As of press time on March 11, the total box office of "The Wind Rises in the Desert" (hereinafter referred to as "The Wind") has reached US$193 million, ranking second in the box office of global martial arts films!
Classic martial arts films such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "The Grandmaster" were once the shining business cards of Chinese-language films. However, in recent years, martial arts films have gradually declined, and there are only a few outstanding works. It wasn't until the release of "The Bodyguard" this year that the flame of martial arts films was rekindled.
As we enter March, the popularity of Spring Festival movies has not diminished.
"Flying Life 3" firmly holds the crown of the day, but the runner-up position has quietly changed hands. "The Bodyguard", which has been taking the long-term reputation route, continues to work hard. At present, the domestic box office total has surpassed "The Silence of the Insect". Together with the overseas box office, it has become the runner-up in the global martial arts film box office, second only to the legendary "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (US$214 million).
What is worth looking forward to is that the second part of "The Bodyguard" has been officially approved, and may focus on the story of "Shu" (played by Yu Shi) and start a sequel.
The bodyguard Daoma was entrusted by his benefactor, Patriarch Mo, to escort the god Chishiro back to Chang'an and embark on a dangerous journey. Everyone in the world is looking for profit, and all forces have gotten involved in the situation. Famous scenes of fighting for escorts and fighting have been staged one after another.
"The Bodyguard" outlines a picture of the world of pleasure and hatred. Its stamina is so strong that it has achieved the best performance of martial arts movies in recent years, both in terms of reputation and box office.
"The Bodyguard" did not have an advantage in the film schedule when it was first released, but as word-of-mouth fermented, it gradually became favored, and step by step it made a counterattack at the box office.
The significance behind its ability to finally stand out is not only to let the industry see that martial arts movies still have box office potential, but also to let the audience see that the martial arts genre is still full of hope. In other words, there is a successor to martial arts films.
The most surprising thing about the film is the appearance of the new generation of "chivalrous heroine" Chen Lijun.
Chinese-language films have never lacked images of chivalrous heroines. Lin Qingxia's Dongfang Bubai, who is indistinguishable from male to female and whose appearance is "drunk in the world of mortals", has become an eternal classic; Maggie Cheung's Jin Xiangyu is charming and chivalrous, and the dealings in the Longmen Inn show the wisdom of the world;
Yu Jiaolong, played by Zhang Ziyi, is rebellious, aloof, and fierce, hiding the struggle and perseverance of children in the world; even the cold and decisive Nie Yinniang in "The Assassin Nie Yinniang" also interprets another look of chivalry with her chivalrous temperament that hides from the world.
These chivalrous women may be bright, aloof, or free and easy, and each shines with a unique light. However, with the decline of martial arts movies, the classic image of chivalrous heroines has gradually broken down, and it is difficult to see chivalrous heroine characters with both strength and aura on the screen.
Nowadays, Ayuya, played by Chen Lijun, makes a stunning appearance and is eye-catching again.
Ayuya, the daughter of Lao Mo, the leader of the Turkic Mo family in the Western Regions, has been skilled in horse riding and shooting since childhood and has a strong personality. As a Shaoxing opera actor, Chen Lijun has a sense of heroism, which fits Ayuya's setting quite well.
With a solid foundation in Yue opera, she incorporated the body and rhythm of opera into her action scenes. She had a strong posture when galloping a horse, and her bow and arrow movements were done in one go, as if she was Ayuya who grew up on the grassland and was proficient in riding and archery.
Ayuya never backed down, and Chen Lijun also had her own unyielding energy, which supported Ayuya's dominance as the young leader of the tribe. Acting in a movie for the first time, she has already made the audience see her potential as an actor.
It is commendable that "The Daredevil" depicts female characters with great tension. At first, Ayuya, who was protected by the tribe, was filled with the innocence of a girl and yearned for the prosperity of Chang'an in the Central Plains.
Until the four major families in the Western Regions colluded with Yi Xuan and raided the Mojiaji. Lao Mo was brutally killed. This dramatic change completely awakened her to let go of her weakness and dependence and embark on the road of revenge alone.
In the original work, the scene of Ayuya's revenge after kissing Daoma goodbye was adapted into a more shocking scene in the movie. When the two said goodbye, the kissing scene was deleted, and Ayuya cut off the reins and rushed straight into the sandstorm, roaring with all her strength. The adaptation weakens the love line and makes the character more heroine-like.
She was born into the family and was born to be the leader. Revenge is not a momentary impulse, but a bloody drive in her bones. After taking revenge, she gave up the idea of going to the Central Plains and chose to stay in the desert to rebuild the tribe. She shouldered the responsibility of the young master and showed her heroic spirit as a chivalrous woman.
With a total box office of over 193 million U.S. dollars, "The Bodyguard" rose to the second place in the global martial arts film box office, second only to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Last year's "Nezha 2" was a global hit, and this year's "The Bodyguard" achieved another success overseas. Facts have once again proved that cartoons and martial arts films seem to have certain advantages across language and cultural barriers.
