Beautiful Historical Epic Delivers Grand Fight Scenes, But Lacks a Second Gear

Rating: 6/10 (10 February 2012)

A beautiful, if redundant, Chinese martial arts epic set at the onset of the second Sino-Japanese war. The eponymous focal figure Ip Man, drawn straight out of the history books, is the peaceful model of restraint and self-control. His easy smile, passive existence and unmatched skills make him very easy to pull for, especially when a trying second act pushes him past the breaking point, but the flick's deep reverence for his legacy strips away any chances at suspense or tension. Though gorgeously choreographed and filmed, the major fight scenes are universally one-sided, with Ip himself rarely absorbing more than a few glancing blows on his way to flashily disarming and dispensing each opponent. Even his last foe, a towering Japanese army general who effortlessly conquers three of Ip's peers at once, leaves behind little more than a cloud of dust and a disappointed, unspoken "is that it?" when he quietly takes a knee. Undoubtedly a feast for the eyes, the road it walks is too straight and narrow to be considered anything more substantial.