Solid Action, Solid Drama

Rating: 7/10 (7 August 2013)

Ip Man is one of the most refreshing martial arts films in a long time. It doesn't succumb to the usual clichés the genre is known for. But what makes it better than most martial arts movies these days? Let's find out!
The first thing I want to talk about is the title character himself, Ip Man played by Donnie Yen. I was surprised how devoid of clichés his character was and how well-written he was. He isn't some sort of fearsome warrior but a man who has a skill but no purpose to it. He's extremely gifted in Wing Chun but he doesn't teach it or use it for anything, he just continuously practices it for no reason. But later on, when his friend's factory gets attacked by a gang, he decides to teach the entire factory Wing Chun and ends up saving them from another attack. This is his moment of growth, he finds an actual purpose to live and that's really the message of this movie. It's about using whatever skills you have to make the world a better place and not just sit back and do nothing. It's a great message because they never just flat out say it like a lot of films do.
The second thing I want to talk about is the excellent fight choreography. Sammo Hung has often been declared as the greatest action choreography of all-time and while I'm not completely sure of that, he definitely does an excellent job with this film. The first fight in this film is rather light, quick, and short but it works because this scene is simply meant to establish Ip Man's martial arts skills. I am glad that he chose to keep it nice and short for the first fight so we are still hungry for more. The second fight with Ip Man is a lot more intense with the music pounding and stuff breaking, it's great. The third fight with Ip Man is probably the most brutal out of all them all with the way Ip Man repeatedly pounding on their faces and twisting their limbs but it's appropriate because Ip Man is heavily enraged so it isn't just violence for the sake of violence. The fourth fight with Ip Man is somewhere in between the first fight and the third fight. He doesn't go all out like he did in the fourth fight but he doesn't go easy like in the first fight either, he just uses quick, simple self- defense techniques, nothing fancy. The fifth and final fight is probably the most difficult fight for Ip Man in this movie. He actually starts out with a little bit of a problem but ultimately defeats in a brutal manner. All in all, the fight scenes in this movie were great!
Some other things I want to touch upon is the acting, shooting, and sound design. While Donnie Yen isn't exactly reinventing himself as an actor, he carries the film well and makes the audience care for him because of his charm and charisma. Everyone else is great too but the one performance that stands out is Gordan Lam. He plays a cowardly guy who has a good heart but isn't brave enough to stand up for himself. He could have just been a stereotypical douchebag if he was played by the wrong actor, but Lam adds a level of nuance that's needed in this film. The cinematography looks great, it draws a sharp contrast between the happier, more peaceful days of Foshan and the darker, more violent time in Foshan. Lastly, the sound design adds a lot of intensity to this film. It has a loud booming sound when there's a fight scene and a level of peace and quietness in the talking scenes. It kinda reminds me of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies.
Overall, this is a great film and I highly recommend it to both martial arts fans and historical drama fans. I'm gonna give it a 8/10.