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| source: themoviedb.org |
The Butcher's Blade (2026), whose
original title is 手遮天 / Shou Zhe Tian and directed by Liu Wenpu. It tells the story of Xue Buyi, a
low-ranking constable who has been marginalized for 10 years because he is
naive and not politically savvy. When he asks for a better job, he is instead
assigned to guard a silver warehouse containing disaster relief funds for a
flood. Unfortunately, that night a robbery occurs and the disaster relief funds
go missing. Xue is immediately made a scapegoat and falsely accused of theft. His
teacher, Huang, saves him and he reunites with his fellow apprentice, Li Zhen.
But the deeper he investigates, the more he realizes: corruption and
manipulation of the law are rotten to the core. Buyi is trapped and turned into
a tool for a “secret squad” that only protects the rich who can afford to pay.
Buyi has only two choices: remain an obedient dog of a system where money is
worth more than honor, or raise his head and fight against everyone.
Critics praised Liu Fengchao’s
acting as Xue Buyi, the “coward” who slowly experiences the bitterness of
power. His performance shows a transformation from obedient to savage. The
old-school vibe and classic theme: an honest policeman vs corruption, honor vs
money. However, critics also criticized the very standard story: a plot about
corruption, betrayal, and moral dilemmas, nothing new. The supporting
characters are underdeveloped. The antagonist is evil simply because he is
evil. The bureaucrats’ motivations are not explored enough.
This film stars: Liu Fengchao, Shanshan Chunyu, Fufu Yuan and more.
In my opinion:
Actually, this film has a good
story idea if it is arranged neatly. But it seems the director wanted to avoid
a slow plot and get straight to the climax. In my opinion, that’s where it
flops. I muttered several times, “why has the story already reached this
point?” The characters feel like they’re being spun around, enemies become
friends, friends become enemies, so it’s full of betrayal. Maybe it wants to
deliver a plot twist, but as I said, the pacing is too fast. So it leaves an
unsatisfying impression in every scene.
The setting also doesn’t feel
balanced enough, with too many areas of poverty shown. Even though the film’s
story wants to expose a government scandal. But the luxurious side of the
government itself is not presented. It makes me wonder, is this the only
motivation for a government official to want power and occupy a high position?
The visuals and audio are just
average, but the choreography is good. I liked it when Biyu faced the final
boss of this film. It reminded me of old Chinese films full of duel scenes.
There’s still a lot that needs improvement. I have reviewed 1 colossal Chinese film on
this site and I was impressed by its execution (you can check it here). So this
film is neither bad nor good.
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