Hong Kong 2008: Ip Man

[JudOWNED]

Ip Man is currently available on Netflix's Watch Instantly in HD.

The Good

Probably the best "classic" kung fu movie done in modern times since Jackie Chan's Drunken Master 2 (Legend of Drunken Master in the U.S.) and/or Jet Li's Fist of Legend. In fact, it has a similar storyline to that of Fist of Legend with rival schools in the first half of the movie and a kung fu master who ends up fighting the Japanese military karate expert in the second half.

Donnie Yen's movie-fu is impeccable as usual, and the acting was decent for the genre. There were no glaring plot holes and the cinematogrophy was up to Hollywood standards. Wire stunts were kept to a minimum and were fairly unnoticeable.

The Bad

Man, the Rape of Nanking sure did a number on the Chinese psyche! I can't blame them. Nevertheless, the "evil Japanese military" trope gets old after a while. Also, as with most kung fu vs karate films out of Hong Kong, the karate looked more like an imitation of karate, rather than actual karate.

The Ugly

It's Wing Chun. Anyone who posts on bullshido.net requires no further explanation. But for the rest of you, what I mean is this: I've seen far too much video of Wing Chun FAIL to ever take it seriously. I've seen a group of supposed Wing Chun Masters get DESTROYED by Kyokushin Karateka on video. I've seen the crappy flail-fest of a "fight" between 2 of the supposedly best Wing Chun masters living, Emin Boztepe and William Chung. Fortunately, trapping and working the wooden dummy still look hella cool on film, so I was able to suspend my disbelief.

In Summary

I will repeat something from the first paragraph. Probably the best "classic" kung fu movie done in modern times since Jackie Chan's Drunken Master 2 (Legend of Drunken Master in the U.S.) and/or Jet Li's Fist of Legend. See it. Now.

YouTube - IP Man | trailer (2008) now on DVD

[Snake Plissken]

Great review and I pretty much agree with all points.

Awesome throwback style movie by Yen who, you can tell, made this movie as a labor of love. Here is my review of it from Sociocide......be gentle.

http://www.sociocide.com/forums/show...u-theatre-dork

[JudOWNED]

Almost more of an article than a review, but I liked it. My wife had Rumble in the Bronx on VHS before I married her, and one of my buddies and I took our wives on a "date night" to see the Protector (Jaa's not Chan's). So, yeah. I relate.

[Snake Plissken]

Almost more of an article than a review, but I liked it.

I HAVE TO GET THE VOICES OUT OF MY HEAD!!!

My wife had Rumble in the Bronx on VHS before I married her, and one of my buddies and I took our wives on a "date night" to see the Protector (Jaa's not Chan's). So, yeah. I relate.

The missus doesn't like Chan cuz he's "jenky". I imported the Tom Yum Goong Korean version (English Subtitles) and loved it. When it got to the theatre, I won the award for Parent of the Year but taking the missus and our then 6 yr old son to the theatre.

The plus side: it got him wanting to train.

You could just tell Yen loved making this movie. The attention to detail and absolutely beautiful sets made this feel like a throwback. The contrast in the style of filming from the first half with its bright colors and sweeping shots to the dark and dingy second half really portrayed the sense of dread and doom the filmmakers likely wanted.

I look forward to your review of Ip Man 2 and see if your opinion mirrors my own.

[It is Fake]

Interesting. I really thought it was meh. It was better than some of the stuff coming out. I could be just burning out on the Kung Fu genre who knows.


Oh and True Grit was awesome.

[Snake Plissken]

Interesting. I really thought it was meh. It was better than some of the stuff coming out. I could be just burning out on the Kung Fu genre who knows.

I certainly was.
It was too much of the same old same old. Too many people trying to replicate Crouching Tiger. I liked Fatal Contact with Wu Jing...but not Drunken Monkey. It got to the point that I stopped watching most of the genre films coming out but heard great things about Ip Man....plus I like Yen so I might have been really wanting to like it and ended up doing so.

Oh and True Grit was awesome.

that is for another thread.

but from what I hear, it is closer to the book then the Wayne version.

[It is Fake]

I certainly was.
It was too much of the same old same old. Too many people trying to replicate Crouching Tiger. I liked Fatal Contact with Wu Jing...but not Drunken Monkey. It got to the point that I stopped watching most of the genre films coming out but heard great things about Ip Man....plus I like Yen so I might have been really wanting to like it and ended up doing so.


that is for another thread.

but from what I hear, it is closer to the book then the Wayne version.

Not disparaging you comments I never did like Yen up until a certain movie I can't remember. So, it could be bias. Also, I'm still waiting for a chun movie better than Prodigal Son that could be the problem as well.

I'd write a review for True Grit but I am tired of writing any type of semi-formal paper. I'll have to read the book and watch the original. I haven't seen the original in so long I don't remember it.

[Snake Plissken]

Not disparaging you comments I never did like Yen up until a certain movie I can't remember. So, it could be bias.

For years, Yen was hit and miss...so I can see that.

Also, I'm still waiting for a chun movie better than Prodigal Son that could be the problem as well.

Sometimes the funny adds to the film, sometimes it detracts. I haven't seen Prodigal Son in a number of years but I recall it being 'the funny'

I'd write a review for True Grit but I am tired of writing any type of semi-formal paper. I'll have to read the book and watch the original. I haven't seen the original in so long I don't remember it.

Wayne played Rooster Cogburn more jokey and slapsticky then he was written.

[JudOWNED]

I can't argue with that comment, Snake, because I haven't read the book. But Wayne was a far better actor than most people give him credit for, imo. But a movie that old is bound to feel dated no matter how well it was done. So, I look forward to seeing the new one.

[IsThisRight?]

To the author of that review:
Do you know if there is any way I could see the KK v WT fights?

Also I quite liked it, but I did think Ip Man 2 was a bit better.