Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert

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1:52

Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert

R

Feb 2026

2h 6m

Action

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

100+ Verified Ratings

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 bounty hunter, takes a job to protect 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. Now, every greedy faction is hunting them, and a deadly battle for the prize begins.

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Critics Consensus

Blades of the Guardians masterfully showcases director Yuen Woo-Ping's feel for fluid action, delivering a fiercely entertaining spectacle surging with pulpy melodrama and grand battles.

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David West

Sight & Sound

Jul 17, 2026

The cluttered storytelling and functional characters make for an underwhelming offering from the old master, despite the twinkle in Wu Jing’s eyes.

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Apr 21, 2026

3/5

With all those elements in place, plus scores of extras, it doesn’t really matter what the story is about; the trick is to just sit back and enjoy the hullabaloo.

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Keith Uhlich

(All (Parentheses)) (Substack)

Feb 21, 2026

Yuen Woo-ping knows how to direct wuxia action sequences, shocker, and additionally how to navigate a dizzying array of characters and locales so that any relational befuddlement becomes bliss.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

2 days ago

3.5/5

It's 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.

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Jeffrey Lyles

Lyles' Movie Files

Jul 11, 2026

10/10

Part Lord of the Rings, part Mad Max: Fury Road with a generous heaping of Crouching Tiger: Hidden Dragon, there is something for everyone here easily making for one of 2026’s best films.

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Chris Joyce

Movies and Munchies (YouTube)

Jul 3, 2026

4/5

It’s easy to see how director Yuen Woo-Ping utilizes his previous experiences as an action choreographer to skillfully craft the flowing ballet of brutality, blades, and blood that fill so much of this film.

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sup.steve8 L

Mar 15, 2026

Excellent movie from start to finish. Action with a compelling story and well acted. The kind of movies Hollywood used to make. First movie in a long time that I want to go back to see in a movie theater before it goes away. Bravo

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James

Mar 9, 2026

Everything about this movie was amazing!

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Derek

Mar 7, 2026

A real throwback to the Chinese sword-fighting movies I grew up with in the late '60s, early '70s. Colorful characters, flying humans, impossible feats of strength and martial arts prowess. No one does these films better than the legend, Yuen Woo-Ping. Mix in Jing Wu, Nicholas Tse, Tony Ka Fai Leung and wait, JET LI??? - C'mon, let's GO! More characters than you can keep track of, like Shaw Bros.' THE WATER MARGIN and ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS. Very much enjoyed it, and it really should be seen on the big screen.

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Benjamin H

Mar 7, 2026

Fantastic action scenes. Yuen Woo Ping brings the work rate! Plus the Silk Road setting captured my imagination

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Andrew

Mar 1, 2026

The best Mandarin Wuxia movie in 10 years IMO! I like the Biao Ren (Blade Guardian) comic and knew it has anime version, but never expected it to become a movie. However, it did surprise me with such high quality! Also, I'm neutral about Wu Jing, but I had to admit he did an excellent job! I highly recommend this movie! Especially if you understand Mandarin. It's worthwhile!

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Chris L

Mar 1, 2026

Best kungfu movie I see so far. Fighting is real and exciting! A must see movie.

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Woo-Ping Yuen

Director

Jing Wu

Dao Ma

Nicholas Tse

Di Ting

Yosh Yu

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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 bounty hunter, takes a job to protect 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. Now, every greedy faction is hunting them, and a deadly battle for the prize begins.

Director: Woo-Ping Yuen
Producer: Jing Wu
Screenwriter: Tai-lee Chan, Larry Yang, Yu Baimei, Chao-Bin Su
Distributor: Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co: Alibaba Pictures Group, Woo Ping Pictures, Beijing Dengfeng International Culture Communications Company
Rating: R (Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 30, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.6M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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