Yip Man (2008)

Director:

Wilson Yip

Writer:

Edmond Wong (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (China)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

The celebrated Kung Fu master of Bruce Lee.

Plot:

A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. |

Plot Keywords:

Master | Martial Arts | Sifu | First Part | Wu Shu

Awards:

11 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Donnie Yen	...	Ip Man
Simon Yam	...	Zhou Qing Quan
Siu-Wong Fan	...	Jin Shan Zhao
Ka Tung Lam	...	Li Zhao
Yu Xing	...	Master Zealot Lin
You-Nam Wong	...	Shao Dan Yuan
Chen Zhi Hui	...	Master Liao
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lynn Hung	...	Zhang Yong Cheng
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi	...	Miura
Yu-Hang To	...	Hu Wei

Also Known As:

Ip Man (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Grandmaster Yip Man (International: English title) (working title)
Yat doi chung si Yip Man (Hong Kong: Cantonese title) (working title)
Ye Wen (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Yi dai zong shi Ye Wen (Hong Kong: Mandarin title) (working title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | Mandarin | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | UK:15

Company:

Beijing ShengShi HuaRei Film Investment & Management Co.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Yip Man 2: Chung si chuen kei (2010)

The best martial-arts movie since "Enter the Dragon". Donnie Yen is on top form and may be the next Bruce Lee of our generation...

Forget "Flashpoint". "Ip Man" shows Donnie Yen at his brutal best. Telling the story of Yip Man, the man believed to have popularized the martial art of Wing Chun, before and mostly during the Sino-Japanese war.

Yen caught my attention after seeing him in "SPL". Then in "Flashpoint", I was stunned by his moves, and thought he was the next Jet Li. Well, after this I think he may very well be the next Bruce Lee. I mean it! Not only injecting humanity and superb characterization, Yen also demonstrates his brutality when it comes to fighting. And boy, it does not get more brutal than this! Seriously, Yen's fists move like machine gun bullets. And he makes sure that his opponents are down for the count... at their expense, and our enjoyment. Definitely Yen at his bruising best.

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.

The fight scenes here are arguably Yen's best so far, and the best in over a decade. People are getting beaten, martial arts duels are taking place, and blood is spilled. This is not an action movie, it's a kung fu movie. And it shows. Legendary kung fu star Sammo Hung brilliantly choreographs the fight scenes to perfection, and it looks like he's not going to slow down any time soon. The direction by Wilson Yip is slick and gripping as always, and he also gives the film a nice sepia tone to give feeling to the film.

In short, great. This is a must-see for kung fu film fans to get their adrenal glands pumping. It's one of the best kung fu films of the decade. See it if you have the chance.

Entertainment value: 9/10

Overall: 8/10