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30 Countries Challenge // #18 - Hong Kong
I think this is about as accurate to the real Ip Man's life as it is to mine, but who really cares when it's this entertaining? The stunningly choreographed fight sequences are obviously the centerpiece and like most martial arts films the plot is used merely as a transition between them. But I'm willing to let story go when you've got Donnie Yen beating people up with a feather duster.
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Ip Man needs one of those wallets that says "bad muthafucker" on it.
I enjoyed the hell out of this film. The fight scenes are amazing and the story is quite good for a movie with such a high level of ass kicking! It's one of the best modern martial arts films I've seen and I highly recommend it.
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As a dramatisation based around the life of Ip Man I'm pretty certain there's some giant whoopsies being told here for the sake of artistic license. But never mind the bollocks. What you're after is massive amounts of Kung Fu. Chop Socky nonsense and Ip Man delivers in spades.
The choreography is incredible. The fights begin quite playfully in the first third of the movie and gradually get darker to suit the shift in tone. Donnie Yen is outstanding in…
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*SOME SPOILERS*
This is, simply, one of the three or four best kung fu films I've ever seen, a back-to-basics classic with a realistic setting, a powerful story and a series of superbly-choreographed fight scenes that place an accent on technical skill, and possess a heartening reverence for visual clarity. There are no mystifying close-ups of unidentifiable feet, and the film benefits from both a negligible amount of wire-work and a complete absence of juvenile comedy, placing it in a… -
When you absolutely positively want to kick every motherfuckers ass in the room, accept no substitutes.
Whether it's defending himself against a sword using a feather duster, or taking on 10 Japanese soldiers in combat, Ip Man has some of the best fight choreography committed to film.
Brilliant.
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Action shots are intensely choreographed and editing to make this exactly what it needs to be, a superb martial arts film. Unfortunately I am well aware that martial arts films are not something I am keen too. I don't find much enjoyment in watching martial arts fights, no matter how well choreographed or how well they are shot. That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it from a technical stand and I am fully aware that the scenes are well made,…
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I'm a great admirer of Donnie Yen, less as an actor but more as a choreographer and his immense ability as a martial artist, so I was looking forward to seeing this. Unfortunately I was left disappointed because so many elements were poorly handled. The acting ranges from passable to downright awful, the pacing is off, direction flat and I'm not convinced it ever struck the right tone. What inevitably saves it, as it so often does with these types…
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Ip Man contains lots of kung-fu, but it is more story oriented and most fights (except for at the beginning) contribute to the story line and to display Ip Man's character. I was concerned at the beginning of this film because it looked a bit cheesy. The cuts and the dialogue reminded me a bit of those made-for-tv movies from the 70s, where all characters have a couple of lines, just enough to introduce plot points and nothing about characterization.…
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There are good fight scenes, well-made, well-choreographed and well-shot. The rest is not, though. Acting is passable, pacing off, direction poor. Worth it for the fights, if you're into that kind of thing. And if you are, you'll probably like it more than I did.
Had plans to watch 1 & 2 before THE GRANDMASTER, but I think I'll skip 2. Remember it being worse than this.
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