Reviewed by bennydelacruz
on 30/06/2016 16:27

The genre is not what matters in this one but what level of acting, directing and choreography it took to get to results that would be appreciated by the world audience.  The story centers on the plight of the Chinese people under the Japanese. It brings the audience to the center of Chinese predicament and it’s war history. Ip Man refused to fight in a competition against Japanese martial artists but was forced to do so and prove to them his skills and bravery. Ip Man won in many international competitions including the 2009 HK Film Awards where it won Best Action Director and Best Film. Donnie Yen’s performance was outstanding throughout. Superb facial expression and martial arts skill. He is an adept Martial Artist and has won many times in international Wushu competitions.  There are 12 fight sequences in the story with Donnie Yen performing in most of them. His skills in Thai, Japanese, Korean and other forms prove that Yen should belong with the immortals of martial arts movies: Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee as well as Stallone and Schwarzenegger.  The audience will either find themselves at the edge of their seat most throughout the entire movie, or entranced in drama sequences that would make them laugh, cry or applaud Ip Man’s competition victories. After this movie was shown, numerous Wing Chun and other Chinese Martial Arts studios reopened.  Wilson Yip, its director presented this half-fiction war drama in an elegant or shall we say stylish manner.  It will not disappoint martial arts fans.