''14 Blades'' () is a 2010 ''
wuxia
( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...
'' film directed by
Daniel Lee and starring
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen Chi-tan ( zh, c=甄子丹, p=Zhēn Zǐdān, j=, first=j; born 27 July 1963) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Fi ...
,
Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...
,
Sammo Hung
Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a figh ...
,
Wu Chun,
Kate Tsui,
Qi Yuwu and
Damian Lau. The film was released on 4 February 2010 in China and on 11 February 2010 in Hong Kong.
Plot
During the late
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, the imperial court is plagued by corruption and the reigning emperor is incompetent. The
Embroidered Uniform Guard (''jinyiwei'') consists of orphans trained in cruel, clandestine combat since childhood and they serve as the Ming government's secret service. Qinglong, a ''jinyiwei'' commander, is given a mechanical box of 14 blades to help him in his duties. Jia Jingzhong, an imperial eunuch close to the emperor, secretly plots a rebellion with the emperor's uncle, Prince Qing, who has been exiled after an unsuccessful rebellion.
Jia Jingzhong orders Qinglong to retrieve a safe box in the possession of the imperial councillor, Zhao Shenyang, whom he accuses of planning a revolt; Qinglong is told that the box contains proof of the councillor's treason. However, Qinglong soon discovers that the box actually contains the
Imperial Seal, a symbol of the emperor's authority, which Jia Jingzhong needs to legitimise Prince Qing's authority. Qinglong is betrayed by his fellow ''jinyiwei'' and his brother-in-arms, Xuanwu, who has secretly pledged allegiance to Jia Jingzhong. Prince Qing's adoptive daughter, Tuo-Tuo, a deadly warrior, arrives to lend her assistance on receiving news of Qinglong's escape. Qinglong, now a fugitive and unable to leave the city until his wounds heal, finds his way to the Justice Security Service, a private security company whose fortunes are dwindling. The owner eagerly accepts Qinglong's offer to pay him handsomely for safe passage in hopes of revitalising his business. By coincidence, the owner's daughter, Qiao Hua, is engaged to be married, and the security service hides Qinglong within her wedding carriage as a means of getting past the checkpoints and leaving the city.
When another group of ''jinyiwei'' arrives to arrest Qinglong, he fights and kills them but unknowingly reveals his identity as a former ''jinyiwei'' himself. Fearing more trouble than they bargained for, the owner offers to return Qinglong's money and asks to be left in peace. However, Qinglong is determined to fulfil his duty to the emperor so he takes Qiao Hua as a hostage. The pair arrive at
Yanmen Pass
Yanmen Pass, also known by its Chinese name Yanmenguan and as Xixingguan, is a mountain pass which includes three fortified gatehouses along the Great Wall of China. The area was a strategic choke point in ancient and medieval China, con ...
, where Qinglong hopes to gather information. He discovers that his enemies intend to sell three provinces to fund their cause. While Qinglong investigates and plots his next move, the duo encounters the Heaven's Eagles Gang, a group of bandits led by the self-proclaimed "Judge of the Desert". The leader is a strong warrior who fights Qinglong, proving that they are evenly matched. Qinglong proposes an alliance to raid the outpost at Yanmen Pass; the gang will get their full cut of the booty while Qinglong gets to satisfy his personal objectives. Standing in Qinglong's way are Jia Jingzhong's henchmen and his former ''jinyiwei'', who have come to broker a deal with the gang. Before the raid is executed, Jia Jingzhong is betrayed and killed by Xuanwu, who intends to directly serve under Prince Qing.
Qinglong and the Heaven's Eagles Gang successfully raid the outpost and kill most of the soldiers. Qinglong overcomes Xuanwu in combat, but the latter escapes by yielding the Imperial Seal. Tuo-Tuo kidnaps Qiao Hua and demands the seal in return for freeing her. Qiao Hua is doubtful that Qinglong will make the trade, but Qinglong gives up the seal. However, he also makes it clear that he intends to take Qiao Hua to her fiancé. Duty-bound to recover the seal, Qinglong leaves Qiao Hua. Qinglong fights Tuo-Tuo at a tavern and he witnesses her striptease tactic. Qinglong reunites with the Justice Security Service and they catch up with Qinglong, offering to assist with their superior knowledge of the roads. Separately, the Judge of the Desert realises the importance of the Seal and leaves his gang to pursue the seal on his own.
