MartinHafer Whether you enjoy "14 Blades" will most likely depend on what you think of the extensive use of so-called 'wire fu' throughout the film. This term was coined some time ago to describe the martial arts you see in some Chinese films where the stunts can only be achieved using hidden wires and harnesses to make characters magically fly as they fight. This was popularized in the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" but was actually used well before this in some of the Shaw Brothers films of the 1970s (such as "Sister Street Fighter"). I don't mind these crazy techniques if they are used very sparingly. When it doesn't dominate the film and when the actors aren't doing things so insanely impossible that I have trouble enjoying the movie, it can be effective. Instead, I prefer martial arts films where the action is both plausible AND insanely realistic--such as in films like "Ip Man", "In the Blood" and the old Sonny Chiba Street Fighter films. To me, wire fu can become a gimmick-- especially when used too often. And, in "14 Blades" it simply is overused and as a result, the story itself is rather weak.When the film begins, you learn that in the Ming Dynasty, the Emperors created the Jinyiwei. The Jinyiwei was initially a small group of men who were like a combination of spies and assassins. They were independent of the rest of the government and had the authority to overrule judges and dispatch supposed enemies of the Emperor with their bladed weapons. While this sounds far-fetched, I did some research and found that this really was a secret organization which was created in 14th century China! So, I applaud the film for basing the plot, in part, on real historical facts and characters.One of these Jinyiwei, General Qinlong (Donnie Yen) is the hero, of sorts, in this film. He is betrayed by disloyal folks within the Emperor's court and spends the entire film being pursued by an outlaw Prince and his band of baddies. Throughout the film, it's one battle after another after another, as the Prince's troops try to kill Qinlong and steal the royal seal. And, the baddest of these baddies is Tuo Tuo, the Prince's adopted daughter. She has all sorts of magical fighting powers, can punch through trees, tosses enormous statues about as if they were made of styrofoam and can appear and disappear, fly and do practically anything. How could Qinlong possibly defeat this magical killing machine?!To me, if Tuo Tuo had been eliminated from the film completely, "14 Blades" would have been a much better film. She simply was too impossible to believe and her stunts were insanely impossible--yet many of the fight scenes without her were exciting and high-energy. The wizards in The Lord of the Rings films had less powers than she did and to me this was just a distraction. This combining of real historical events (the Jinyimei) with ridiculous over-the-top characters didn't work for me and I wish the director, Daniel Lee, had focused less on these stunts and more on the story and realistic fighting. Not a bad film, it lacks the depth and believable characters I look for in a great martial arts movie.

mystery_hunters13 As i said in the summary this movie is like a candy for a chocolate lover! If you are the kinda person who likes the martial art movies, if you wanna see some kungfu kicks and wanna hear swusshhhh of the swords, this is the movie for you. Story is not that extraordinary, screenplay is good, locations are good. In the second half of the movie they added this middle-eastern styled city, it looks like a place straight from Arabian desert cartoon and Chun Wu's appearance fills the role of Aladdin lol.Wei Zhao was good in her role but I'm not sure how much you gonna like her. She is not the Wei Zhao of shaolin soccer or red cliff, shes more of a Wei Zhao of warriors of heaven and earth. she does not know any martial arts in the movie and the love story between Donnie and Wei is not that impressive. The box of swords used by Donnie and the all little gadgets its embedded with is quite new and very good. Kate Tsui's role was good, she had the exact amount of screen time that was needed and she did exactly what she was supposed to do. However there are quite a lot mistakes but hey come on, its a martial arts movie. The ending of the movie could have been different and better.Final verdict: Good acting, good action scenes, okish story, nice locations and worth watching MA. Its definitely watchable movie, i got exactly what i expected to see, not a penny more not a penny less. I give it a rating of 6.

kosmasp I'm not talking about the blades, but about the story. It's a shame that the story (as good as it is and it's not bad) is not more fleshed out. Recent movies have shown that there are ways to make the eastern movies attractive (again). Though I am a bit biased, having grown up watching the Shaw Brothers movies, I do think that this could have done with a bit of script writing upgrade.Of course the Shaw Brothers movies might not stand up to the test of time (or script writing I come to expect these days), but apart from that they had great actors. Donnie Yen holds his stand here and he does a good job. Of course that also means that the action is well shot and choreographed. I'm just saying you might be left with a feeling that there could have been more.

