Ip Man (2010)

The Worst Film Ever

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This is the best kung fu movie I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them, including, of course, all of Bruce Lee's movies.What Bruce Lee's movies always lacked, this movie has - proper motivation for the lead actor. Bruce Lee fought for...let's just call them trivial...reasons. In his handful of great martial arts movies, he fought for:The honor of his fighting style over other fighting stylesA restaurant troubled by hooligansSomeone breaking his mother's amuletVictory in an illegal martial arts tournamentNothing too heavy there. But Ip Man is next-level stuff. The backdrop is the Japanese invasion of China in WWII. The occupiers are heartless and cruel, the occupied starving, treated as slaves. The peace-loving Ip Man, who lives by Confucian principles, is drawn into conflict with the invaders against his will, and every fight is important for its own reason. You will find yourself cheering for Ip Man not because he's a great character, though he is; but because his motivation is your motivation.The action sequences are just terrific. You want your hero to be invincible, and he is, in the most satisfying way possible.This is a great movie and I highly recommend it, even for people who aren't into the martial arts genre.

Ip Man is a Cantonese action movie created in Hong Kong about a kung fu master called Ip Man in the 1900s, and how he and many others were affected by the Japanese occupation of China during World War II. Ip Man is best known for teaching Bruce Lee. This movie teaches people about Wing Chun, a sect of Chinese kung fu. He is played by Donnie Yen who also played the blind person in the Star Wars movie, Rogue One.You should definitely watch this movie. There are many really good kung fu scenes. Including one where he fights against ten black belts at the same time and comes out victorious. Although most came at him one by one, there was a point where he was simultaneously punching and defending against four of the black belts at one time. The motive and emotions behind him doing that was also really strong. He did it as he was pissed that the Japanese killed not only a fellow Chinese, but a friend that had a wife and children. There is also the final scene where he fights with a really good Japanese martial artist. He is like the final boss of the movie.It also shows how the Chinese were affected by Japanese occupation in World War II. There was a before and after scene of this and you could really tell how bad it was. Families were struggling to survive. Many sacrifices were made in order to keep their family alive. Many families were also torn apart as the occupation often times led to many deaths. They were forced do hard labor for the Japanese, like shoveling coal, to earn food. The rich were turned poor from this and some were forced to resort to violence in order to survive.There could've also earned food by fighting with black belt people in a dojo that the Japanese general setup in the middle of war. But I'm pretty sure this was created just to show how good the main protagonist was at Kung Fu and did not actually exist at the time. Other than that, the depictions of history in Ip Man was really accurate I think. I think it was pretty worth it that they had this inaccurate scene as it did result in a epic battle between him and the ten other black belts.It also showed the strong nationalism the citizens of China felt. Families continued to support each other despite the difficult times. Many risked their lives to help their fellow comrades. However, many believe that this movie is not worth watching. For example, someone gave a 1/10 review of Ip Man on IMDB. He states that the "film is a testament to a lack of writing". Although, the creation of the dojo seemed to have been done due to a lack of ideas, the rest of the storyline was great. It contained a lot of strong emotions and conflicts that perfectly depcits the situation occruing in China during World War II.The review also mentioned that the film is "predictable to the extreme". Although you know that he would win all the fights, this is true of most movies where the protagonists always win. The point of a fight scene is to see how the protagonists win. Furthermore, the other plot lines and mental tension of other characters were definitely not predictable. Overall, this is a great movie with a lot of action. The fight scenes were choreographed beautifully and displayed the sect of Chinese martial art, Wing Chun. Although the events of the movie may have been false, it perfectly depcited the thoughts and emotions of the citizens due to Japanese occupation of China during World War II. Citizens worked together as a group to support each other and oppose the Japanese. It really showed the Communist ethics the Chinese had as they worked to ensure everyone in their community survived instead of working to ensure their own safety. It also displays the deep hatred many people held for the Japanese at that time. The acts the Japanese commited, such as the murder of innocent civilians, were unforgivable.

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 "film" is 100% fiction; there is NOTHING remotely true about it. Ip Man never had a single fight as described in the film, never lived in Fo Shan during the war (he lived in Hong Kong), did not work at any of the jobs as portrayed (his profession was as a police officer), and was persecuted not by the Japanese but by the Chinese Maoists. This is a disgrace and leads me to this question: why not make a fictional movie about a fictional character if all one is going to do is create entirely fictional accounts of a real person?Donnie Yen is a fine actor, don't get me wrong. The action is entertaining, the plot is invigorating... but it's all a pile of pandering rubbish because of the absolute misinformation it conveys without a single disclaimer to it's veracity. I would have appreciated it as a fiction but not as shameless propaganda. There are far too many fine wuxia, kung fu and dramatic Chinese movies out there to give any credence to one that outright and completely lies to its audience: Come Drink with Me, Iron Monkey, Kung Fu Hustle, Raise the Red Lantern, The Assassin, Devils on the Doorstep, Farewell My Concubine, YiYi, A Touch of Zen to name but a few.