Yuen Woo-ping's Blades of the Guardians arrives

Being involved in the UK release, I had a brilliant time attending the UK Premiere of Blades of the Guardians. It marks the latest blockbuster from top action director and martial arts choreographer, Yuen Woo-ping, best known to most audiences for his action-design work in Kill Bill, The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But don’t forget, his defining directorial work also includes Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Drunken Master, Iron Monkey and Tiger Cage. A truly iconic filmography in Hong Kong cinema.

Still going strong at 80 years young, the maestro has proven that he’s still got it, forging what has now become the highest-grossing wuxia film of all time, worldwide, even surpassing the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon from director Ang Lee.

It’s been a true joy to work on the release with Trinity Cineasia, the leading distributor for East Asian cinema in the UK, and I also spoke with China Daily news during the premiere night in London’s Leicester Square,

Boasting a multi-generational martial arts and action cast, the film features a stellar lineup including Jet Li (Hero), Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior), Nicholas Tse (Raging Fire), Tony Leung Ka Fai (The Shadow’s Edge), Max Zhang (Ip Man 3), Kara Hui (My Young Auntie), Chen Lijun (New Dragon Gate Inn), Yosh Yu (Creation of the Gods Trilogy), Ci Sha (The Shadow's Edge) and K-pop star Jun (Wen Junhui) (The Shadow’s Edge).

Set during the Sui Dynasty, the story follows Dao Ma, a bounty hunter who accepts a job escorting a man on the long road to the city of Chang'an. However, he discovers the person in his custody is the empire's most wanted bounty, with every greedy faction in pursuit.

Returning to his cinematic roots, Yuen Woo-ping has reinvigorated the traditional wuxia genre which he played such a big role in defining, and it’s a genuine treat for genre fans and cinephiles, alike. Uniting four generations of action talent is also a heart-warming feat and one which, no doubt, few other living filmmakers could have achieved.