Yep, Ip Man is back with the golden team of Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and director Wilson Yip…

Donnie Yen exclusive interviewPicking up the story pretty much where the original left off, we find Ip Man in Hong Kong struggling to set up his martial arts school. In what is effectively a reply of the original, local youths led by Wong Leung (Huang Xiao-Ming, The Banquet, The Sniper, Legend of the Dragon) try to bully Man, only to find his Kung Fu far more powerful than their own, and end up being his first students.

However, Man soon finds out to open a school in Hong Kong he must first prove his martial arts worth against his peers, led by Hung Chun-Nam (Sammo Hung, S.P.L.: Kill Zone, Fatal Move, The Prodigal Son – in one show stopping tabletop duel that will be most fans were waiting for!).

Sammo Hung exclusive interviewDeeply involved with a corrupt British official, Superintendent Wallace (Charlie Mayer) is organising a fight between Cockney boxer (and predictably nasty piece of work!) Twister (Daniel Sharlavi, Watchmen, 300, Tai Chi 2) and Chinese Kung Fu – and Ip Man finds himself not only defending his own honour, but that of China itself.

No real surprises here, martial art fans – just some fantastic scenes that show star and action choreographer Hung trying to out do the original with some real showy set pieces! The aforementioned tabletop fight scene alone is worth shelling out for the DVD!

Though more hardcore fans may bemoan the films pace, director Wilson Yip puts the affair in a (fairly) believable context. 1950s Hong Kong seems lovingly recreated with a convincing eye for detail. And with excellent cinematography from cinema veteran Poon Hang sang (Centre Stage, The Iceman Cometh, Kung Fu Hustle, Fearless) the whole thing looks exquisite too.

Darren Shahlavi exclusive interviewBut perhaps the most interesting aspect of this film is the central role the martial arts masters own families play. This rare insight into their normal everyday life, trying to pay the bills and care for their wives and children, seems to interest director Yip as much as the action sequences. It not only adds a heart to the film, but a somewhat deliberate incongruity between the awesome power of these individuals, and their very much everyday existence.

Cue some decent performances from leads Yen, Hung and Fan Siu-Wong (Story Of Ricky, Project S), returning to his role of Kam Shan-Chau. Along with Hung, there’s also some great cameos from other martial art film veterans: Lo Meng (The Five Venoms, The Brave Archer, Invincible Shaolin, Human Lanterns), Fung Hak-on (Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow , The Young Master, Zu: The Warriors from the Magic Mountain) and long time Hung assistant Lam Hak-min (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, The Hand of Death, Drunken Master II), and a suitably pantomime villain in Brit Darren Shahlavi’s cockney boxer.

The real oddity here is Simon Yam’s character. Once again appearing as Chow Ching-Chuen, his inclusion seems little more than a cameo, adding nothing to the film more than his name on the credits. (One suspects he may have been committed to another project!)

Perhaps it’s a shame then the film turns into a simplistic tournament premise, as is so common right now, as opposed to something more imaginative. Without giving too much away, there’s even a Rocky IV style Apollo Creed moment, but this time Ip Man is not only fighting for the honour of a friend, but that of his country.

Sure, Ip Man 2 maybe rather predictable, but it’s well made, finely acted, and includes some of the most imaginative martial sequences we’ll probably see all year – so that’s got to be with a punt?

Ip Man 2 is released on DVD and Blu-ray by Cine Asia on Monday 7th March.

DVD details

Distributor: Cine Asia (UK)

Cine Asia promised one hell of a release for Ip Man 2, and they’ve delivered on all counts!

The film itself is presented in a clean and vibrant transfer with great sound, but it doesn’t end there by a long shot. The two-disc DVD and Blu-ray versions are jam packed with bonus features. These include an audio commentary from Bey Logan; deleted scenes; a making of featurette; an in-depth look at the creation of four big scenes from director Wilson Yip and production designer Kenneth Mak; and much more besides.

There’s also an exhaustive set of cast and crew interviews, as well as an exclusive set of documentaries for the UK edition.

Great value for money, this has to be one of the martial arts must-buys of the year.

Related and associated posts

This entry was published by Andy H on Friday, March 4th, 2011 at 10:00 am and is filed under Drama, Films, Hong Kong, Martial arts, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Comments to “Ip Man 2”

  1. [...] arts fave of the moment Donnie Yen (Ip Man, S.P.L.: Kill Zone) stars as Guan Yu, one of the most beloved figures from Luo Guanzhong’s novel, a righteous and [...]

    The Lost Bladesman UK Blu Ray DVD review | easternkicks.com September 8th, 2011 at 4:56 pm

  2. [...] some of the interviews we’ve had this year! We took a second round with Donnie Yen to launch Ip Man 2, and got ask him ‘the best use of music in an interview question!’, also chatting to his [...]

    The review of the year, 2011 | easternkicks.com December 22nd, 2011 at 10:03 am

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