Ip Man (2010)

Pretty Good

Don't Believe the Hype

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is one of the, if not the greatest martial arts films ever made. The casting, writing, choreography, and story line are all in sync. I was in awe with this movie when I first watched it and have watched it several times since. That said, I feel it dragged on a bit too long but it is still an astounding film. I think I went through every emotion at my disposal watching this film, which says a lot about the writers, actors, and directors. What a ride!!!"Karate flicks" have been around for decades. Bruce Lee transformed "Karate flicks" into a global phenomenon. His influence on-screen opened the floodgates of respect for the Asian culture and made Martial Arts mainstream around the entire globe. This amazing film is the product of Bruce Lee's achievements. In it, Donnie Yen does not disappoint!!!Donnie Yen's skills are beyond belief yet so believable. His demeanor brings a level of civility, humility, love, and courage that is unmatched. Almost everything in this movie is just right at every moment in the film with one or two exceptions. The hero is heroic without being over-bearing. He is powerful yet gentle.The wife is simply drop dead gorgeous. She was cast well and played her part. I enjoyed her various scenes and enjoyed her expressions such as her look of "Boys will be boys even when they are grown men". When she was ticked-off her husband knew it and had that "uh-oh" look on his face. She basically kept her hero husband in check. When things got rough, she was the glue that held the family together. This film captured many nuances without going off track which is simply amazing.I love true martial arts, always have. Ip Man's character is the embodiment of what martial arts is to its core. There never will be a perfect film. When it comes to a film about martial arts and more, Ip Man is as good as it gets. They are not running up walls and jumping 100 feet into the air on top of trees. The speed and agility displayed in this film without all of that stuff is incredible.I deduct one star for a somewhat clumsy sub-plot that was added but did not add to the movie and only served to make the film longer than needed.

Right up front, this is one of my favorite modern kung fu films. Donnie Yen is always a joy to watch, and this is arguably his best performance. The fight scenes and choreography are top notch. Some people hate wire work (aka wire fu), but I thought it was used tastefully. Most of the other performances are also really good. Siu-Wong Fan was great, and the style he used was easily the most entertaining. Lynn Hung was solid as well, as was Hiroyuki Ikeuchi.The movie was directed well, for the most part. The transition between first act and second act felt like a bit of an odd choice. I think seeing the Japanese occupation of Foshan unfold would have been much more interesting than what we got, or at the very least, don't tell it though a little 'montage'. Even though I thought even that transition was well done, it's still a bit jarring and makes you feel like you've entered a new film.The first act was certainly enjoyable, with some of the best fight scenes, but the second act is where the direction, cinematography, and story pick up a bit. Gone are the high energy exhibitions and wit. Really the movie could have started here and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The look of the film is truly great and I can't praise it enough, but it's hard to ignore the issues I have with it half way through the movie. At this point, we're supposed to believe that Ip Man still hasn't looked for work. Believable I suppose, but unlikely. Apparently he also only has one outfit, but this is just nitpicking. When finally securing work, he coincidentally gets chosen because of this status, and is put in an environment surrounded by other masters. The coincidences really pile on at this point. When we finally get to the Japanese fighting 'tournament', Quam and Lin of course cross paths at the same time. The movie repeats this of course with Quam and Ip Man. The fighting scene between Ip Man and the 10 Japanese fighters is easily the best. Despite the movie's flaws and coincidences, it builds up this fight quite well through its direction. When Ip Man pops off, it's incredibly satisfying.Good stuff out of the way, time for my main gripes.How was Ip Man able to afford the home he had at the start? He had never worked before. His wife maybe? An inheritance? It's never made clear. He seems well known and respected, and yet, over half of Foshan acts as if his physical ability is a surprise. Are we supposed to believe that Ip Man existed in Foshan as the best fighter there, but only after a couple fights people wanted to train under him? It's like a detail is left out somewhere.I know not of the facts surrounding the real Ip Man's life, nor do I know all the details of the Japanese invasion, but said invaders are portrayed quite poorly. The general is the only mildly interesting character, with the rest of the Japanese being caricatures. The strongly nationalist writing also drives home for the viewer how awful the Japanese are supposed to be. I understand that the dialogue can make some sense. After all, nothing will turn you into a nationalist faster than an invasion from a foreign country, but the Japanese are too comically portrayed. I was hoping the movie would do more with the Jin character. He really was the most enjoyable performance in the movie for me. Learning more about the Japanese general would have been nice as well. It seems like at first he just wants to find a strong fighter to challenge his own ability, but in the end it seems he just wanted someone to train his men? For what reason? The invasion was done with guns, not fists.Lastly, Ip Man is TOO good. For some people this isn't a problem, and typically it isn't a problem for me either, but Ip Man is basically kung fu jesus in this movie. It feels like there are no stakes in each fight, he simply can't lose. Not even the final fight scene could do more than have the Japanese general land a few hits. In a more fantastical kung fu movie, the untouchable aspect can make sense and be fun, but in a semi gritty, emotional biopic of Ip Man, it's out of place.Despite my complaining this is still one of my recent kung fu favorites that I've watched numerous times, and certainly recommend it to anyone looking for good direction, great camera work, great choreography, and great fight scenes.

