submission, however, by fight after fight after fight, often involving flaming swords. A roll call of martial arts legends, including Jet Li, appear in action sequences executed with unparalleled imagination and arrow-tip precision. Highlights include a duel staged in a sandstorm raging with such velocity that its combatants can't stay on their feet. Even at 80, Yuen remains untouchable.

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6.8/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameDao MaWu JingDi TingNicholas TseShuYu Shi AyuyaChen Lijun ZhishilangSun Yizhou Chang GuirenJet LiLao MoTony Leung (1)

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Crew

rolenameDirectorYuen Woo-ping

Details

Released on

2026-04-16

Languages

Chinese

Guidance

Violence, some swearing

Formats

Colour

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