"The Bodyguard" is adapted from the comic book of the same name. During the adaptation, some characters and clues were simplified, such as the past grievances between Daoma and Diting, the history of the five major families in the Western Regions, etc., and they are all presented in a more concise way.
The film focuses its creation on "real kung fu", which is also the most competitive part of Chinese martial arts films.
Yuen Woo-Ping personally performed, Jet Li, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Hui Yinghong came out to support, Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, and Zhang Jin took the lead, plus the new generation of actors, "four generations of martial arts people" gathered together. It can be said that for this movie, Ba Ye tried his best to call in those who can fight, no matter old or new.
Punching to the flesh is standard, and all the actors put in all their efforts just to "make the fight look better."
The escort Dao Ma played by Wu Jing is like "walking hormones".
At the beginning of the movie, Wu Jing, holding a short sword, confronts Jet Li's long sword. The short sword attacks quickly and violently, the wind of the sword whizzes, and the long sword is agile and changeable, shuttling between attacks like a swimming dragon.
The two masters plus the "two-headed snake" Zhang Jin, the three heroes fought fiercely, and a thrilling showdown began in the small space of the Chisha Town Inn. The surrounding furnishings were overturned in the fierce fighting, and the debris flew everywhere. The opening chapter is gripping.
Di Ting, played by Wu Jing and Nicholas Tse, also contributed famous scenes in close combat. During the battle on the sand, the figures of the two people flickered and appeared. Wu Jing's sword was cold when he spun around and stabbed, while Nicholas Tse's double-whip counterattack was not inferior. The moment the sand wall collapsed, the camera filled the scene with a sense of suffocation.
Yu Shi, who came out of the "Fengshen" series, played a young escort this time.
Known as the "Jade-faced Ghost", Shu has a lonely and cold personality. In order to shape his cold martial arts style, he specialized in cold weapon fighting.
During the battle in the sea of fire at Heiniutan, he held a knife in his left hand to create a cold light, and held a torch in his right hand to ignite the flames. His eyes were as cold as ice as he attacked the sword and horse from both sides. The moment the sword and horse used fire to counterattack, the two men's flame blades clashed and sparks flew out. The light of the sword in the fire wave reflected the ruthlessness of the young escort.
This sand, who is also well-known through the "Fengshen" series, plays the villainous young master this time. He entered the martial arts school at the age of 12 and had martial arts skills. In order to meet the director's requirement of "real riding and real fighting", he practiced equestrian skills hard. In the end, he galloped on horseback and drew his sword and put it away in one scene.
New-generation actors such as Liu Yaowen, Wen Junhui, Dong Sicheng, and Lin Qiunan also conducted a lot of routine training, learned unarmed combat skills, and also practiced in complex terrain such as sand and mountain roads, just to make every collision in front of the camera full of texture.
Near the end of the movie, Dao Ma and Ju Cema ran toward Chang'an. Yuan Heping, Zhang Xinyan, and Wu Bin, the three martial arts masters, were rarely in the same frame. They sighed at the notice posted on the wall, "When will we see such good skills?" Then they smiled lightly and said, "That's a matter for young people."
The poetic ending implies the inheritance of martial arts spirit from generation to generation. To take a step back, "The Bodyguard" is also like a "training ground" for new action actors, successfully launching a new generation of action actors.
Yang Zi, the director of "Chasing the Wind and Catching Shadows", is also one of the screenwriters of "The Bodyguard". After the production of "The Bodyguard" was completed at the end of 2024, Yang Zi worked non-stop to prepare for his new film "The Wind and Shadows", and once again worked with Shi Sha, Wen Junhui, Lin Qiunan and others to collaborate on his film. These young actors with solid action skills have joined action movies again after experiencing the training of "The Bodyguard". This is the most valuable thing.
Now, Zisha has joined the crime action movie "Rage Spreads", and Man Junhui will star in the crime action movie "Rebirth 2". The rise of a new generation of action movies is expected to take over the baton from their predecessors and inject new vitality into the future of Chinese-language movies.
The realistic fighting scenes with punches to the flesh and the smooth action design are the world's language that does not require translation. The success of "The Bodyguard" once again confirmed the global appeal of martial arts movies. What’s more worth looking forward to is that the story is not over yet.
As early as July last year, the project for the pre-historical film "The Bodyguard: The Battle of Jiangdu" has been approved and will continue to be developed by Ba Ye's company (Xiamen Yuan Heping Pictures Co., Ltd.). The screenwriter has been replaced by Song Linjie. The story is independent of Daoma's main plot, focusing on the secrets of Shu's life experience, telling his experience as an orphan in the Western Region who lost his memory and went into exile, went through hardships to seek revenge in the Fiery Echoing Temple, and finally transformed into a young bodyguard.
The original author of the comic, Xu Xianzhe, has begun drawing the Chang'an chapter, which also marks that the adventure from the desert to Chang'an is still continuing.
Martial arts movies may go through ups and downs, but true chivalry will never go out of style, and will only leave new imprints on the world through the perseverance of generations of filmmakers.
I look forward to the filming of "The Daredevil" into a series, the return of the original cast, and the new martial arts legend.
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