Intercepting Tuo-Tuo, Xuanwu and Prince Qing's men arrive at the ruins of the ancient Sky Wolves City. Qinglong draws Tuo-Tuo into chasing a disguised Qiao Hua. Subsequently, Xuanwu and Prince Qing's men are split up and lured into an ambush set by the Justice Security Service and are defeated by Qinglong and the service. Xuanwu plays on Qinglong's guilt and mercy to escape execution but then attempts to kill Qinglong when his back is turned, forcing his hand. Tuo-Tuo eventually catches up with Qiao Hua and tells her Qinglong set her up to die for him, but the Judge of the Desert intervenes. Realizing he is no match for Tuo-Tuo, the Judge sacrifices himself in combat to enable Qiao Hua to escape. After reuniting with Qinglong, he gives the seal to her and instructs her to bring it to the authorities to alert them of Prince Qing's conspiracy. Qiao Hua tells Qinglong she has declined her wedding proposal, suggesting she wants to be with Qinglong, but he believes he is likely to die; he tells her they will meet again if she rings a bell bracelet he had previously given her. Qinglong and Tuo-Tuo duel to the death in an abandoned temple. The fight intensifies and Tuo-Tuo strips down to her last robe. After Tuo-Tuo stabs Qinglong, Qinglong grabs hold of Tuo-Tuo and uses his box of 14 blades to kill both Tuo-Tuo and himself.
In the aftermath, Prince Qing's rebellion fails. He mourns Tuo-Tuo's death and commits suicide before being brought to trial. Qiao Hua's father passes away and she inherits the Justice Security Service. During her travels, she frequently detours along the desert roads to remember her adventures with Qinglong. On one such foray, while looking across the desert with her spyglass and ringing her bell, she sees a man who appears much like Qinglong in the distance.
Cast
*
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen Chi-tan ( zh, c=甄子丹, p=Zhēn Zǐdān, j=, first=j; born 27 July 1963) is a Hongkongers, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and action director. He is the recipient of various accolades, including three Golden Horse Fi ...
as Qinglong "青龍" or
Azure Dragon
The Azure Dragon ( zh, c=青龍, p=Qīnglóng) is one of the Dragon King, Dragon Gods who represent the mount or Chthonic deities, chthonic forces of the Wufang Shangdi, Five Regions' Highest Deities (). It is also one of the Four Symbols o ...
. The four senior officers of the Jinyiwei are given the names of the
Four Symbols in the
Chinese constellations
Traditional Chinese astronomy has a system of dividing the celestial sphere into asterisms or constellations, known as "officials" ( Chinese ''xīng guān'').
The Chinese asterisms are generally smaller than the constellations of Hellenisti ...
.
*
Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...
as Qiao Hua
*
Sammo Hung
Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a figh ...
as Prince Qing (special appearance)
*
Wu Chun as Judge of the Desert
*
Kate Tsui as Tuo-Tuo
*
Qi Yuwu as Xuanwu "玄武" or
Black Tortoise
*
Damian Lau as Zhao Shenyan (guest appearance)
*
Wu Ma
Fung Wang-yuen (22 September 1942 – 4 February 2014), better known by his stage name Wu Ma, was a Hong Kong actor, director, producer and writer. Wu Ma made his screen debut in 1963, and with over 240 appearances to his name (plus 49 directoria ...
as Qiao Yong
*
Law Kar-ying as Jia Jingzhong
*
Chen Kuan-tai
Chen Kuan-tai (; born 24 September 1945) is a Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Ko ...
as Fawang
*
Chen Zhihui as Baihu "白虎" or
White Tiger
*Fung Hak-on as advisor
*Xu Xiangdong as Xiahou
*Liu Zhuoling as servant
*Zhang Yujiao as Zhao Shouzheng
*Ding Wenbin as Jifeng
*Jin Laiqun as Zhuque "朱雀" or
Vermilion Bird
The Vermilion Bird ( zh, c=朱雀, p=Zhūquè) is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. According to Wuxing (Chinese philosophy), Wu Xing, the Taoism, Taoist five elemental system, it represents the Fire (Wu Xing), Fire element, ...
*Qiu Bo
*Bian Yang
*Zhu Jiazhen
Production
''14 Blades'' was scheduled to start filming on 14 May 2009 in
Ningxia
Ningxia, officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region in Northwestern China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was later separated from Gansu in 1958 and reconstituted as an autonomous ...
