In the blockbuster Chinese film Ip Man 2, Donny Yen returns to the role of Ip Man, the legendary martial artist known for training Bruce Lee. The movie is loosely based on the real-life grandmaster of Wing Chun martial arts and focuses on Ip’s attempt to build a martial arts studio in Hong Kong during the early ‘50s.
Essentially, the movie is Rocky IV. Seriously. It’s a really, really entertaining film but if I were Sylvester Stallone I’d consider seeking legal action.
As Ip begins his life in Hong Kong, he finds initial trouble attracting students to his new studio. After exhibiting his skills by beating up a gang of teenage hooligans (who quickly become his first disciples), he attracts the unwanted attention of Hung Chun-nam (played by the legendary Sammo Hung), a Hung Ga master who operates a rival studio. When one of Ip’s students, Wong Leung (played by Huang Xiaoming) starts a fight with Hung’s students, things escalate and soon Ip is the focus of all of Hong Kong’s martial arts studios and a victim of a racketing scheme. Unable to continue operating his studio until he can prove himself to the rest of the city’s martial arts masters, he must accept their challenges to a fight in what has to be one of the coolest fight scenes ever captured on film.
Ip must stand at the center of a wobbly table while one by one masters join him. Together, the two will fight — each trying to throw the other from the table. Ip, being a general bad-ass, easily defeats his challengers one by one until it’s Hung’s turn.
The fight between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung is sheer brilliance packed with 100 pounds of awesomeness wrapped in a crunchy taco shell. Despite Hung’s age and size (he’s a big guy) and Yen’s small stature, the two easily hold each other off in a flurry of lightening fast punches and blocks. The two’s fight is so amazing you’ll instantly want to watch it again. It’s worth mentioning that Hung himself was the film’s action director.
What about that Rocky IV comparison, you may be asking? Well, it’s about half way through the film where audiences are introduced to Taylor “The Twister” Milos, a boxing champion from the UK whose fists are as powerful as his bravado is loud. Twister is a loud-mouthed showman whose disrespect during a martial arts demonstration sparks an international incident between the local studios and the British government currently occupying the country.
After Twister brutally kills one of Ip’s friends in an impromptu boxing vs martial arts contest, it’s up to Ip to defend his country’s honor and put the smack down on Darren Shahlavi’s boxing character.
As good as Yen and Hung are in their roles, Shahlavi really stands out as the Ivan Drago stand-in. He’s big, he’s brutish and he has a sense of humor about him that makes me think Shahlavi has an acting career beyond the stunt work he is most famous for.
Ip Man 2 is a very entertaining film. Concentrating more on the relationship drama and struggles Ip had while building a reputation in Hong Kong, the film can’t rightfully be classified solely as an action film. The fight scenes in the movie, though, are sheer badass. I haven’t seen martial arts this good on display in a long time. If you’re looking for some seriously wicked fight scenes — especially between western boxing and martial arts, you’re in luck.
I will say this — hopefully the film gets some better subtitles before it’s theatrical release in America next year. There was some serious wonkiness going on in the film’s current batch – misspellings, typos or weirdly phrased translations.
The film is a bit heavy handed in its messages of peace and respect but it really fits in with the quaint throwback tone of the film. It feels like a film that could have been released in the ‘70s or ‘80s. The film feels slightly cartoonish and naïve in places but ultimately its faults are well worth putting up with in order to see the amazing choreography. And trust me, you want to see this choreography.
Director: Wilson Yip
Notable Cast: Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Lynn Hung, Huang Xiaoming
Writer: Edmond Wong