This movie will appeal to all, not just martial art movie fans. It follows the life of Yip Man, the grandmaster of the Wing-Chun martial art style of combat. Wing-Chun was originally invented in southeastern mainland China by techniques devised primarily by women for self defense. Part of this is mentioned in the movie. Yip Man is played by Donnie Yen in, without a doubt, his best performance on screen. Donnie Yen's acting skills shine throught this film. I should mention that, Donnie Yen is an established martial artist, trained in Wing Chun by the son of Yip Man himself! Yip Chun. Yip Chun (84 years old at the time) was a supervisor to the movie and was very pleased with the outcome. He praised Donnie and the studio. By the way, this is not a Hollywood movie, it's a Hong Kong / Chinese production and it is AMAZING. The sound design is top notch. The musical score is excellent, composed by Kenji Kawai (a master composer of other great Eastern cinema movie scores, such as Ghost in the Shell). It is so memorable it will stick to you for years to come. The main soundtrack theme also returns -expanded- in the sequels. Cinematography, setting, costumes, atmosphere will immerse you into the time period. Acting is very good overall. Donnie Yen's acting though is impeccable. You will see Yip Man in the face of Donnie Yen from then onwards. The choreography is of the highest tier. The kicks and punches are pummeling with an audio impact that sounds so real they will make you touch your limbs to see if they are still in place. There is of course some subtle cgi in the movie, which is there only to augment the story and the fights. The movie isn't gory, or bloody but it does a perfect job at conveying the proper feelings at the right time. The villains are powerful and relentless, both the chinese northeners and the japanese general. The movie is not that historically accurate. Indeed Yip Man didn't officially start a school in Foshan, but he did occassionally teach people. Yip Man wasn't staying home all the time, as depicted in the film. He had a job, soon after returning to Foshan he was appointed as the chief of police, due to his unprecedented honor and honesty. When the Japanese arrived (in 1941 and not 1938, they didn't sieze Foshan until 1943) he joined the rebellions against them. It is true that word of his incredible skills has reached the japanese chief of police in Foshan and he was requested to teach his art to Japanese students. But Yip refused. A fight was later arranged between Yip and one of Japanese masters, in which Yip threatened promised that if he loses he will teach the Japanese his style. Yip won with ease (as in the film) but he wasn't shot, nor left Foshan until after WWII in 1949, when the communists won the civil war and confiscated Yip's estate. Yip initially left alone for Hong Kong, leaving his wife and 3 young songs behind. When he established his place in HK, opened a dojo he brought his family along as well. Now the film's genre isn't documentary, but action and martial arts. These historical inaccuracies were inevitable, as a certain drama level has to be reached in order for profit to be made. HOWEVER the changes are not significant and in actual fact, this movie captures the spirit and character of Yip Man perfectly, which is the film's most important achievement. Yip Man was a family man, incredibly gentle and ever-smiling. He cared for his compatriots and loved them all deeply. He trained mostly alone with his Mu ren zhuang (wooden man post) perfecting his skills, which ultimately helped him to find balance and lead a happy and healthy life. This is clearly portrayed throughout the film by the masterful acting of Donnie Yen. There are multiple moments throughout that your eyes will tear. It is likely that Donnie Yen must have drooled when he was presented with the role. He loved Bruce Lee and Yip Man, his primary influence as a martial artist was Bruce Lee. Donnie Yen's performance is so authentic, it may seem otherwordly to (very-)Westerners. The other actors are all very good. The acting of Yip's wife Cheung (played by Lynn Hung) isn't the best, but it's decent and mostly fitting the real personality of his wife. You will never notice the few flaws of the film in the first viewing. You will be completely blown away. It has to be seen more than 2 times to start noticing negatives. I saw it once on cinema when it was released and two times in BluRay ever since to review it. I always loved martial arts movies, like my dad who grew up with Bruce Lee movies. This is probably my favorite martial arts movie ever. Others include Bruce Lee's movies (Bruce Lee's moves will always of course be unparalleled - no cgi involved), Hero and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as far as i can recall right now. One real disadvantage of the movie can be the excessively and totally unnecessary dramatic fight scenes at the near start of the film involving swords and lances. That was unrealistic and never needed. Note that the director placed heavy emphasis on the fight sequences, as expected, which may bother some of the audience who will find the movie simplistic. The action of the movie is immensely entertaining. The movie is riveting. I bet that even non martial arts fans will be pleasantly surprised and engaged with it. I definitely recommend Yip Man. Rating: 9/10 - "Amazing"

The story telling set in China, gives the viewer a Glimpse of Chinese Culture and Kung Fu a Nostalgic trip along the streets of China. Spine tingling with the appearance of the Young Bruce Lee, makes a Martial Arts fan sigh. An educational film for Martial Arts practitioners, and Actors. The film is Enigmatic.