A Goofy Kung Fu Movie with Plenty of Substance

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2016)

Ip Man follows a man, called Ip Man, who becomes a prodigy of kung fu and lives life.
And that's about it. Looking back on this movie anything that resembles an actual plot doesn't start until the third act, and I'd be better off not spoiling it.
It's interesting actually how this movie progresses. The first act is a goofy kung fu movie. It introduced the audience to the characters in a fun way, and really manages to make you care about and like them.
The second act is a goofy kung fu movie with a cheesy romance. Considering how light-hearted the movie has been up until this point, it really doesn't feel out of place. It offers up a handful of laughs and more development of the characters and their relationships.
The third act is more of a dark but still goofy kung fu movie. The tone transitions almost seamlessly, and the fights become less fun to watch and more intense thanks to what is now threatening the characters. It still manages to pull off a few goofy moments in the fights, but overall it's pretty serious. Yet somehow it still doesn't feel out of place. Nothing about this movie does, really.
The fights are, as expected, amazing. The choreography is fantastic, and all of them are loads of fun to watch. While some of them were a little forced at times, it was always a pleasure to see these guys duke it out.
My only real complaint would probably be with the characters, but even then they weren't bad by any standard. I still cared about them and liked them, but they just didn't stand out a whole lot
Overall Ip Man is great. Each act offers something new to the movie, yet nothing feels out of place, and all the fights are fantastic. While the characters aren't developed incredibly well, everything else is. In the end I would recommend this movie.