wolfe_mac5 This Martial Arts Ming Dynasty thriller 14 Blades(2010) launches into full swing with help from kung fu specialist Donnie Yen (Qing Long). The action packed story is based around the exploits of Qing Long, the commander general of the Jin Yi Wei elite assassin force. These specialized Ming Dynasty King bodyguards were originally orphan children trained to serve and protect the emperor. Qing Long faces espionage, corruption and also romantic (non-physical) elements with sprinklings of humor chucked in. However, the kung fu weaponry displays are the main attraction. Other impacting characters include female actors Wei Zhao(Qiao Hua) and personal favorite Kate Tsui (Tuo Tuo). Qing Long is forced to carry out a false and corrupted high ranking order which involves seizing the emperor's treasure box (Imperial Seal). The mission backfires badly on Qing Long and causes confusion among Ming Dynasty officials as to who can be trusted. The Imperial Seal gets surprisingly re-snatched from Qing Long during the mission, which suggests an inside job. Speculation and scare-mongering surrounds the legendary elite forces commander (Qing Long) putting his reputation in jeopardy. He also suffers some severe stab wounds during the botched treasure box fiasco, but finds a resting haven to recover and meets the attractive Qiao Hua. These two characters create an ever present romantic underbelly for the duration of the movie that never really develops. And even though Qing Long develops a soft-spot for Qiao Hua, the steely cold killing professional will always live and die by the sword (short path). A portrayal of commitment and honor comes through strongly as Qing Long fully focuses on regaining his much respected Jin Yi Wei dignity and restores Ming Dynasty order after seeds of distrust are planted. The solid chiseled frame of Donnie Yen covered in colorful tattoos produces some fine fast action which complements his cool as ice persona adding a character knockout combination. The fourteen blades title refers to Qing Long's dangerous killing arsenal involving fourteen blades of mass destruction that all have a specific function and application. The blades fit neatly inside a compartmental rectangular portable box that can be carried over your back like a golf bag. Also attached to this futuristic advanced weaponry is some kind of cable system which can rapidly fire a two hook-device into solid surfaces, which makes Qing Long man-oeuvre quickly in any direction possible. Once this power house box of blades is unleashed by Qing Long it is highly entertaining and comes in handy when he's being hunted by the many attackers. Wuxia elements get ramped up quickly when Tuo Tuo's character is introduced showcasing dazzling displays of super-human power and fiction. Her speed is so superior (and exaggerated) that she has an invisible aura when fighting, making it almost impossible to strike her. This makes for an ultimate showdown between her and killing machine Qing Long. Tuo Tuo's buttery gorgeous face and sweet little voice couldn't be further away from the unbeatable hell-cat hit-woman she portrays, but the mix works seemingly well together. The special effects are impressive especially when the sounds of opposing blades are swung and clash together, giving a sense of reality amid the fantasia. The cute, but extremely lethal Tuo Tuo unleashes hell with her special weapon which appears to be some kind of unique cut-throat chain. It has a rattlesnake exterior and when waved about in action sounds like a panther and rattlesnake fighting. When combined with Tuo Tuo's aggressive high pitch grunts adds more weight to the dramatic settings. These audio elements accentuate the ferocity of the combat scenes. Tuo Tuo's character also demonstrates some highly effective visuals, as she glides in and out of her magical glistening (Teflon looking) combat coat. She spins around making it hard work for her would be attackers. But before the final showdown with Qing Long, Tuo Tuo takes on the super slick 'Judge Of The Desert (Chun- Wu) from the Sky Eagle Clan. Judge first appears as a Robin Hood type of character, but keeps the riches for himself. However, he comes good in the end and tries his attacking hand against Tuo Tuo while coming to the rescue of damsel in distress, Qiao Hun. The Judge also pulls out a unique sword with slightly curved blades at both ends and grip handle in the middle. He throws this sword like a boomerang slicing up a storm, then catches it on its return. One of the many funny lines in the movie also involves, Judge. Before heading in battle, Judge would yell out with echo effect 'here come the Sky Eagles…' not unlike how Tarzan would rally-roar to signal the jungle animals. In the end, Qing Long always had his dignity but needed to complete his final mission. The special effects and kung fu displays are worth a look.