Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert

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Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert

R

Feb 2026

2h 6m

Action

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

30 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.

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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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Apr 21

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

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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Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

Feb 18

3.5/4

The film stands out among Yuen Woo-Ping's best directorial credits thanks partly to its straight-ahead run-and-fight narrative as well as its focus on playful action, movie-star charisma, and pulpy melodrama.

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Sean McGeady

Radio Times

Apr 23

4/5

Highlights include a duel staged in a sandstorm raging with such velocity that its combatants can't stay on their feet. Even at 80, Yuen remains untouchable.

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Rino Lu

ScreenAnarchy

Apr 20

4/5

An exhilarating action film filled with striking set pieces.

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Katie Smith-Wong

Flick Feast

Apr 17

4/5

A vast display of wuxia action that balances badassery and ambition, Blades of the Guardians is a two-hour spectacle that will enthral fans of the genre.

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sup.steve8 L

Mar 15

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

Everything about this movie was amazing!

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Derek

Mar 7

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

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

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

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

Actor

Jet Li

Chang Guiren

Chen Lijun

Actor

Blades of the Guardians: Trailer 1

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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