Blades of the Guardians 2026 Movie Review Trailer
Blades of the Guardians boasts an impressive track record. The director is Yuen Woo-ping, creator of Drunken Master and Iron Monkey, who also choreographed the fight sequences in The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The cast is comprised of Chinese stars, including Nicholas Tse (Furious), Tony Leung Ka Fai (The Last Emperor), Max Zhang (Ip Man 3), and the legendary Jet Li, who hasn't appeared on screen since Mulan six years ago. Despite this impressive lineup, the film falls short of expectations.
I could tell you who these actors are playing, but a major problem is that the story keeps introducing new characters without properly establishing them, leaving many of them unclear about their identities and connections. (Listing their names and titles when they first appear doesn't help.) The plot revolves around bounty hunter Dao Ma (Jing Wu) attempting to transport a resistance figure/fugitive to Chang'an. There are gangs that don't want this to happen, leading to a series of deadly clashes.
Director: Yuen Woo-Ping
Writers: Tai-Lee Chan, Chao-Bin Su, Larry Yang
Stars: Jing Wu, Nicholas Tse, Jet Li
The action sequences in Blades of the Guardians are ingeniously conceived and executed. One takes place in a burning oil field. In addition to wielding flaming swords, the combatants hurl handfuls of oil at each other. Another occurs amidst a massive dust storm, where everyone struggles to avoid being blown away while fighting. The sword fights and martial arts deliver exhilarating chaos, showcasing the kind of creative staging for which Yuen Woo-ping is known.
Unfortunately, you have to endure a dull and confusing story to get to those action scenes. With an overload of characters, it's impossible to develop any of them to the point of making you invested in their actions. They populate the screen without making much of an impression. Consequently, the plot quickly becomes muddled and often feels like it's going in several directions at once. In the last half hour, I gave up trying to understand it. There's too much at stake to get bogged down.
While it's true that martial arts films aren't known for exquisite plots, many are clever enough to be simple. That's why "you killed my [whatever], so now I have to kill you" is a common plot point in the genre. If the picture were just Dao Ma trying to complete his mission, it would have been fine, but there's also a child, Dao's benefactor, another bounty hunter, a prisoner, and more. The excess of actors dilutes the film's central idea.
Watching Blades of the Guardians is a test of patience. When the brutal, bloody action starts, the film is entertaining. When it ends, the fun stops abruptly. There are undeniably great moments. The question is whether you're willing to endure the not-so-great parts of this ambitious, but excessively chaotic, epic.
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