IR Film Review: BLADES OF THE GUARDIANS [Well Go USA]
"Blades Of The Guardians" is an interesting epic, big in scope and aware of itself through and through. Directed by action legend Yeun Woo-Ping, the film follows the story of a disavowed soldier of the Emperor's Guard that becomes a mercenary. He cares for a young boy whom we learn more about throughout the film. Primarily though this is the story of Dao Ma (Wu Jing). Jing was one of the leads in the Chinese science fiction epic "The Wandering Earth". Here the path is more about a man staying under the radar and making money. Woo-Ping has gathered together some of the best martial artists (including many known to the West) but these are covered in beards and make up so it allows the audience to sink into the characters without wondering who they are. The key element involves an older chief (a older Tony Leung) asking this man he protects to take the leader of the Flower Rebellion (a man covered in a mask) across the desert to the waiting metropolis to spread his world against the Imperials. Zhi Shi Lang (Sun Yizhou) as that leader comes off as a weakling and is one of the weaker parts of the story (though it might have been a thing in the manga).
In the beginning we see Dao Ma defending and then taking the bounty for some people in old school settings like a square or an old ramen shop. These pieces work well and the swordfighting is riveting with Woo-Ping as always. But it is only when it gets onto the journey that it starts making more sense. The crux of the movie is all the clans ratcheting for space which tends to become noise at a certain point. But the throughline which makes it work is first Dao's interaction with Shu (Yu Shi) who is another bounty hunter of sorts but with his own style of shadow fighting. A fire duel on an oil flat is beautifully done but it is set up and aftermathed with some funny banter inside a stagecoach. This eventually makes the movement of the standoff towards the end as well as the alliances formed and broken make more sense. On the other side of this is Dao's interaction with Diting (Nicholas Tse) who is his match in every sense. Both Jing and Tse have a presence that moves through the entire film despite whatever set pieces that Woo-Ping brings to bear. The fact that some characters are so clear really helps the film whilst other underlying mythology just falls by the wayside.
The daughter of his caretaker in Ayaya (Chen Lijun) starts off very fierce but then softens and more comedic and then becomes fierce again. While it makes sense while a little uneven, she actually has the most tragic scene, and it is all surrounded by men, looking to make her break, before the sand overtakes them. That ensuing battle in a sandstorm is quite something to watch because it blends Woo-Ping's fighting with a different kind of environment. Eventually the doubleback is meant to rectify the issues of honor that are flying underneath. Some soldiers are bought. Others are loyal. But ultimately it comes down to who is left standing. History will work by that measure. "Blades Of The Guardians" is one of the more assured blockbusters to come out of the Far East lately, but like some of the American superhero movies, many tend to buckle under their own weight. "Blades" has enough established characters from its manga and an assured director who knows what works and what doesn't without phoning it in. The amount of respect that he garners from his actors and yet still understands those bits of characters allows Shi, Tse and especially Dao Ma to shine brightly. B
By Tim Wassberg
