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Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, and DVD on October 6, 2026
If you love intense, bloody action, Yuen Woo-ping’s Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert is the movie for you. When nearly every bounty hunter, ruffian, and vigilante wants a piece of Zhi Shi Lang (Yi-zhou Sun), the question of how well he can be protected needs to be asked. That’s because when we see Dao Ma (Wu Jing) gets called in by his old friend (Tony Ka Fai Leung) who runs the the Mo Cla, to escort this highly valued target safely to the imperial capital of Chang’an is going to be challenging!
That’s because Zhi Shi Lang is a radical political revolutionary whose ideas about equality threaten the Emperor. When he is the most wanted man in the land, everyone is gonna want a piece of him, or just want to claim the prize for themselves.
But for Ma, he just wants this job done and over with. And once anyone sees that his destination is a place where dynasties can rise and fall, it’s going to be tough to not get involved. Whether that’s because of the allegiences made or whom he believes deserves to be on the throne, that isn’t the question. After watching other films like 1,000 Miles to Chang’an, it becomes clear that understanding the depth of this film requires more than passing knowledge of the period. The story is dense. And with all the wranglings going on, it’s easy to lose track of why certain people matter.
On the big screen, the sweeping vistas show viewers exactly where the danger lies, and I wouldn’t want to live there. It’s a place no one should visit unless they’re willing to risk losing their head. Plenty of people do. While some individuals are lucky to simply lose a limb, others are not so lucky. It seems life near the Gobi Desert is tough, and what’s presented in Blades of the Guardians is bloody violent. Here, what happens is less about getting lost, but more about how to control the wild Northern regions of China.
And once when the story drifts to more familiar territory, whether at the village made to let wayward travellers rest in, or to give us a peak at the city, what’s presented feels familiar. There were times I was thinking of Batman: Year One. While the reason is less about the masked figures, the thing that spoke to me the loudest is in the makeup worn. There’s an individual who has a grin that can scare The Joker! And there’s beauty to the art production. Whether that’s in the set design, costumes or cinematography, every tiny detail felt lived in and alive. After watching this film, the illusion was so masterfully crafted, I had to pause and let my memory of the best moments breathe.
And I also needed time to process what went on. To survive the crossfire, Dao Ma must navigate a shifting viper’s nest of allegiances. Even during a stop at a local village, he can’t be certain whether he’ll be able to stop anyone from slapping Lang upside the head. Even he wants to, but manages to restrain himself.
While Yuen tries to compact the donghua series of the same name into one tight film, the storytelling misses some baseline context. Or should that be Xianzhe Xu’s manhua? Considering the print edition, titled Biao Ren (镖人), is still ongoing, I think I found the reason the narrative feels incomplete. Without a strong rising action explaining why this mission matters, and with the movie not necessarily following everything established in print, it’s easy to become confused about what’s happening.
Viewers unfamiliar with the material may find themselves lost. Although a second watch helped everything click, I still needed a cheat sheet to keep track of who was who and to remember what happened!
Also, it is tough not to bring up Lone Wolf and Cub; when Dao Ma travels with a spirited young boy who gives the story some much-needed heart. Their relationship matters, and without that emotional anchor, it would be easy to give this film a pass. Their relationship is an overused trope, and as for whether that’s needed here, the answer is a hard yes. Without it, to not know where Ma’s ideals begins and ends can get missed.
While some folks will be going to see this film at Fantasia Film Festival, others do have the online availability option as its available on streaming too. But it won’t be the same. For this movie, yes, the big screen matters. And for those with a proper home theatre setup, the wait won’t be too long as the home video release is set for fall. That way, viewers can watch it in shorter bursts rather than wrestling with everything in one long sitting.
3½ Stars out of 5
Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert Trailer