, China.
Donnie Yen stated that he took the role of a villain in the film as he "wanted to tackle the role of a villain who discovers his humanity."
Release
''14 Blades'' premiered in China and Singapore on 4 February 2010 and in Hong Kong on 11 February.
The film premiered at the seventh place in the Hong Kong box office, grossing US$317,975 in its first week. It grossed a total of US$984,711 at the Hong Kong box office.
The film was successful in Singapore where it was first in the box office on its second week, grossing a total of US$1,126,692 on its theatrical run. The film grossed a total of US$3,676,875 worldwide.
Reception
''14 Blades'' was nominated for Best Action Choreography and Best Sound Design at the
29th Hong Kong Film Awards. ''
The China Post
''The China Post'' () was an English-language newspaper published in Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies betw ...
'' praised Donnie Yen's acting ability and stated that the film was generally entertaining but criticised the action scenes, writing that "you never actually clearly see even one of the 14 blades. Unlike a really decent martial arts film, in which the battle scenes are well choreographed and you see the majority of the action, this film's fight scenes were only dynamic."
Many reviewers also criticised the film's heavy use of technology, including Kate Tsui's clothes-shedding technique. ''
Film Business Asia
''Film Business Asia'' was a film trade magazine based in Hong Kong. The magazine was created in 2010 by Patrick Frater, former journalist for '' Variety'', ''The Hollywood Reporter'', and ''Screen International'' and Stephen Cremin, co-founder o ...
'' gave the film a six out of ten, stating that ''14 Blades'' has a "script that becomes increasingly incoherent and restless editing that grows more and more distracting" and that the action scenes were "largely dependant on wire-fu and CG...when
onnieYen is allowed to show his skills properly...''14 Blades'' starts to look like the film it could have been."
''
Variety'' called ''14 Blades'' an "above-average martial-arts actioner that reinforces Donnie Yen's '
Man with No Name
The Man with No Name () is the antihero character portrayed by Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's "''Dollars Trilogy''" of Italian Spaghetti Western films: '' A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964), '' For a Few Dollars More'' (1965), and '' The Good, t ...
' ambience... Despite the circumstances, Qiao Hua falls in love with her captor, a development made believable by Zhao's warm and affecting perf. Yen's
Eastwood-like poise is used to good effect here, and the romantic tension keeps the narrative effectively taut between the battle sequences."
''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote that the film "would have ended a mediocre film if not for the inventively designed and utilized weaponry (especially the titular 14 blades with different functions)" and had mixed reaction to the acting in the film, asserting that Donnie Yen's "stiff and steely demeanor actually works to his role's favor. The love interest with Qiao Hua is lame, especially with Zhao sleepwalking through another typecast role as playful, tomboyish heroine."
Awards and nominations
; 17th
Beijing College Student Film Festival
Beijing College Student Film Festival, first held in 1993, is an annual event organized by Beijing Normal University and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. It is held in April or May, and is one of the biggest film festivals ...
* Won: Favorite Actress (
Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...
)
; 4th China (Ningbo) Farmers Film Festival
* Won: Favorite Actress (
Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...
)
;
29th Hong Kong Film Awards
* Nominated: Best Action Choreography (Guk Hin-chiu)
* Nominated: Best Sound Design (Ken Wong and Phyllis Cheng)
; 19th
Shanghai Film Critics Awards
* Won: Best Actress (
Zhao Wei
Zhao Wei (; born 12 March 1976), also known as Vicky Zhao or Vicki Zhao, is a Chinese nationality law, Chinese actress, singer, filmmaker, and businesswoman. Regarded as one of China's Four Dan Actresses, she rose to pan-Asian fame for her rol ...
) also for ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century Common Era, CE) of Chinese history. Scholar, Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicte ...
'' (2009)
* Won : Films of Merit
References
Further reading
* Hadi, Anita.
Razor sharp kung fu." ''
The Malay Mail
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
''. Thursday 11 February 2010.
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:14 Blades
2010 films
2010s Mandarin-language films
2010 action films
Films directed by Daniel Lee
Films set in the Ming dynasty
Hong Kong historical action films
Hong Kong martial arts films
Kung fu films
Chinese martial arts films
Wushu films
Wuxia films
2010 martial arts films
2010s Hong Kong films
Films scored by Henry Lai Wan-man