Ip Man 2

IP Man - good, classic kung fu!!!
I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this new film starring Donnie Yen (You may remember him from "Hero") entirely in Cantonese with English subtitles which will be out in theaters in the U.S. and Canada on January 28th. Donnie Yen is reprising his role here as the real-life kung fu grandmaster Ip man in this martial arts film. I never saw the original but apparently in it, he escaped the Japanese occupation of his hometown and with his pregnant wife and family have moved to Hong Kong which is living under British colonial rule.

Ip Man begins his life in Hong Kong barely making ends meet renting an apartment and trying to start a martial arts school to teach his Wing Chun style. He is challenged by several neighborhood ruffians who eventually grudgingly give him respect and ask to serve under him as students. Being a kind-hearted man and pleased with the opportunity to teach, he does not push them very hard for their student fees knowing they are also struggling...

Not quite as fantastic as the original, but still incredibly entertaining.
Ip Man is still the only martial arts film I've ever given a perfect score. Similar films usually throw in those silly bits of humor that come off as lame rather than actually being humorous. It probably hits its target overseas audience well, but the difference in culture probably has something to do with how American audiences don't appreciate those bits as much. Either that or the storyline is usually fairly simple or borderline atrocious while the fighting scenes are spectacular. If you're a fan of martial arts films, you see these types of films for the action scenes. A good storyline and exceptional acting are usually just a bonus. Ip Man broke those boundaries. It had an intriguing storyline and a fantastic cast to compliment its jaw dropping action sequences. The only flaws the film seemed to have was that it eventually had to end and left the audience wanting more especially the way the film ended. The desire for a sequel was extremely high and, for the most part, the sequel...

Legend, Yes
Due to the limited release of this follow up to the original Ip Man movie I wasn't able to see this in the theater. So, I waited for this to come out on DVD and also on Amazon Video Streaming. The wait was well worth it.

This is a great martial arts film, and movies along at a very nice pace, with lots of tension as you cheer on Ip Man.

Though I really liked the film, I gave it four stars rather than five because I liked the first film much better. That's because the story in the first film was a bit more original, meaning this story was predicable (reminded me of Rocky), but still worth watching.

Viewers should know that this film isn't exactly a biopic, but loosely based on the life of Yip Man, who taught Wing Chung to Bruce Lee.

If you've seen the first Ip Man, you definitely need to see this film.

Donnie Yen is outstanding. Looking forward to seeing more of him in the future.

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