49 Blades
Director: Daniel Lee
Year: 2010
Rating: 7.5
This
ambitious wuxia feels in many ways to be a throwback to the wuxia films of
the 1990s - terrific high-flying action and a film filled with heroes and
villains. Perhaps not too surprising in that the director is Daniel Lee whose
debut was the wonderful What Price Survival, followed up with Black Mask.
The choreography is from Ku Huen-chiu who did similar duties on Stone Age
Warriors, Iron Monkey, The Tai Chi Master and Fist of Legend. All classics.
The final fight in this one between Donnie Yen and a deadly female felt like
it would have fit into one of those over the top wuxia films. Stunning. It
could have been Jet Li fighting Brigitte Lin. The film though is a more somber
one than those older films - much of it shot in the bleak empty landscapes
of northern China and it is relentlessly downbeat with one betrayal after
another. It has a great cast of some older Hong Kong stars and some younger
ones. On the older side are Sammo Hung, Damian Lau, Wu Ma, Law Kar-ying and
Fung Hark-on - then in the middle are Donnie Yen and Vicky Zhao with Kate
Tsui and Wu Chun giving memorable performances for two younger actors. It
takes a few minutes to understand what is going on with various groups in
fancy uniforms killing each other but when it breaks open and breaks out
of the city it becomes clear. Someone is trying to overthrow the Emperor
and has poisoned his security with bribes.
It takes place during the Ming Dynasty and
the Emperor has created a secret service by picking the survivors of fights
to the death of orphans (maybe our Secret Service could try that). They are
called the Jinyiwei and are the equivalent of the Gestapo, deadly, cruel
and feared by everyone. The Commander is Qinlong (Donnie Yen) who goes through
the film looking as glum as a man who just lost his loyal dog. He is given
the 14 blades in a box - eight to be used for torture, six for executions
of different types of crimes. Not a guy you would invite over for dinner.
His life is carrying out the Emperor's orders without questioning them. You
have your orders, you carry them out. He is given an order by the Eunuch
Jia (Law Kar-ying) to retrieve a safe box of a councilor of the Emperor that
will prove his guilt of treason. Instead, Qinlong finds the Royal Seal that
can be used for evil purposes in the wrong hands.
Which is exactly what Jia wants. He is in
league with the Uncle of the Emperor to overthrow him. Prince Qing (Sammo)
attempted to usurp power before and was exiled to the north without his legs.
One of the Commanders of the Jinyiwei has been bribed to betray his fellow
officers and when Qinlong realizes what is going on, he escapes with the
Seal but a price is put on his head. He goes to the owner of a transportation
escort service and asks him to get him out of the city - without telling
him who he is. Because everyone despises him. Yung (Wu Ma in a wonderful
performance) and his daughter Hua (Vicky Zhao) agree and are able to smuggle
him out. But Jia and Prince Qing need the Royal Seal and sends everyone after
him - including the Prince's adopted daughter Tuo Tuo (Kate Tsui). Tuo Tuo
nearly steals the film covered in a veil and as deadly as a box of cobras
with her mystical martial arts.
This all take place in the first 20 minutes
of the film. Another 90-minutes to go of action, escapes, traps and enlightenment.
Qinlong meets up with a group of bandits headed by Judge (Wu Chun) who has
some great action scenes as well. The film sags in the middle as Qinlong
and Hua begin to bond but it has a couple terrific set-pieces to end it.
I had meant to watch 30-minutes of this before heading to bed but ended up
watching it all.
