Judge Archer

A World War I film, “1917,” is hitting theaters worldwide, but not here. So I watched an older film set in 1917—“Judge Archer.”

Loved the performance of Liu Baiyuan; only later realized the actor is Song Yang. His credits include “The Master” and “Wrath of Silence”—I saw both and even wrote a review of “Wrath of Silence.” He could easily rely on looks, yet he brings real craft; every role lands. After Jiang Wen, Ge You, Andy Lau, Louis Koo, and Liao Fan, Song Yang is the next actor I’ll follow.

Kuang Yimin is played by martial arts grandmaster Yu Chenghui. I didn’t know his name before, but I vividly remember his roles—Zhang Sanfeng, Huang Yaoshi, Wang Renzhen. Rarely the lead, yet always the most striking. Sadly, he passed away soon after “Judge Archer.” Rest in peace, Master Yu.

Director Xu Haofeng is the standard bearer of new Chinese wuxia: “The Master,” “The Grandmaster,” “The Escort,” “The Sword Identity” are all hard-hitting modern wuxia. He sets stories post-Ming/Qing, strips away superpowers and rooftop flying, and uses real martial routines—closer to reality, loved by fans who want both realism and grit. When urban white-collar moviegoers rose, wuxia declined; as lower-tier city theaters expanded and small-town youth became the main audience, wuxia has warmed again. The pity: Xu Haofeng stands almost alone among wuxia directors.

I have to shout: protect Xu Haofeng to protect Chinese wuxia cinema—let “Hidden Blade Behind” be released! As of 2024-01-26, still unreleased.

Published at: Nov 23, 2025 · Modified at: Jan 14, 2026