by Julia Pierrepont III, Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- American filmgoers are responding enthusiastically to China's martial arts epic, "Blades of the Guardians," signaling renewed interest in the wuxia genre across North America.

"It's a fun, non-stop action epic," Hazel S from North Hollywood told Xinhua Sunday outside the packed AMC theater in Burbank, California, after attending a screening of the film.

Released on Feb. 17 during the Chinese New Year holiday period, the film has performed strongly at the Chinese mainland box office in its opening week. The holiday tentpole, adapted from the cult-favorite manhua Biao Ren, has also opened in select theaters across North America through distributor Well Go USA Entertainment.

Directed by renowned action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, the film features a multigenerational cast of martial arts stars, including Jet Li and Wu Jing. The story centers on a perilous escort mission to deliver the "most wanted fugitive" to Chang'an, capital of several ancient Chinese dynasties.

The film has earned strong critical acclaim, holding a high approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com said the movie "stands out among (Yuen's) best directorial credits," praising its "straight-ahead run-and-fight narrative" and emphasis on playful action, movie-star charisma, and pulpy melodrama.

Critic Keith Uhlich similarly noted in his review that Yuen "knows how to direct wuxia action sequences" while skillfully navigating a dizzying array of characters and locales.

Audience reactions have been equally positive, with the film earning a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes' audience-generated Popcornmeter.

"The sheer A-List talent assembled for this movie is an Olympic Dream Team for wuxia fans like me!" said Burbank resident Dennis G after watching the film.

"You got Yuen Woo-ping directing an adaptation of the hit manhua, Biao Ren, and martial arts icons Wu Jing and Jet Li duking it out on screen. What more could you ask for?" he added.

"We loved this movie. It's got fantastic sword-fighting sequences, amazing acting, stunning production design," Ellen H., who took her 13-year-old son to see the film, told Xinhua.

Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO of Well Go USA Entertainment, said the film's reception has been gratifying.

"The film is a true wuxia epic. Yuen Woo-ping's action choreography and direction elevate it to another level, and seeing audiences across North America respond so enthusiastically has been incredibly rewarding," she told Xinhua.

Wuxia films have long found an audience in North America. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, directed by Ang Lee and released in 2000, became a major crossover success, grossing about 128 million U.S. dollars in the United States. Its success paved the way for other acclaimed works, including Hero and House of Flying Daggers directed by Zhang Yimou. ■