Opening

75% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
22% The Hangover Part III May 23
67% Epic May 24
98% Before Midnight May 24
83% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks May 24
82% Fill the Void May 24
20% A Green Story
—— Alyce Kills May 24

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87% Star Trek Into Darkness $70.2M
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77% 42 $2.8M
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36% Peeples $2.2M
8% The Big Wedding $1.2M

Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31
89% The East May 31

The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (Yip Man chinchyun) (2010)

My Rating

Movie Info

Yu-Hang To stars as famed martial arts master Ip Man in this biographical drama from director Herman Yau (The Untold Story, Taxi Hunter). Growing up, Ip Man, his adopted sibling Ip Tin-chi, and their friend Ng Chung-sok studied Wing Chun under famed master Chan Wah-shun. Later continuing his lessons with Ng Chung-sok, Ip man ultimately set his sights on Hong Kong while developing an innovative new form of the popular martial art under Leung Bik. Later, after enduring many great hardships, Ip Man

Dec 19, 2011

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All Critics (4) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (2) | Rotten (2) | DVD (1)

IMDB lists the title of the film as "Ip Man Zero," an obvious nod to its coming before parts one and two, but unfortunately, it's also an inadvertent comment on what this particular film has to offer.

October 27, 2011 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Can the most currently popular martial arts series survive without Donnie Yen, the most popular action star in Asia? Absolutely.

October 27, 2011 Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
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Rigorous, authentic fighting by physically formidable newcomer Dennis To and a stellar supporting cast.

September 30, 2010 Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter
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There is nothing in this bubbling soap opera of a plot that can't be solved with drawn-out fight scenes. And so they jump and kick, poke, slap and twirl for half the film.

October 6, 2011 Full Review Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Audience Reviews for The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (Yip Man chinchyun)

The semi-fictional biopic of Ip Man continues, this time chronicling Ip Man's formative years in this prequel Ip Man film. Interesting story of his life what I can see the love triangles and plot of a Japanese spy.
On the other hand, newcomer Dennis To is a Wing Chun champion in Hong Kong and is not an actor by background. He might lack acting prowess but he more than makes it up in Wing Chun abilities.
I was surprised to see Ip Man's real son Ip Chun appeared in this film as the elderly but sprighty Leung Bike who teaches Ip Man a thing or two about his brand of Wing Chun.
The Wing Chun sparring scene between Ip Chun and Dennis is a masterpiece, so was the sparring between Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. Incidentally, both Sammo and Yuen Biao are older pupils from the same master as Donnie Yen, so they are 'colleagues'.
March 6, 2011
deano
Dean McKenna

Super Reviewer

Herman Yau gets the pleasure to tell the early years of Ip Man in The Legend Is Born: Ip Man.Although released after the first two Ip Man films, this one is a prequel to both, which makes it easily watchable on its own.One of the major story details revolves around Ip Man learning the Wing Chun martial arts style, but it actually doesn't focus intensively on the training itself. The 1 hour 40 minutes leaves room for other things to address, like Ip Man's relationship with his adopted brother and also his love interest.The martial arts choreography is impressive, and while there is a lot of sparring in the early going, that doesn't make it any less entertaining. By the end of the film, the confrontations end up as not so friendly fights that thrill just as much as the spars.The performances are good all around; however, the casting can be confusing. There are actors in here from the other Ip Man films with completely different roles. Dennis To, the lead, is one of them.Overall, The Legend Is Born: Ip Man passes the standard in all the necessary departments, leading to a recommendable marital arts picture.
October 29, 2010
skactopus
JY Skacto

Super Reviewer

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Foreign Titles

  • Ip Man Zero (Yip Man chinchyun) (DE)
  • Ip Man Zero (Yip Man chinchyun) (UK)
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