Review of Ip Man (2008) by Halfwelshman — 29 Dec 2011
Ip Man is mainly worth watching for the flawless fight choreography by Sammo Hung. It's creative and entertaining, and executed well by Donnie Yen playing Master Ip Man, as well as all the actors and martial artists he fights over the course of the film.
Taken purely as entertainment, the film works extremely well, but after a promising and dramatic set up, it threatens to descend into tedium. In the second half, the film becomes more about spectacle than story - it's just one set-piece after another with little in terms of emotional drive to connect them, and the film only remains relatively decent because of the charisma of Yen.
You have to take the events of the film (supposedly based on the real life of Bruce Lee's master) with a pinch of salt - the filmmakers have clearly used artistic license to make the story as action-packed as possible, and in some ways that is a shame.
A deeper, more thoughtful look at the life of this extraordinary man would have been just as entertaining. As martial arts spectacle, Ip Man is among the best releases of the past few years, but as genuine drama, it's a little shallow.
This review of Ip Man (2008) was written by Halfwelshman on 29 Dec 2011.
Ip Man has generally received very positive reviews.
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