Wing Chun, Ip Man...

Rating: 6/10 (5 October 2016)

The 2008 "Ip Man" was a rather good movie, and one that turned out to be somewhat better than I had anticipated. Many of these Chinese historic epic dramas tend to be over the top and exaggerating on many levels, but "Ip Man" turned out to be rather down to earth and a rather enjoyable movie.
Donnie Yen was really well cast for the role of the legendary Ip Man, and he performed quite well, both in his acting performance, but most certainly also so in his martial arts performance. So fans of Donnie Yen will be more than pleased with "Ip Man", but also fans of the martial arts genre should find enjoyment in this movie.
The story, briefly summarized, takes place in 1937 when China is being invaded by Japanese troops, and Ip Man is forced out of his wealthy manor and forced into a poverty, where he has to turn to teaching Wing Chun in order to survive the harsh times.
The martial arts sequences in the entire movie were all very well choreographed and equally well executed by the performers. But more importantly, it was filmed in a very dynamic way, making the audience feel like they were in the fights themselves. It was a true pleasure to watch the fight scenes in the movie, and they alone actually make it worth sitting down to watch "Ip Man".
"Ip Man" is one of the more important movies in Donnie Yen's career, I think, because he really managed to portray the legendary Wing Chun master in a very graceful manner.
The story of the movie is entertaining, and it most definitely is spiced up by the impressive martial arts. However, the atmosphere of the movie is also quite impressive and one to take into consideration. They put a lot of effort into the details to create a believable atmosphere, and it really works quite in favor of the movie.
Aside from Donnie Yen, then "Ip Man" also has big Hong Kong names such as Simon Yam on the cast list. And actor Xing Yu also did put on a very good performance in the movie.
If you enjoy martial arts movies then "Ip Man" is a definite must watch. And if you are a fan of the Asian cinema, then "Ip Man" is a well-worthy addition to your collection.