Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert: The Great Yuen Woo-ping Returns with Another Exciting Action Outing (4K/Blu-ray)

The Film:

Even if you've never heard the name of famed master choreographer/director Yuen Woo-ping, there's little doubt that you've seen a great multitude of his astounding projects. Having worked on such films as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Matrix," "Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2," "Kung Fu Hustle," "Drunken Master," and many, many more, his incredible talent has been dazzling audiences for over 50 years, delivering exciting & breathtaking action sequences that leave the viewer stunned. Now he's finally returned with his latest project entitled "Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert" where he hopes to stun audiences once again. After having done this for over five decades, will he still be able to surprise viewers with his wild & complex choreography?

Taking place in the Sui Dynasty, we follow bounty hunter Dao Ma (Wu Jing), who travels around with his nephew (Ju Qianlang) as he hunts his targets. As he was once a member of a high-ranking military group commanded by the Emperor, he is asked by Governor Chang (Jet Li) to train his troops, an offer that Dao Ma rather easily declines, having grown weary of politics. While investigating a bounty at a small inn, Chang's men show up to terrorize the innkeeper, who just happens to be a skilled swordsman known as the Two-Headed Snake (Zhang Jin). He and Dao Ma team up and defeat the troups, though the former is killed in the attempt, forcing the latter & his nephew to flee, and ultimately causing Dao Ma to become a wanted criminal.

Taking refuge in Mojia Village, Chieftan Lao Mo (Tony Leung Ka-fai), who has a history with Dao Ma, asks him to escort revolutionary Zhishilang (Sun Yizhou), the most wanted man in the empire, to safety before the Emperor is able to get to him. Dao Ma eventually accepts the perilous task, and so, with Lao Mo's daughter Ayuya (Chen Lijun) and her friend Ani (Xiong Jinyi) accompanying them, they set out on a journey that will have them facing off against a multitude of dangerous foes.

Just to address it briefly right at the top, yes, the full title of the film is very much overly-verbose, which is why it is quite commonly truncated to just "Blades of the Guardians," a much smoother, efficient title that, in all honesty, works a lot better without the completely unnecessary subtitle attached. However, luckily it has no effect on the film itself, which is an entertaining & exciting martial arts-filled extravaganza that shows us once again why Yuen Woo-ping is considered one of the very best to have ever worked in the field of choreographed action sequences.

Of course, the skill required to pull off these intricate maneuvers is no small matter either, which is exactly why they recruited a multitude of talented stars with years of training in various areas to execute them. They make it look so fluid and so second nature that you're hardly surprised to learn in the special features that their resumes are packed with experience. This being a two-hour film, the action junkies in the audience can rest assured that there are plenty of amazing sequences that will no doubt have their jaws hitting the floor as they watch the cast show off their remarkable capabilities.

That being said, and speaking of it being a two-hour film, it is a little over-stretched in regards to the somewhat simple story that the filmmakers want to tell. One thing that directors & screenwriters always need to keep in mind is that you need to make sure your story & runtime are suitably matched, a guideline that they didn't really seem to follow here in regards to the nature of their tale. However, as the case often is with films like this, the story was hardly the main focus of attention, for it was merely a foundation on which to lay the multitude of stunning fight sequences, which is indeed where most of their concentration went. This is not to put down the story at all, for it is a mostly compelling one, but rather just to say that stretching out a somewhat simple story like this is not typically a good idea.

In the end, "Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert" is an exciting, though a bit over-long, martial arts outing that is sure to give action fans exactly what they're looking for in terms of its incredible displays of fighting skills from its remarkable cast, and really, when it comes right to it, what more could you really ask for from a film simply looking to give you some jaw-dropping entertainment for a couple of hours?

Video/Audio:

"Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert" comes to 4K in a 2.39:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality, featuring a beautifully sharp picture throughout its entire 126-minute duration that perfectly highlights its stunning action sequences & gorgeous designs. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Well Go USA has done a wonderful job in both areas for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

The Essence of Wuxia (4 Minutes): Brief interviews about the film with Woo-ping & the cast.

Those Who Ascend the Mountain (6 Minutes): A featurette that explores the cast and their skills.

The Guardian Squad (4 Minutes): A promotional featurette for the film focusing on the characters.

The Return (6 Minutes): Another featurette that mainly delves into the cast.

Conclusion:

Yuen Woo-ping's "Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert" is an exciting & entertaining martial arts extravaganza that showcases the director's incredible skill for action choreography & the remarkable cast's extraordinary talent for executing such intricate maneuvers. It may be a little over-stretched at two hours for the somewhat simple tale that the filmmakers want to tell, but overall, there's little doubt that action fans will get exactly what they're looking for in this wild epic.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on 4K/Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

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