Movie Review (2)

Ip Man

Genre: Drama/Action/Biopic
Director: Wilson Yip
Cast: Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, Fan Siu Wong, Lam Ka Tung, Wong You Nam, Calvin Cheng, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
RunTime: 1 hr 47 mins

Synopsis
Adapted from the life story of Ip Man - the grand master of the Wing Chun style of kung fu and sifu of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee. This movie will be the first important record of the master's life. Ip's persistent devotion to Wing Chun is a classic example of the love and respect shown to wushu and the freedom and spirit it represents. Ip Man is a concept, a spirit, a way of thinking - and it exemplifies a new peak in Hong Kong's wushu movies.

Ip Man is his silver screen biography, set in China between the 1930s and 1940s. Disrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War, the movie gracefully puts into action the similar values shared by fellow enslaved countrymen and martial artists. Valor, honor, bravery, you know the drill.

Review
After watching Jet Li's "Fearless", I have never found another movie as good as it until i went for Ip Man. Donnie Yen portrayed Ip Man with such such poise and elegance as a wushu master, plus his respect for his wife certainly made him a noble man altogether. What attracted me in this movie is his stunning moves and the brutality he demonstrated when it comes to fighting, but at the same time, i am also captivated by the respect he has for the people he met.
Other actors worth mentioning, Simon Yam and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi as Ip Man's business partner/friend and the Japanese General respectively. The former portrays Ip Man's comrade with heart, while the latter performs with steely resolve and honor. This is a film that is not just made with action, but a good story as well. Sammo Hung brilliantly choreographs the fight scenes to perfection, which is what i was going after in the movie; the fights, and the details behind them. You should never miss Yen's fists moving like a machine gun. It was breath-taking.
Both the film and story were great, i just found the movie was kind of short. Well, it could have been longer.. This movie is worth watching! I thought watching such a fabu-tastic movie at student price is considered cheap, so dont worry!

This movie is good, so good that even an italicised good doesn't do this movie much justice. Saying that the movie is great is an understatement. Watch it to believe it.

Qiantong