Sunday, April 11, 2010

14 Blades (2010)

Plot: During the Ming Dynasty the Emperor of China possessed one weapon greater than all others, the Jinyiwei, an elite force of assassins recruited from street orphans. Trained in clandestine combat from childhood, these Imperial Guards were masters of the 14 Blades, eight being for torture, five for killing, and the last blade reserved for suicide when a mission failed. Above the law, with a license to kill, the Jinyiwei devoted their lives and lethal prowess to the service of the Emperor alone.

When the Imperial Court is taken over by evil eunuch Jia, the best of the Jinyiwei, Qinlong (Donnie Yen) and Xuanwu, are assigned to steal a list identifying those still loyal to the Emperor. However unbeknownst to Qinlong, the Jinyiwei have fallen under the control of Jia, and during the mission he is betrayed by Xuanwu and barely escapes with his life. Now as the most wanted man in the land Qinlong must seek out and rally the loyalists to rise against Jia and restore the Emperor to power. In his way are the deadliest assassins in the land, his former brethren, the Jinyiwei.

Starring: Donnie Yen, Wei Zhao, Chun Wu, Yuwu Qi, Sammo Hung

Rated: R, Chinese with English subtitles