BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS (镖人) (2026)

Genre: Martial-arts
Director: Yuen Woo-ping
Cast: Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, Yu Shi, Chen Lijun, Sun Yizhou, Ci Sha, Li Yunxiao, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Max Zhang, Kara Hui, Zhang Yi, Jet Li
Runtime: 2 hr 7 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 17 February 2026

Synopsis: Four generations of martial arts stars unite! Directed by Yuen Woo Ping, icons like Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, and Jet Li come together for an epic martial arts event. In the desert, many groups — including escorts, the government, and merchants — are fighting for power. Dao Ma, a famous biao ren, takes on the job of protecting a man on the long road to the city of Chang’an. However, he discovers the person he is protecting is the empire's most wanted man, Zhi Shi Lang. Every greedy faction is now hunting them and a deadly battle for the prize begins…

Movie Review:

At 80 years old, the legendary Yuen Woo-ping proves indeed that age is just a number.

Stepping back behind the camera for the first time in six years (and that last time round was only for a segment in Johnnie To’s feature-length anthology), Yuen delivers one of the most thrilling martial arts epics in recent years.

Right from its exhilarating opening sequence that sees Wu Jing and Max Zhang face off with Jet Li, Yuen demonstrates just what solid choreography, good old wirework and a trio of well-trained martial artists can construct. Oh yes, only one will make it out of that ferocious battle alive (and no prizes for guessing which one it is), but just seeing these legends go first-to-fist, blade-to-blade onscreen is enough to make fans of Chinese martial arts movies weep.

The inspiration here is the popular manhua series of the same name by Xu Xianzhe, which depicts the titular bounty hunter Dao Ma’s (Jing) quest to escort the most wanted fugitive Zhisilang (Sun Yizhou) to Chang’an to ostensibly ignite the Flower Rebellion he founded in order to topple the Sui dynasty once and for all. There is plenty of exposition at the start to set up Ma’s latest task by his old friend Mo (Tony Leung Ka-fai), but all that matters once the plot kicks into gear is how these good guys are hunted by different clans all wanting to get their hands on the bounty on Zhisilang.

Joining Ma is Mo’s headstrong daughter Ayuya (Chen Lijun), whose earlier rejection of the arrogant and power-hungry Khan-to-be Heyi Xuan’s (Cisha) hand in marriage will have tragic consequences. They soon find a useful ally in fellow bounty hunter Shu (Yosh Yu), who happens to be escorting a prisoner Yan Zi Niang (Li Yunxiao) to Chang’an. And besides Xuan, Ma also has to contend with settling an old score with fellow Left Hand Cavalry member Di Ting (Nicholas Tse).

It is a crowded ensemble all right, and despite the valiant efforts of a formidable team of screenwriters – including Su Chao-Bin (‘Reign of Assassins’), Larry Yang (‘The Shadow’s Edge’), Chan Tai-Lee (‘Ip Man’), and Yu Baimei – some of the subplots and supporting characters get lost amidst the non-stop melee. For example, Ma’s feud with Ting is sadly undercooked, notwithstanding an thrill one-on-one in the middle of a sandstorm as well as in the elaborate finale. Ditto the origins and motivations of Zhisilang, whose thoughts of wisdom for which he is both revelled and reviled for remain unfortunately hazy even at the end of the movie.

Thankfully, even though clocking at slightly over two hours, there is never a dull moment to be had. Yuen keeps the wheels of the plot turning at a steady clip, using each set-piece as an opportunity to advance the storytelling while showcasing the prowess of past and present generations of martial arts-trained actors he has assembled here. These set-pieces are for the most part spectacular, especially with Tony Cheung’s versatile camerawork and the on-location shooting in the Western region of China (at Yuen’s insistence no less).

Each of the actors acquit themselves in their respective parts beautifully, dedicating themselves fully and wholeheartedly to perform their stunts to the best of their abilities. To his credit, though he struggles to give each character the same depth, Yuen lets their personalities shine through their own unique, distinctive fighting styles, whether in archery, swordmanship or just plain hand-to-hand combat. Wu Jing is undeniably impressive in almost every respect, but Tse, Chen and Yu each have their own electrifying moments to display the training, effort and though that they have placed into their respective action scenes.

All this is ultimately credit to Yuen, whose comeback at the age of 80 is also a thoroughly satisfying revival of the ‘wuxia’ genre. It is one thing to have all the right elements in place, and quite another to be able to turn them into something truly compelling; but ‘Blades of the Guardians’ sees the legendary Yuen at the top of his game, proving that instinct, discipline and an unshakeable understanding of cinematic rhythm do not fade with time.

In an era when martial arts cinema often leans too heavily on digital spectacle, Yuen reminds us that nothing replaces clarity of movement, spatial coherence and performers who can actually fight. Every clash of steel, every mid-air spin and every bone-crunching impact feels tactile and earned. If this is what an 80-year-old master looks like firing on all cylinders, then ‘Blades of the Guardians’ is not merely a comeback – it is a triumphant reaffirmation of why Yuen Woo-ping remains one of the greatest action choreographers and directors the genre has ever known.

Movie Rating:

(A rousing, old-school wuxia epic powered by breathtaking choreography and star-powered showdowns, marking a triumphant late-career masterstroke from Yuen Woo-ping)

Review by Gabriel Chong