Reviews

I was a fan of the first movie, and was hoping that the sequel would be as good, especially with Sammo Hung in it.

It turned out it wasn't in the level of the first Ip Man. The plot is generic, as expected, but the biggest flaw of this movie is the poor script. Although we have more fight scenes, in the end the movie itself is like a collage rather than one full beautiful artwork.

Characters aren't developed well enough, and the returning cast from the first movie are nothing but insignificant. You really wouldn't care about anyone in this movie because the script doesn't make you. One event to another doesn't flow well, and the final conflict was too instant, too artificial.

Fight scenes, while more in quantity and still enjoyable, are tainted by the obvious wire-fu on certain scene. Some might find it amazing, but I think it just doesn't fit the era. And I find some fights are too closely shot, thus not giving us real flavor of the combat.

Lastly, the "Bruce Lee" appearance really kills the movie.

On the positive side, this movie tries to deliver good message about the importance of family, and respect among all people regardless of their social status. Both Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung deliver prime performance for their roles, although chemistry between their characters is lacking.

Conclusion, Ip Man 2 maybe is like the usual modern Chinese martial art movies we know, but is nothing compared to the first movie in term of overall quality.

Ip Man has quenched our thirst of a real good martial art movie where we don't just watch man kicking asses but where we can appreciate the man's moral and virtues.

The movie flows well, from the view of the kungfu street of Fo Shan, to the introduction of Ip Man, and so on. Scene by scene are there in a well done play, and when someone had to display martial art act, they don't just throw bunch of minions out from nowhere to have him beating them all over. I think the scenario is well written.

Fight choreography is great. Different approach from what we usually see, people doing flashy flying kicks and sorts; since it is about wing chun, feet hardly ever leave the ground but it doesn't decrease the beauty and flashiness of the fights.

People may complain about bits that might not fit the real condition of those era. Well, I think producers have to make sure they made entertaining movies, not documentaries.

Last words, Donnie Yuen has always been a good martial art actor, he just never get the spotlight. And finally as Ip Man he gets to stand on where he deserves.

The attempt on an epic piece of martial art movie ends up as an epic piece of trash, the only thing matters is a few fight scene that you can eventually watch on youtube.

IMO Jaa tries to make a shortcut to his ambition on becoming the same caliber as Jackie Chan, to write and direct his own movie. The result is a disaster. Scenes are overly dramatized it's annoying, insignificant scenes and characters, and the plot, though have potential, was an utter failure in execution. Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong didn't have much of story but at least they were so simple they make no real damage to the whole movie.

I wish I'd just go for the DVD; at least I can skip those annoying parts, which is quite a lot, and go straight to the fight scenes, which is getting sour to my taste because brutality just can't maintain its charm.