Ip Man (2010)
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 25
Fresh: 21 | Rotten: 4
At once beholden to the established conventions of the genre and delightfully subversive of them, Ip Man is one of the most exciting -- and refreshingly character-driven -- martial arts films in years.
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 2
At once beholden to the established conventions of the genre and delightfully subversive of them, Ip Man is one of the most exciting -- and refreshingly character-driven -- martial arts films in years.
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Average Rating: 4.2/5
User Ratings: 23,911
My Rating
Movie Info
Behind every great man there lies a teacher, and this was certainly true of Bruce Lee, who claimed as his mentor a martial arts expert named Ip Man (1893-1972). A genius of Wushu (or the Chinese martial arts school), Ip Man grew up in a China nearly ripped to pieces by racial hatred, nationalistic strife, and warfare. He rose like a phoenix above these ashes, however, courtesy of his participation in matches against various Wushu masters and kung fu warriors -- ultimately training martial arts
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Cast
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Donnie Yen
Ip Man -
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
General Miura -
Fan Siu-Wong
Kam Shan-chau -
Xiong Dailin
Cheung Wing-sing -
Wong You-nam
Yuan -
Simon Yam
Chow Ching-chuen -
Lam Ka-tung
Li Chiu -
Calvin Cheng Ka-Sing
Chow Kong-yiu -
Chen Zhi Hui
Master Liu -
Xing Yu
Kung Fu Crazy Lam -
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Ip Man Trailer & Photos
All Critics (25) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (21) | Rotten (4) | DVD (5)
A period piece filmed on obvious but eye-pleasing studio sets with wall-to-wall kung fu and a simplistic, philosophical message.
Top CriticWilson Yip has crafted a gripping, rousing, beautifully structured yarn, built around a calm but charismatic star performance by Donnie Yen and magnificent action sequences choreographed by the legendary Sammo Hung.
The fanboys and girls won't notice such failings amid the displays of wing chun kung fu--the extras and body doubles do some truly impressive acrobatics--and those with a taste for big historical tearjerkers will be happy as well.
If you're looking for great action scenes, you've found them. But if you desire more than eye candy, such as character and plot development and historical accuracy, you'll have to look elsewhere.
Yen's handful of duels do delight; it's everything surrounding them that feels tired and trite.
Legend trumps fact in Ip Man, a kickass fictionalized biopic of the titular grandmaster of Wing Chun martial arts and mentor to Bruce Lee.
An explosive exercise in bare-knuckled myth-biography.
It remains an inexplicable, contextless bit of kung fu historicosploitation -- albeit a very satisfying one.
Not only is it one of the most entertaining and exciting movies out of Hong Kong for many years; Ip Man is a bona fide martial arts classic.
A dazzling, exhilarating, refreshingly character-driven and thoroughly captivating experience that must be seen on the big screen. It's unlike any martial arts film you've seen before.
First-rate martial-arts film about Bruce Lee's real-life teacher.
As an exaggerated, myth-making martial-arts movie, Ip Man is often thrilling.
The astonishing fight scenes are some of the most exciting ever filmed in a martial arts movie that raises the bar for the genre. For any martial arts fan, "Ip Man" is mandatory viewing.
It's all quite conventional... and nonetheless rousing.
The movie is clearly hagiographic, but this aspect and its general function as a martial arts movie are supported greatly by Yen.
First and foremost, Ip Man is an excuse for Yen to demonstrate his newfound mastery of the Wing Chun style. On that front, the film succeeds brilliantly.
The action is enthralling even if the storyline doesn't always have the ring of truth about it.
Ip Man is a highly competent, even slick biopic, but by reshaping its protagonist's life story towards cinematic convention, it ends up being just another martial arts movie.
There's a pleasingly old-fashioned air to all the flying drop-kicks and straight-finger jabs, even if it lacks the cinematic agility we have now come to expect from this kind of thing.
Audience Reviews for Ip Man
Super Reviewer
The movie is split into two parts: the beginning, where we're introduced to Ip Man, his family, his city, and his style of martial arts, and the second half, which chronicles the struggles and hardship of the characters after the Japanese invasion of World War 2. The tone of both halves is very different, but they both work equally well. And there are lots of fantastic fight sequences in both, though those in the second half are for far higher stakes than those in the first.
Great acting, beautiful sets, and perfectly suited music accompany the strong story and fight choreography. It's no exaggeration to say that it's really hard to find fault in this movie. If you're at all interested in martial arts or this period in China's history, see Ip Man as soon as possible.
Super Reviewer
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- Ip Man: There are no men who fear their wives. Only men who respect them.
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- Ip Man: Nobody is #1 forever.
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- Ip Man: Wing Chun, Ip Man.
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- Ip Man: I wish to fight ten men.
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Latest News on Ip Man
May 11, 2012:
Donnie Yen Set for Ip Man 3DHappily for fans of the franchise, Yen goes back on his word.
October 1, 2010:
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Foreign Titles
- IP Man (DE)
- Ip Man (UK)
