Synopsis
A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. The film focuses on events surrounding Ip that took place in the city of Foshan between the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Directed by Wilson Yip, the film stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, and features fight choreography by Sammo Hung.
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Cast
- Donnie YenYip Man
- Simon YamZhou Qing Quan
- Lynn HungZhang Yong Cheng
- Hiroyuki IkeuchiGeneral Miura
- Lam Ka-tungCaptain Li Zhao
- Louis Fan Siu-WongJin Shan Zhao
- Xing YuMaster Zealot Lin / Crazy Lin
- You-Nam WongShao Dan Yuan
- Yu-Hang ToHu Wei
- Calvin Ka-Sing ChengZhou Guang Yao
Recommendations
- 80
Village Voice
Like his narrative, Yip's aesthetics are more muted and traditional than those of well-known florid imports "Hero" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Yet such modesty is in tune with his soft-spoken protagonist, and also provides clean, sharp views of Yen's awe-inspiring skills, which, in choreographer Sammo Hung's thrilling one-against-many skirmishes, make literal the term "fists of fury." - 75
The A.V. Club
As a slice of history, Ip Man is disappointingly simplistic. Yip, Wong, and Yen never develop any real tension between Ip's true story and the exaggerated myth-making of a martial-arts movie. But as an exaggerated, myth-making martial-arts movie, Ip Man is often thrilling. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
It's a highly entertaining, big-budget, kick-butt kung fu movie, the best of its kind since Jet Li's "Fearless" in 2006. - 70
Variety
Ip Man will be manna for those who like their kung fu straight and wireless, their villains Japanese and their heroes unconflicted Chinese patriots. - 60
Empire
The action is enthralling even if the storyline doesn't always have the ring of truth about it. - 60
New York Daily News
The highlights, of course, are the competitions and duels, choreographed by Sammo Hung. - 50
The New York Times
Over all, the film is a prime exhibit in the relentless and regrettable shift away from a natural, allusive, romantic Hong Kong style and toward a mainland studio aesthetic that is stagebound, literal, overstuffed and sentimental - like the big-budget Hollywood weepies of the '60s or the '80s. - 50
New York Post
If you're looking for great action scenes, you've found them. But if you desire more than eye candy, such as character and plot development and historical accuracy, you'll have to look elsewhere.
