14 Blades

锦衣卫

Hong Kong/China/Singapore, 2010, colour, 2.35:1, 112 mins.

Director: Li Rengang 李仁港 [Daniel Lee].

Associate director: Chen Zhiliang 陈志良.

Rating: 6/10.

Good-looking but dramatically weak Zhen Zidan [Donnie Yen] vehicle falls short as a costume martial arts drama.

STORY

China, early Ming Dynasty. General Qinglong (Zhen Zidan), head of an elite force of Imperial enforcers, the Brocade Guards, is entrusted with guarding the Emperor’s Seal, sought after by vengeful Prince Qing (Hong Jinbao), who lost his legs in a failed coup. Following an ambush, General Qinglong takes refuge with a group of professional boyguards, the Justice Escort, led by Qiao Yong (Wu Ma), whose daughter, Qiao Hua (Zhao Wei), falls for him. In the desert wastes of Muslim northwest China, General Qinglong is pursued by Prince Qing’s two leading assassins – adopted daughter Tuotuo (Xu Zishan) and chief henchman Xuan Wu (Qi Yuwu) – and forms an alliance with local bandit Judge (Wu Zun).

REVIEW

Though superior in most respects, 14 Blades 锦衣卫 suffers from many of the same faults as the recent The Treasure Hunter 刺陵 (2009) by Zhu Yanping 朱延平, especially a script that becomes increasingly incoherent and restless editing that grows more and more distracting. Like Treasure Hunter, it also recalls Hong Kong costume martial arts movies of the late 1980s and early 1990s, with none of the dramatic breadth and weight of Mainland-shot historical dramas like The Warlords 投名状 (2007) and Battle of Wits 墨攻 (2006). Hong Kong’s Li Rengang 李仁港 [Daniel Lee] has always been a variable director (Black Mask 黑侠, 1996; Moonlight Express 星月童话, 1999) but, in its lost opportunities, this one is disappointing after his enjoyably meaty Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon 三国之见龙卸甲 (2008).

With some striking desert landscapes by d.p. Zhang Dongliang 张东亮 [Tony Cheung] (Eye in the Sky 跟踪, 2007; Mulan 花木兰, 2009) and fresh-looking Ming dynasty-cum-Central Asia production design by Li himself, the film consistently looks good in widescreen. But there’s no real drama or conflict: the character played by Zhen Zidan 甄子丹 [Donnie Yen] is unsmiling and unlikeable, Mainland actress Zhao Wei 赵薇 (who’s meant to be falling for him) seems to be emoting in a vacuum and, as in Seven Swords 七剑 (2005) by Xu Ke 徐克 [Tsui Hark], little dramatic juice is squeezed out of the legendary titular weapons that Zhen’s general carries around in a box.

The music by Hong Kong’s Li Yunwen 李允文 [Henry Lai] slips occasionally into reminders of Ennio Morricone’s Dollar scores but only underlines the fact that not very much heroic is going on on-screen. The film seems perpetually restless when it should be more thoughtful. Zhen, who’s shown he can do thoughtful (Ip Man 叶问, 2008) when given the chance, emerges as a psychological blank page. Action scenes are largely dependant on wire-fu and CG (especially the clothes-shedding technique of the assassin played by Hong Kong’s Xu Zishan 徐子珊). However, when Zhen is allowed to show his skills properly (as in a courtyard fight vs a bandit played by Wu Zun 吴尊) 14 Blades starts to look like the film it could have been.

CREDITS

Presented by Shanghai Film Group (CN), Visualizer Film Production (HK), Western Movie Group (CN), Mediacorp Raintree Pictures (SG), Desen International Media (CN). Produced by Visualizer Film Production (HK).

Script: Li Rengang [Daniel Lee], Kuang Wenwei [Abe Kwong], Mai Tianshu, Liu Haoliang. Original story: Li Rengang [Daniel Lee]. Photography: Zhang Dongliang [Tony Cheung]. Editing: Zhang Jiahui [Cheung Ka-fai]. Music: Li Yunwen [Henry Lai]. Production design: Li Rengang [Daniel Lee]. Art direction: He Jianxiong [Cyrus Ho]. Costume design: Huang Mingxia, Guo Shumin, Mo Junjie [Eddie Mok]. Sound: Wang Qingsheng. Action: Gu Xuanzhao. Image design: Zhuang Zhiliang [Thomas Chong]. Visual effects: Ryu Heui-jeong (Next Visual Studio).

Cast: Zhen Zidan [Donnie Yen] (General Qinglong), Zhao Wei (Qiao Hua), Wu Zun (Judge), Hong Jinbao [Sammo Hung] (Prince Qing), Xu Zishan (Tuotuo), Qi Yuwu (Xuan Wu), Liu Songren [Damian Lau] (Zhao Shenyan), Wu Ma (Qiao Yong), Liu Jiaying [Law Kar-ying] (Jia Jingzhong), Chen Guantai (Fa Wang), Jin Laiqun (Zhu Que, Justice Escort member), Feng Ke’an (military adviser), Xu Xiangdong (Xiahou), Chen Zhihui (Bai Hu/White Tiger, Justice Escort member), Liu Zhuoling (girl), Zhang Yujiao (Zhao Shouzheng), Ding Wenbin (Jifeng/Wind Blast).

Release: China, 4 Feb 2010; Singapore, 4 Feb 2010; Hong Kong, 11 Feb 2010.

(Review originally published on Film Business Asia, 12 May 2010.)