“The Butcher’s Blade” Poster
Director: Liu Wenpu
Cast: Liu Fengchao, Yuan Fufu, Chunyu Shanshan, Liu En Shang, Gao Wei Man, Liu Ben
Running Time: 90 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Remember those old-school Korean kung-fu movies that got re-titled for international distribution with names like Shaolin Drunken Monkey and 7-Star Grand Mantis, only to leave viewers baffled when it turned out there was no discernible monkey (drunken or any other) or mantis styles on display? The 2026 Chinese streaming movie The Butcher’s Blade kind of falls into the same category, albeit it more than 40 years later, in that I can confidently say there where no butcher’s blades in sight. Perhaps the title is intended to be a metaphor, in which case it would require me exerting more brain power than I currently have available, but in any case, if you’re after some butcher blade action, my recommendation is to stick with Korea’s Kundo: Age of the Rampant.
Having addressed the elephant in the room, the story involves a constable played by Liu Fengchao (Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance, The Four 2), who also serves as our narrator. Having trained at the prestigious Eagle Hall 10 years earlier in the 3 principles of being a constable – capture, interrogation, and execution – his reluctance to get involved in the brutality interrogation usually entails has seen him held back to a local prefecture over the big city. Keen Continue reading
Footnote: We reviewed 
2 Comments