Plot: To protect his fortune, Shen Shijie constructs a vault and seals away all his belongings. After he dies, bandits kidnap Shijie's family, hoping they can help locate the vault. Duan Shilang is tasked to trace the bandits and stop them. He gathers a few men and follows their trail into the desert.
Watches
May 27, 2025
Chinese desert inns are pretty much their own martial arts subgenre. I'm quite partial to them, although I'm not quite sure why that is exactly. Desert Lone Hero does nothing to tarnish that reputation. It's not an absolute stand-out, but if you're like me and you like the chaos of many parties gathering in a desert inn only to rowdy with each other, then this film won't disappoint.
The setting is familiar but fun, the action scenes look lovely, and the pacing is excruciating. Despite the limited location, there's a lot going on, and the film flies by. It's not as polished or creative as New Dragon Gate Inn, then again, nobody is expecting that from a Chinese streamer flick. Good fun, exactly what I hoped to get from it.